You could see the damp in the pitch even from the removed heights of the NatWest gherkin
Emma John at Lord's07-May-2004
ScorecardYou could see the damp in the pitch even from the removed heights of theNatWest gherkin. The bowlers were leaving long, deep prints that looked likethey’d been left by a particularly orderly mole. And while 236 wasn’t agreat score for Lancashire, it was looking more healthy when Middlesex stumbled to 10 for 2 before they closed on 78 for 2.Chad Keegan made the most of the conditions, taking his second five-forof the season. It was a big day for him in all. The PA announced that hewould be awarded Seaxes player of the 2003 season at a ceremony later thisevening (let’s hope that it wasn’t supposed to be a surprise). And, perhapsmore importantly, Keegan unveiled his second hairdo of the Championship, apony-tail scraped back behind a white headband that was oddly reminiscent ofJane Fonda in the 1980s.His bowling was as lively as one of her workouts. Lancashire were startingto settle at 193 for 4, and Mal Loye was tucking in to Paul Weekes’s toothlessspin, when Keegan, who had been bowling a fraction short, adjusted hislength and reaped instant rewards with three wickets in an over. First GlenChapple played around an outswinger, then Loye, losing his concentration,drove straight to mid-on, punching the air in anger. Dominic Cork was the finalvictim, and when Nantie Hayward bowled Kyle Hogg off an inside edge nextover, Lancashire had lost four wickets in nine balls for one run.No surprise Loye was frustrated – apart from a brief supporting role fromChapple, he was the closest thing to backbone that Lancashire’s battinghad. He was in fine touch from the moment he arrived at the crease,flashing an ostentatious drive to point off Keegan in the 11th over, andtaking two boundaries off Hayward in the next. In all he played 14 fours inhis century, as well as a six that went into the Mound Stand. The only timehe looked off-key was when, having brought up his century with an imperiousdrive over mid-on, he raised his bat in acknowledgement to the grandstand -where not a soul sat.Taking the field after tea, Cork made sure that Keegan would not bethe only member of the Nicky Clarke XI making an impact today. With AndrewStrauss sleeping off his jetlag – the dedicated Middlesex captain had takenthe field despite flying in from the Caribbean early this morning – Cork hadboth openers, Sven Koenig and Ben Hutton, lbw in his first and second overs. Owais Shah, dropped by Carl Hooper off Cork’s fourth, looks like he could make the mistakepay tomorrow.