Lineker follow up

Sorry about the lateness of the blog tonight but I've had my first game of the season tonight and showed the old magic was still there with second top score and a tight bowling spell. Just a shame that tomorrow my hamstrings will sound like a badly played violin and my shoulder could well detach in mid-morning...

We won too, which made for a nice evening on a glorious summer day. All is well in the cricketing world.

Thanks for your comments on Matt Lineker, which are appreciated as always. For what its worth, after scores of 125, 197 and 101 in four innings I think that Lineker has to be in with a shout of a first team appearance sometime soon. While I'm not disputing the talent and ability of Wayne Madsen and Wes Durston, Lineker's form has to put them under pressure as a man in prime form. I would expect him to travel to Lords for the four day game and he may yet play - though that's Krikk's call.

For what its worth, I think we should reward Lineker with a year's deal. He will be 27 by then and next year we should see whether he has what it takes. His recent form is making a very good case for retention...

Tomorrow is the biggie then, and Middlesex have announced a strong squad for the game, namely:

Neil Dexter (captain)

Corey Collymore
Steven Crook
Jamie Dalrymple
Steven Finn
Dawid Malan
Tim Murtagh
Scott Newman
Sam Robson
Chris Rogers
John Simpson
Tom Smith
Paul Stirling

A good squad, but not unbeatable. As we've shown on many occasions this summer, on our day we can take on anyone and win. Tomorrow may or may not be one of those days, but I expect them to compete and when that happens the opposition can crumble.

Our side for tomorrow? I'd guess the following and probably won't be far away

Hughes
Guptill
Durston
Madsen
Smith
Park
Whiteley
Sutton
Clare
Jones
Groenewald

Should be well worth a watch and I will be commenting on it later tomorrow - assuming that my fingers haven't also seized up by then...