Michelin starred Rew Brothers cook Middlesex’s goose in Radlett

The secret with the One Day Cup is to embrace it for its strengths and not waste energy lamenting its shortcomings. Don’t cry for those players snapped up by a salty snack franchise. Revel instead at the opportunity to see younger developing talent alongside those more seasoned pros whose strengths, or perhaps even profile, don’t lend them so readily to the glitz and sugar pop presentation of the 100 ball game.

Alongside that, of course, are the bucolic delights of ‘out grounds’ and Radlett in leafy Hertfordshire has more than its share of charm. It nestles on the ancient Roman Road of Watling Street , one of the country’s oldest trackways, first trodden by Ancient Britons long before the Romans arrived to widen and extend it. Other than that, what have the Romans ever done for us? Or to paraphrase Monty Python, what have the ECB ever done for us? And one answer, even if inadvertently, is the opportunity to watch a game like today’s between Middlesex and Somerset, in the surround of field and trees that lend even the highest quality List A fixture the ambience of a Sunday club game.

Plenty of experience on view for both sides

This fixture in Group B of the One Day Cup, had way more quality and experience than that though. Indeed, perhaps a considerably higher weighting of it than may be the norm across both divisions. Somerset’s eleven was able to boast Tom Lammonby, Lewis Goldsworthy, Migael Pretorious, Archie Vaughan (son of Micheal), a brace of Rews, as well as James Ball and no lesser figure than Jack Leach, until recently England’s premier spinner.

Middlesex too, were not wanting for experience and pedigree. Not to be outdone they included their own son of an England captain in Josh De Caires (son of Michael Atherton), former Test stars Sam Robson and Toby Roland Jones, Irish international Josh Little alongside Championship and Blast seasoned James Cracknell, Luke Hollman, James Cracknell, Ben Geddes, Nathan Fernandes, Jack Davies, Noah Cornwell and Henry Brooks.

Under blue skies  with the gentlest of breezes blowing from the Salters Field End towards the Pavillion, Somerset won the toss and even though the pitch looked a belter, elected to field.  Early honours went to the home side, Josh De Caires and Joe Cracknell racing Middlesex past fifty with only one moment of alarm when Green spilt De Caires at first slip off Ball. However with 63 on the board, Ball and Green made joint amends to remove Cracknell. De Caires though seemed bent on using his previous fortune and looked untroubled alongside Robson to take Middlesex past their hundred.  Although the average first innings score at Radlett hovers around 317, it seemed that more would be needed from Middlesex, but they were seriously derailed by the guile of Leach. Cast aside by England he may have been, but here, he struck three times to puncture Middlesex progress. Robson went for 18 caught behind. De Caires was LBW for a fine 71, although he will not look back fondly on the reverse sweep with which he perished, but more in anger as subsequent replays showed that the ball had struck his glove and not his pad. Umpire Debenham had clearly decided it was buy one get one free for Leach in the summer sales. To compound their woe, Middlesex captain Ben Geddes  misjudged a lofted drive straight to Pretorious at long off for 40. As Luke Hollman arrived to accompany Jack Davies, Middlesex were 177 for 4.

Davies it was who steadied a listing Middlesex ship and he reached a fine fifty, whilst Hollman’s support was solid until he attempted to pull a cleverly disguised slower Jake Ball delivery and played on for 21. Looking well set, Davies then also fell to Ball in a similar manner to Geddes, Archie Vaughan judging a forward diving catch perfectly at long off. His 64 though had lifted Middlesex past 250 and it would be down to the likes of Roland Jones and the tail to help Nathan Fernandes move Middlesex as close to 300 as possible.

Leach and Ball show international class

For Somerset, 3 wickets each for the ex-England pair of Leach and Ball provided evidence that class is indeed permanent. Leach had one further contribution to make, catching a belligerent Roland Jones in the deep off Green as he and Fernandes looked to maximise returns from the final over of a Middlesex innings which ended on 289 for 7.  Not quite the par first innings score of 317, but potentially competitive, even against a power packed Somerset batting side.

Just as Middlesex had, the Somerset opening pair of Tom Lammonby and Archie Vaughan made rapid going on a pitch seemingly now as road like as the adjacent Watling Street. Left armer Noah Cornwell and the experienced Roland Jones were unable to find much lift and movement to slow their steady progress until Cornwell found Archie Vaughan’s outside edge and a tumbling take from Joe Cracknell had Somerset one down just short of their first 50.

The left arm, right arm pairing continued for Middlesex with Josh Little at the Salters Field End and the rangy Henry Brooks from Pavillion End, both of whom found a little extra lift and bounce under greater cloud cover. Little repeatedly beat the bat and was rewarded when Tom Lammonby edged him behind for 38 midway through the 17^th over. With Somerset 81 for 2, they were ten runs ahead of Middlesex at the same stage but at the cost of that second wicket. Goldsworthy and James Rew cruised comfortably enough before Brooks burst through the former’s defences, bringing together the Michelin starred Rew Brothers, hoping to cook Middlesex’s goose. (Alright, I know the famous French owners of Le Gavroche and The Waterside Inn are spelt Roux. But come on, why waste a good pun on a technicality?)

The brothers James (21) and Thomas (17) found the going fairly tough initially and the run rate slowed as Middlesex tightened their lines, switching Roland Jones to the to the Salters Field End to good effect and combining the spin of Hollman and De Caires at the Pavillion End. Thomas Rew so nearly holed out of De Caires but a sliding chance at long on for Luke Hollman wriggled away. This seemed to galvanise the Brothers Rew and a flurry of boundaries upped the rate and hastened their fifty partnership, shortly after which came the elder of the two’s 50 and the 200 for Somerset.

If a delight of the One Day Cup is the chance to observe young talent blossom, then both Rews were displaying it in abundance, combining power with a deftness of touch. The honour of bringing up their hundred partnership fell to Thomas, as he powered Luke Hollman over midwicket for six and next ball brought up his own 50. Alas for the younger Rew and Somerset he added just one more before pulling Noah Cornwall to Robson at midwicket, but his 51 at a near run a ball and the continued presence of elder brother James, meant that the siblings had seen their side to with sight of victory.

With Taunton local boy Joshua Thomas for company, James Rew cruised ever onwards and just after Thomas had survived a horrid drop by Fernandes at fine leg he made amends with two meaty boundaries. With just five needed James Rew brought up a superb hundred off 89 balls with a boundary, bringing the scores level and the fifty partnership with it. The one remaining run duly arrived and Somerset had the win.

The real winners though were the packed crowd who had seen some superb cricket, in beautiful surroundings,  in a game that was a fine advertisement for The One Day Cup.