Yes that is true - it was rather contrived although the feeling was it was set up for Yorkshire to win. Mind you both needed a win so they agreed to take the risk.
I am sure the two teams agreed that they would have a result whatever it took and not allow Somerset in by the back door Yorkie - were you really in favour of Middlesex or was that just a bit of fun?
No I used to be a die hard Middlesex supporter....from the days of Russell,Parfitt.Murray, Titmus,Price etc etc
Just think what would happen if this "contrived" result happened in a football match! It's nothing short of cheating! what about punters that had bet on Somerset being champions at the start of the season?
I doubt that two football sides would play out a draw if both could win the league if they won. Same here - probably no underhand tactics just an understanding to go for a result - best man wins. Somerset had their chance earlier to get more points so should have no complaint.
If the comments about the pitches at Taunton this season are accurate, then that's probably worse, as it's over the whole season. This is especially relevant as Somerset don't play any Championship games at "out-grounds" or host any international matches. However, I'm not entirely sure that they are accurate as they weren't deducted any points for sub-standard pitches. Somerset winning in 3 days made it easier for Franklin and Gale to do what they did.
That makes at least 3 of us. ... and moving on to the great Mike Brearley. The player who disappointed me most was Mark Ramprakash who deserted us when we fell to the second tier.
I must admit I know very little about County Cricket, I'm very much into football and anything else is a distant memory, but re the state of the pitch, surely both teams have to play on it in that state!
You can say the same about football pitches (at least in the past) - but the team that always plays there gets used to it and so has an advantage.
I played in the same club side as Mark Ramprakash before he was a regular first teamer with Middlesex. Hugely talented but in those days quite an introverted character as I remember. Perhaps lacked a bit of self-belief. On the matter of Somerset pitches it's true they helped spin but that was true for both sides and they produced far better games than the previously batsman-friendly Taunton pitches which produced heavy scoring but a lot of draws.
Make that four of us. I was following the match intermittently at work on the BBC site and didn't bother yesterday. A work colleague and much bigger cricket fan than I nearly fell off his chair when he checked the score. As did I when he told me.
