Cricket: Fleming can't escape the captain's role

By RICHARD BOOCK

Stephen Fleming may allow himself a wry smile over the way things have turned out.

Two months ago, the New Zealand cricket captain set off for a wilting county side, Middlesex, on a journey of self-fulfilment.

Now, he is in the hotseat of the English championship's most talked about revival.

New Zealand's youngest test skipper when appointed in 1997, Fleming was for once thinking only about himself last summer when he accepted an invitation to play for Middlesex, where he hoped to re-discover his century-making habit.

He went a long way towards achieving that last month when he scored centuries against Gloucestershire and Durham, the first breaking a sequence of 39 century-less first-class innings, and the second giving him consecutive hundreds for the first time in his career.

But any thoughts that he might be able to escape the pressures of captaincy and pay undivided attention to his own game were thrown out the window when captain Angus Fraser went down, injured after the fourth round, leaving Fleming at the helm of the resurgent county.

Under Fleming, Middlesex scrambled to a draw against Nottinghamshire at Lord's late last month and were poised, weather permitting, to steam to the top of the second division table overnight, after playing Derby out of the game at Southgate.

The once-all conquering Londoners had slumped in the past 10 years, winning only eight of their last 48 championship matches, while losing 20 and never managing to climb out of the bottom three.

It was so bad near the end of the 1990s that Australian coach John Buchanan, who arrived at Middlesex bristling with scientific and rigorous plans, found himself bogged down in apathy and factions, and opted not to return for his scheduled second year.

The county then went back to former coach and former England captain Mike Gatting, who was duly dumped in favour of his old Middlesex and test team-mate John Emburey.

To make matters worse, Middlesex's usual professional - Australian Justin Langer - was unavailable this season because of international commitments, and they also had to contend with the defection of star batsman Mark Ramprakash to Surrey.

In some ways, Fleming sees a parallel with playing for Middlesex and New Zealand.

"New Zealand have lost a few experienced players such as Chris Cairns, Dion Nash and Daniel Vettori, and we are a young side with limited experience," he said.

"We're a struggling team because we are short of resources.

"Middlesex are in the same position. They're in transition with younger players trying to break through and I'll be doing all I can to help them to get back into the top division."

Emburey is in no doubt that Fleming is the ideal man for the job.

"He's absolutely perfect for us," the former off-spinner said.

"He's played a lot of tests at a comparatively young age, he's strong-minded and undemonstrative, and holds the middle-order together.

"He'll be a great acquisition to help the younger players."

Emburey was impressed by the left-hander's composure under pressure, and by the way he related to the raft of younger players in the side.

"Stephen's very calm and calculating in his approach, especially in run chases," Emburey said. "He plans every session - and to be there at the end of it.

"He'll readjust his sights depending on where he thinks the team should be. He offers a lot in the dressing-room and has certainly helped younger players like Ben Hutton when they're together at the crease."

Fraser also welcomed Fleming's input.

"I'm new as far as captaincy's concerned, but he's been just what I would have wanted as an overseas player, giving me ideas but letting me get on with things.

"It feels as if he's been around for ages now."