Middlesex County Cricket Club

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Middlesex County Cricket Club
One-day Name:	Middlesex Crusaders
Coach:	Toby Radford
Captain:	Ed Smith
Overseas Player(s):	Vernon Philander
Founded:	1864
Home Ground:	Lord's
Capacity:	30,000
First-class debut:	Sussex
	in 1864
	at Islington
Championship wins:	12 (including 2 shared)
Pro40 wins:	1
FP Trophy wins:	4
Twenty20 Cup wins:	0
Official Website:	MiddlesexCCC

Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. Its limited overs team is called the Middlesex Crusaders.

The club plays most of its home games at Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, which is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club. The club also plays some games around the county at the Walker Ground in Southgate which hosts the annual Middlesex County Cricket Festival, Uxbridge CC in Uxbridge and The Old Deer Park in Richmond (home of Richmond CC).

Middlesex CCC has an indoor school based in Finchley and the Middlesex Academy officially opened in October 2003 to provide specialist coaching to the 12 best county prospects.

Currently the former Middlesex and Sussex batsman Toby Radford is the 1st XI Coach. Following a successful tenure as the Director of the Middlesex Cricket Academy, he was appointed as the permanent successor to Richard Pybus on 7th November 2007 and Ed Smith was re-appointed County Captain for 2008.

Contents 1 Honours 1.1 Second XI honours 2 Records 2.1 First-class 2.1.1 Team records 2.1.2 Batting records 3 Current squad 3.1 Bowling records 3.2 Wicketkeeping records 3.3 Best partnership for each wicket 3.4 List A 3.4.1 Team records 3.4.2 Batting records 3.4.3 Bowling records 3.4.4 Best partnership for each wicket 4 Earliest cricket 5 Origin of club 6 Recent History 7 Noted players 8 Staff 8.1 Presidents of the County 8.2 County Chairmen 8.3 County Captains 8.4 County Coaches 8.5 County Scorers 8.6 County Secretaries 9 Middlesex Facts and Feats 10 See also 11 References 12 External sources 13 Further reading

[edit] Honours

• Champion County ^[1] (1) - 1866; shared (1) - 1878
• County Championship (10) - 1903, 1920, 1921, 1947, 1976, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1990, 1993; shared (2) - 1949, 1977
• FP Trophy ^[2] (4) - 1977, 1980, 1984, 1988
• National League ^[3] (1) - 1992

Division Two (1) - 2004

• Twenty20 Cup (0) -
• Benson & Hedges Cup (2) - 1983, 1986

[edit] Second XI honours

• Second XI Championship (5) - 1974, 1989, 1993, 1999, 2000; shared (0)
• Second XI Trophy (1) - 2007
• Minor Counties Championship (1) - 1935; shared (0)

[edit] Records

[edit] First-class

[edit] Team records

• Highest Total For - 642-3 declared v Hampshire at Southampton 1923
• Highest Total Against - 850-7 declared by Somerset at Taunton 2007
• Lowest Total For - 20 v MCC at Lord's 1864
• Lowest Total Against - 31 by Gloucestershire at Bristol 1924

[edit] Batting records

• Highest Score - 331 JDB Robertson v Worcestershire at Worcester 1949
• Highest Score Against - 341 CM Spearman for Gloucestershire at Gloucester 2004
• Most Runs in Season - 2669 EH Hendren in 1923

[edit] Current squad

• Ed Smith Captain 2
• Nick Compton 3
• Andrew Strauss 6
• Eoin Morgan 7
• Shaun Udal 8
• Steven Finn 9
• David Nash (Wicketkeeper) 10
• Chris Peploe 11
• Shaun Levy 14
• Chris Silverwood 15
• Robbie Williams 15
• Kabir Toor 18
• Alan Richardson 21
• Ben Scott (Wicketkeeper) 22
• Daniel Evans 23
• Ed Joyce 24
• Billy Godleman 26
• Vernon Philander 28
• Dawid Malan 29
• Dirk Nannes 30
• Daniel Housego 32
• Tim Murtagh 34
• Gareth Berg 54
• Owais Shah 99

Most runs for Middlesex
Qualification - 20000 runs [1]

Batsman	Runs
Patsy Hendren	40, 302 (1907–1937)
Mike Gatting	28, 411 (1975–1998)
Jack Hearne	27, 612 (1909–1936)
Jack Robertson	27, 088 (1937–1959)
Bill Edrich	25, 738 (1937–1959)
Clive Radley	24, 147 (1964–1987)
Eric Russell	23, 103 (1956–1972)
Denis Compton	21, 781 (1936–1958)
Peter Parfitt	21, 302 (1956–1972))

