Spectator Sport

21 February 2009

A damned fine spell

Now he’s going to need all his industry, dedication and good humour in his new job as head of cricket at Middlesex. With its HQ at the most famous ground in the world, Lord’s, it’s a glamorous county, but one of Middlesex’s problems is it doesn’t own the ground, it only rents it, and Gus’s office is in unglamorous Finchley. Owning your own ground can make all the difference — look at what Durham have done from nothing at the ground they own, Chester-le-Street. It’s now a Test ground — and Durham are county champions.

For Middlesex the glory days of the 1980s are long gone. In recent years they haven’t won much beyond last year’s Twenty20, and have had more captains than an Airplane movie. But Gus starts from a great position: he has the respect and affection of every county pro, and he himself just loves Middlesex. He really believes in the four-day game as the cradle of Test cricket. If anyone can turn things round it’s him, and I can’t believe there’s anyone who cares about the game in this country who doesn’t wish Gus Fraser well.

The sight of empty seats at the ABN Amro Open in Rotterdam nearly had me running for the Eurostar — the tennis was sensational, and it wasn’t just about Murraymania either. The grand slams have always been hugely entertaining, of course, but watching Nadal’s quarter- and semi-finals, against Tsonga and Monfils, in a run-of-the-mill indoor tour event, you knew the game has never been in better shape. Towards the top of the rankings, everyone seems to have the athleticism of Becker, the sliced backhand of Edberg, the power of Sampras, the serve of Ivanisevic and (almost) the fun factor of Connors. With apologies to Cruyff, it’s total tennis — and it can’t all be down to flashy rackets.