Headline Grabbers:

It can’t be often that so many past and present international cricketer took the field in a second division county match and it could have been more. Pakistani pace bowler Yasir Arafat was a late withdrawal, replaced by Lewis Hatchett. If he had played fourteen internationals would have played in this match. We haven’t heard of another like it

It marked the return to action of Steven Finn after his lay-off for strength conditioning that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) requested. The work paid off as the fast bowler began with a spell of 6 overs, 3 maidens, no wickets for 11 runs. He finished the day, having bowled 27 overs, including the last, which yielded 14 runs, but with such an array of talent on display, it was ‘a limited overs specialist’ Luke Wright and an unheralded right-arm medium-pace bowler, Toby Roland-Jones, playing just his third first class match that deserved the headlines.

Wright ended the day in classic style – reaching his century with a sweetly timed clip off his legs into the trees that patrol the road next to Uxbridge Cricket Ground. But for the trees, motorists would have been in danger. It was Wright’s third six and left him unbeaten on 105. He had  also hit ten fours. It was a fine innings as Wright came in at number seven at 259 for 5.

Wright had no recognised batsman to support him after Michael Thornley was dismissed for 10. Middlesex had high hopes of skittling Sussex at 276 for 6, but Wright’s aggression paid dividends as he led his team to a fifth batting point – Middlesex have three for taking up to nine wickets. Middlesex owe their points to Roland-Jones’s efforts.

The last man Corey Collymore took a single to bring up Sussex’s 400 to earn an extra batting point and Luke Wright deserves to grab the headlines, bringing up his century with an elegant clip to the square-leg boundary that would have cleared the ground, but for the trees that patrol the road at Uxbridge.

Of the lower order – all Wright had to work with the the – next highest score was Luke Hatchett’s 11 from an eighth wicket partnership of 45. Monty Panesar made 9 before the forty-something Shaun Udal dismissed him caught and bowled after juggling it first. The partnership was worth 53 and the tenth wicket partnership realised 39 unbroken. Collymore’s share is 3. dominated the later proceedings.

Costly:

Wright rode his luck and that began early. He got off the mark against Finn with an edge that Dawid Malan failed to take. And in the eighties he offered a chance that Roland-Jones was favourite for, but Udal called him off and couldn’t quite reach despite a valiant dive. Wright gave Udal cause to regret his decision.

He bowled the penultimate over the day and Wright helped him to a six by effortlessly helping it on its way over square-leg for six. By the end of the over Sussex needed a single to claim their fifth batting point. They achieved that easily thanks to Wright, who then cut loose, although that could have been different to. A lofted shot towards square-leg should have cost him his wicket, but Roland-Jones couldn’t see the ball. Wright kept the strike, taking two. An edge eluded the slip cordon to take him to 99 and another effortless flick helped the last ball of the day over square-leg for six to bring up his century. Few begrudged him his luck.

But Wright’s performance, excellent as it undoubtedly was, was far from the only story worth mentioning. Roland-Jones is playing only his third first class match. He has a chance of an early 5-for, with figures of 25 overs, 3 maidens 4 wickets for 82. He was the pick of Middlesex’s bowlers by far. Former New Zealand international Iain O’Brien went for over a hundred, as did Steven Finn with far less success.

Work Out:

Finn had a good work out – 27 overs 3 maidens 2 for 115. His last over was costly. “Obviously I went for a few runs today, but that’s expected here at Uxbridge,” he said. “I felt a bit rusty in places. I think I’m on the right track.” So what about the fitness work that has deprived Middlesex of their strike bowler? “We done a lot of body awareness stuff – how the body functions and getting those areas stronger so a lot on my legs,” aid Finn. “It’s more about prevention, rather than anything.”

It seemed to work as despite an unwanted century, which Finn conceded he was lively and bowled the most overs in the day. “It’s just about getting rhythm back and having overs to do that,” said Finn. “I bowled 27 overs to help me get on that right track – a bit tired at the end, but that's to be expected if you bowl 27 overs. In patches it was good. In the first spell and the spell after lunch I felt good in stages and there were stages where I felt a bit rusty as well.”

The Supporting Cast:

Former Middlesex captain Ed Joyce returned to face his former club. Knowing the ground well, he is unsure if 400 will be enough, but was happy with  Sussex’s efforts and his own. The Irishman made his name for his country and is passionate about the development of cricket in his country. He welcomed the support of Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who expressed forthright views on the development of Irish cricket.

Joyce reminded Middlesex supporters of what they were missing with a fine 85, made from made from 126 balls. He entered the fray early at the fall of Michael Yardy’s wicket. Sussex’s captain was trapped leg before wicket by Iain O’Brien playing his first match after a long injury lay-off. His first spell was understandably wayward.

Chris Nash helped himself to 46 before throwing away his wicket with an unnecessary shot that looped up to Gareth Berg. He was the first of Roland-Jones’ victims. Joyce and Murray Goodwin put on 113 for the third wicket, comfortably the best partnership of the match.

Finn returned before lunch and conceded a single to Joyce – a push to extra-cover that took the Irishman to 46 and Sussex to their lunch-time total of 142 for 2. That single was Joyce’s 10000th run in first class cricket. He was given a generous ovation to mark the achievement. At 194 for 2, with a century beckoning, Joyce clipped O’Brien firmly, but straight at Owais Shah, who took the catch. Joyce was out for 85 to give O’Brien his second and final wicket of the day, but not before he had helped himself to fourteen boundaries.

“I don’t think that I threw away a century,” Joyce told us, “If I had got myself out I would think that.” Perhaps he didn’t but Goodwin can have no excuses. Having done the hard work to reach 80 he perished, clipping Finn behind square-leg. Roland-Jones took a good catch, but the shot selection has to be questioned. During his innings Goodwin passed 20000 runs in first class cricket. He had thirteen boundaries to his name. The following over Roland-Jones removed England’s Test wicket-keeper, Matt Prior for 30, which included a six off O’Brien. 259 for 5 soon became 275 for 7 as Roland-Jones had Michael Thornley caught in the slips by England captain Andrew Strauss for 10 and clean bowled Ollie Rayner for a golden duck. His hat-trick ball had to wait as that ended the over. The rest of the day belonged to Wright.