[edit] Bowling records

• Best Bowling - 10-40 GOB Allen v Lancashire at Lord's 1929
• Best Bowling Against - 9-38 RC Robertson-Glasgow for Somerset at Lord's 1924
• Best Match Bowling - 16-114 G Burton v Yorkshire at Sheffield 1888
• Best Match Bowling Against - 16-100 JEBBPQC Dwyer for Sussex at Hove 1906
• Wickets in Season - 158 FJ Titmus in 1955

Most wickets for Middlesex
Qualification - 1000 wickets [2]

Bowler	Wickets
Fred Titmus	2, 361 (1949–1982)
JT Hearne	2, 093 (1888–1923)
JW Hearne	1, 438 (1909–1936)
Jim Sims	1, 257 (1929–1952)
John Emburey	1, 250 (1973–1995)
Jack Young	1, 182 (1933–1956)
Jack Durston	1, 178 (1919–1933)
Alan Moss	1, 088 (1950–1963)
Frank Tarrant	1, 005 (1904–1914)

[edit] Wicketkeeping records

Most dismissals for Middlesex
Qualification - 500 dismissals [3]

Wicketkeeper	Dismissals
John Murray	1, 224 (1, 024 catches & 200 stumpings) (1952–1975)
Fred Price	940 (629 catches & 311 stumpings) (1926–1947)
Joe Murrell	779 (516 catches & 263 stumpings) (1906–1926)
Leslie Compton	596 (467 catches & 129 stumpings) (1938–1956)
Paul Downton	547 (484 catches & 63 stumpings) (1980–1991)

[edit] Best partnership for each wicket

Partnership	Runs	Players	Opposition	Venue	Season
1st wicket	372	Mike Gatting & Justin Langer	v Essex	Southgate	1998
2nd wicket	380	Frank Tarrant & Jack Hearne	v Lancashire	Lord's	1914
3rd wicket	424*	Bill Edrich & Denis Compton	v Somerset	Lord's	1948
4th wicket	325	Jack Hearne & Patsy Hendren	v Hampshire	Lord's	1919
5th wicket	338	Robert Lucas & Tim O'Brien	v Sussex	Hove	1895
6th wicket	270	John Donald Carr & Paul Weekes	v Gloucestershire	Lord's	1994
7th wicket	271*	Patsy Hendren & Frank Mann	v Nottinghamshire	Nottingham	1925
8th wicket	182*	Mordaunt Doll & Joe Murrell	v Nottinghamshire	Lord's	1913
9th wicket	160*	Patsy Hendren & Jack Durston	v Essex	Leyton	1927
10th wicket	230	Richard Nicholls & William Roche	v Kent	Lord's	1899
Source: CricketArchive.com. Last updated: July 17, 2007.

* - Indicates that the partnership was unbroken

[edit] List A

[edit] Team records

• Highest Total For - 337-5 (45 overs) v Somerset at Southgate 2003
• Highest Total Against - 353-8 (45 Overs) by Hampshire at Lord's 2005
• Lowest Total For - 23 (32 overs) v Yorkshire at Leeds 1974
• Lowest Total Against - 41 (19.4 overs) by Northamptonshire at Northampton 1972

[edit] Batting records

• Highest Score - 163 AJ Strauss v Surrey at The Oval 2008
• Highest Score Against - 163 CJ Adams for Sussex at Arundel 1999

[edit] Bowling records

• Best Bowling For - 7-12 WW Daniel v Minor Counties East at Ipswich 1978

• Best Bowling Against - 6-28 AW Greig for Sussex at Hove 1971

[edit] Best partnership for each wicket

• 1st - 210* PN Weekes & ET Smith v Northumberland at Jesmond 2005

• 2nd - 223 MJ Smith & CT Radley v Hampshire at Lord's 1977

• 3rd - 165 MR Ramprakash & JD Carr v Nottinghamshire at Lord's 1993

• 4th - 220 EC Joyce & JWM Dalrymple v Glamorgan at Lord's 2004

• 5th - 147 MR Ramprakash & JD Carr v Leicestershire at Leicester 1992

• 6th - 142* BL Hutton & NRD Compton v Lancashire at Shenley 2002

• 7th - 132 KR Brown & NF Williams v Somerset at Lord's 1988

• 8th - 112 DC Nash & AA Noffke v Sussex at Lord's 2002

• 9th - 73 DC Nash & ARC Fraser v Northamptonshire at Lord's 1999

• 10th - 57* EJG Morgan & Mohammad Ali v Somerset at Bath 2006

* Denotes not out/unbroken partnership

[edit] Earliest cricket

It is almost certain that cricket reached London and thereby Middlesex, by the 16th century. Early references to the game in London or Middlesex are often interchangeable and sometimes it is not clear if a particular team represents the city or the county.

