Australian batsman Adam Voges saw snow for the first time in his life at Chester-le-Street this week, and the 35-year-old Middlesex captain is hoping it is not an experience that will be repeated when his team take on Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl, starting on Sunday.
“It was a bit of a shock,” admitted Voges after a weather-ravaged draw against Durham in bitterly cold conditions.
Travelling south for more than 300 miles, and almost the full length of England, should help temperatures improve for Middlesex’s third Division One match in this season’s Specsavers County Championship, with Voges and his players initially thawing out on the train from Durham to London on Wednesday evening.
Weather permitting, Middlesex will be confident of gaining a first win of the championship campaign against a Hampshire side struggling to cope with a clutch of injuries to their senior bowlers.
Voges feels his own high-class seam attack will be better for another run-out against Durham, despite the chill, and batsmen Nick Compton and Dawid Malan will be aiming to join opener Sam Robson in getting big hundreds under their belts.
Voges is also thinking of including frontline spinner Ollie Rayner.
“We weren't sure we would need a spinner at all up in Durham and it was a tough decision to leave out James Franklin,” said Voges.
“The pitch was quite dry so we included Paul Stirling and he did a terrific job with the ball, going for only two runs an over. He also batted well for 44.
“The openers applied themselves well and we put a satisfactory total on the board, but no one went on. We have played some good cricket in the last two games but we need to do it for longer periods of time.
"We have heard all about Hampshire's injuries, but they will still be a good side and we have to make a few improvements because we need a win.
“Our first ten overs with the ball against Durham were really disappointing. I'm not sure whether it was just a question of warming up, but once we got through that we dragged it back quite well. We will be stressing that we need to start better this time.”
Malan, who scored 74 in Middlesex’s only innings at Durham, is looking to push on after a successful winter with England Lions, and the 28-year-old left-hander comes up against another batsman with a senior England future in mind in James Vince, the Hampshire captain and Malan’s Lions winter one-day opening partner.
Former England coach Andy Flower, who managed the Lions last winter, said of Malan during the winter: "He's a beautiful timer of the ball. He's been really consistent, but he's also been explosive at times."
