Written by Jon Batham and Ben Kosky
County Championship cricket may seem a way off, but the publication of the 2024 fixture list today will have fans up and down the country dreaming of warmer times and the sound of leather on willow.
Middlesex, relegated to Division Two, will be renewing rivalries with Glamorgan to evoke memories of a famous win in Cardiff 30 years ago which helped propel them to the 1993 County Championship crown – Mike Gatting’s third and final one as skipper.
Those four days at Sophia Gardens produced a game for the ages which stands out in the annals of County Championship cricket as a whole, never mind the history of the Seaxes.
What started with a Glamorgan batting record never likely to be surpassed ended with a Phil Tufnell career-best amid a twist even Agatha Christie’s Poirot would have found hard to predict.
The great Viv Richards and rising star Adrian Dale shared a monster unbroken partnership of 425 for the fourth wicket as the hosts piled up 562-3 over much of the first two days.
Centuries for Gatting and nightwatchman John Emburey followed but, by the time the visitors were bowled out approaching lunch on the final day with a lead of just 22, the game appeared dead… yet, in an extraordinary climax, Middlesex would end up victorious by 10 wickets.
With the help of eye-witnesses Gatting and Emburey, ‘Middlesex CCC: The Championship Years,’ by Jon Batham and Ben Kosky chronicles the fantastical denouement and the wizardry of Tufnell’s left-arm spin with a career-best 8-29, including the wicket of Richards for a golden duck – which almost led to an altercation between the pair.
“The prize of the former West Indies skipper and batting legend was especially sweet, snaffled for a golden duck.
“Tufnell, never afraid to court a little controversy went somewhat over the top with his celebrations in the wake of the dismissal, dancing around, jumping up and down and running down the wicket. Richards, to put it mildly was ‘Not amused,’ seeing the carry on as disrespectful and a personal slight.
‘Viv got a bit upset when Philip started charging around after getting him out,” reveals Gatting. He said he wanted to see him at the end of the game. He did come in the dressing-room, but just said ‘Well done man.’
Read more about Middlesex’s 1993 triumph – and the other 12 County Championship title wins in their illustrious history – by ordering your copy of the book now. See the link below for details
Middlesex CCC - The Championship Years – JMD Media Ltd