See : History of cricket to 1696 and History of cricket 1697 - 1725

The first definite mention of cricket in London or Middlesex dates from 1680 and is recorded in Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket by G B Buckley as that book's first entry. The reference "is quite unfit for publication nowadays" but contains, nevertheless, a clear reference to "the two umpires" (it is also the earliest mention of an umpire in what seems to be a cricket connection) and, as Mr Buckley points out, the reference also strongly suggests that the double wicket form of the game was already well known in London.

The earliest known match in Middlesex took place at Lamb's Conduit Field in Holborn on 3 July 1707 involving teams from London and Croydon (see The Dawn of Cricket by H T Waghorn). In 1718, the first reference is found to White Conduit Fields in Islington, which later became a very famous London venue.

The earliest reference to a team called Middlesex is on 5 August 1728 when it played London Cricket Club "in the fields behind the Woolpack, in Islington, near Sadlers Wells, for £50 a side" (see Waghorn).

For information about Middlesex county teams before the formation of Middlesex CCC, see: Middlesex county cricket teams

[edit] Origin of club

There are references to earlier county organisations, especially the MCC Thursday Club around 1800, but the definitive Middlesex club is the present Middlesex CCC. The club was informally founded on 15 December 1863 at a meeting in the London Tavern. Formal constitution took place on 2 February 1864. The creation of the club was largely through the efforts of the Walker family of Southgate, which included several notable players including the famous V E Walker, who in 1859 became the first player to take 10 wickets in an innings and score a century in the same match.

Middlesex CCC played its initial first-class match versus Sussex CCC at Islington on 6 & 7 June 1864. In the same season, the club was a contender for the title of "Champion County" and is regarded as a first-class team since that season (though numerous earlier Middlesex teams were also first-class). Middlesex played at Lillie Bridge Grounds from 1869 before leaving in 1872 due to the poor quality of the turf. The club nearly folded at this time, a vote for continuing being won 7-6. They played at Prince's Cricket Ground from 1872 to 1876, and began using Lord's in 1877.

[edit] Recent History

In 2007 Middlesex had mixed fortunes in Domestic Cricket. In the 4-Day version of the game, the club finished 3rd of the nine teams in Division 2 of the Liverpool Victoria County Championship, narrowly missing out on promotion. However, 3rd place in Division 2 of the NatWest Pro 40 League was enough to earn them a place in the play-off final against Northamptonshire Steelbacks. Middlesex won that game comfortably and therefore gained promotion to Division 1 for the 2008 Season. There was less success in the two knockout cups where Middlesex failed to progress beyond the group stages of either tournament. In the Friends Provident Trophy they finished 7th of the ten teams in the Southern Division. Likewise in the Twenty20 Cup, 5th place of the six teams in the Southern Division was not good enough to see them progress.

[edit] Noted players

The club has produced a host of famous players, notably the batting greats Patsy Hendren, Jack Hearne, Jack Robertson, Bill Edrich and Denis Compton who dominated the English game with breathtaking stroke play after the Second World War.

Skipper Mike Brearley proved as astute for his county as he did for his country in the late 1970s and early 1980s and a team boasting the 'spin twins' of John Emburey and Phil Edmonds, the batting firepower of Mike Gatting and overseas fast bowlers of the quality of Wayne Daniel was hard to beat.

Mark Ramprakash, before his move to Surrey was an England team player while seamer Angus Fraser carried the attack through the 1990s. More recently, Andrew Strauss has become a fixture at the top of the England order and Owais Shah has also featured for his country. Famed for proucing young talented individuals, Middlesex have great hopes this season for batsman Billy Godleman and bowler Steve Finn.

Popular overseas players have included Frank Tarrant, Tuppy Owen-Smith, Alan Connolly, Jacques Kallis, Lance Klusener, Nantie Hayward, Ajit Agarkar, Murali Kartik, Irfan Pathan, Stuart Clark, Glenn McGrath, Justin Langer, Chaminda Vaas and Stephen Fleming.

Famous fans include Mick Jagger and Johnny Borrell.

[edit] Staff

[edit] Presidents of the County

• George Byng, 3rd Earl of Strafford 1866–1876 1877–1898
• Edward Walker 1899–1906
• Russell Walker 1907–1922
• Alexander Webbe 1923–1936
• Plum Warner 1937–1946
• Frank Mann 1947–1949
• Dick Twining 1950–1957
• Gerry Crutchley 1958–1962
• George Newman 1963–1976
• Gubby Allen 1977–1979
• Tagge Webster 1980–1982
• George Mann 1983–1990
• Denis Compton 1991–1997
• Mike Murray 1997–1999
• Ronald Gerard 1999–2001
• Bob Gale 2001–2003
• Alan Moss 2003–2005
• Charles Robins 2005 –2007
• Don Bennett 2007 to date

[edit] County Chairmen

• George Mann 1975–1984
• Mike Murray 1984–1993
• Michael Sturt 1993
• Charles Robins 1994–1996
• Alan Moss 1996–1999
• Phil Edmonds 1999–2007
• Ian Lovett 2007 to date

[edit] County Captains

• Edward Walker 1864–1872
• Isaac Walker 1873–1884
• Alexander Webbe 1885–1897
• Alexander Webbe and Andrew Stoddart 1898
• Gregor MacGregor 1899–1907
• Plum Warner 1908–1920
• Frank Mann 1921–1928
• Nigel Haig 1929–1932
• Tommy Enthoven and Nigel Haig 1933–1934
• Walter Robins 1935–1938, 1946–1947, 1950
• Ian Peebles 1939
• George Mann 1948–1949
• Denis Compton and Bill Edrich 1951–1952
• Bill Edrich 1953–1957
• John Warr 1958–1960
• Ian Bedford 1961–1962
• Colin Drybrough 1963–1964
• Fred Titmus 1965–1968
• Peter Parfitt 1968–1970
• Mike Brearley 1971–1982
• Mike Gatting 1983–1997
• Mark Ramprakash 1997–1999
• Justin Langer 2000
• Angus Fraser 2001–2002
• Andrew Strauss 2002–2004
• Ben Hutton 2005–2006
• Ed Smith 2007 to date

[edit] County Coaches

• Jack Robertson 1960–1968
• Don Bennett 1969–1997
• John Buchanan 1998
• Mike Gatting 1999–2000
• John Emburey 2001–2006
• Richard Pybus 2007
• Toby Radford 2007 to date

[edit] County Scorers

• George Burton
• Joe Murrell 1946–1952
• Patsy Hendren 1952–1960
• Archie Fowler 1960
• Jim Alldis 1960–1962
• Jim Sims 1963–1973
• Harry Sharp 1973–1993
• Mike Smith 1994–2004
• Don Shelley 2005 to date

[edit] County Secretaries

• Percy Thornton
• Alexander Webbe 1900–1922
• Sir Pelham Warner
• Walter Robins
• George Mann
• Arthur Flower 1964–1980
• Alan Burridge 1981
• Alan Wright 1981–1983
• Tim Lamb 1984–1987
• Peter Packham 1988–1989
• Joe Hardstaff 1989–1997
• Vinny Codrington 1997 to date

[edit] Middlesex Facts and Feats

• Bill Edrich scored 1000 runs before the end of May in 1938. He did it in just 15 innings, with 4 centuries, and every run was scored at Lords. Don Bradman gave him the chance to score the 10 runs he needed in the Australian tour match with Middlesex by declaring his team's innings early.
• Middlesex won the County Championship in 1947 thanks to the phenomenal run scoring of Denis Compton and Bill Edrich. They both passed Tom Hayward's 1906 record of 3518 runs in a season with Compton making 3816 at 90.86 and Edrich 3539 at 80.43 with a dozen centuries. Compton's 18 centuries surpassed Jack Hobb's former record of 16 in 1925. Compton scored 1,187 of his runs in the tests against South Africa, and Edrich 869 of his, but together with Jack Robertson's 2214 runs and Syd Brown's 1709 and the bowling of Jack Young, Jim Sims, Laurie Gray and Compton and Edrich themselves, the championship was won. The following season Compton and Edrich made their record unbeaten stand of 424 for the 3rd wicket against Somerset at Lords.
• During 2007, Middlesex wore pink shirts during their Twenty20 matches in support of the Breakthrough Breast Cancer charity. The pink shirts will again be worn for 2008's Twenty20 campaign whilst a pink/navy quartered kit will be sported for the other one day competitions.

[edit] See also

• Middlesex Cricketers
• The Hearne Family
• Marylebone Cricket Club
• Middlesex Cricket Board
• The Seaxe Club
• The Walkers of Southgate
• Uxbridge Cricket Club

[edit] References

[edit] External sources

• Middlesex County Cricket Club
• Middlesex Cricket Archive
• The Seaxe Club
• Wisden Cricinfo

[edit] Further reading

• H S Altham, A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914), George Allen & Unwin, 1962
• Derek Birley, A Social History of English Cricket, Aurum, 1999
• Rowland Bowen, Cricket: A History of its Growth and Development, Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1970
• Roy Webber, The Playfair Book of Cricket Records, Playfair Books, 1951

• Playfair Cricket Annual – various editions
• Wisden Cricketers Almanack – various editions

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