After a winter of financial wrangling, arrivals of Williamson and Paterson offer an overdue sense of optimism
Andrew Miller02-Apr-2025It’s hard these days to claim that the clouds at Middlesex have ever entirely rolled away. And yet, with the sun beating down on a glorious April afternoon at Lord’s, ahead of Lancashire’s visit for Friday’s County Championship opener, it felt possible for a moment to believe in new beginnings – even if several cold hard realities remain lurking on the fringes of the club narrative.”It’s always niggling away in the background, obviously, but I think the club as a whole have navigated through really well,” Richard Johnson, Middlesex’s head coach, told ESPNcricinfo, after a winter of discontent and, at times, outright rancour. “This group have been amazing to be honest. We haven’t let it affect the changing-room at all, and you feel like you’re coming to the other side now.”In terms of the club’s immediate balance sheet, that would appear to be the case. In February, Middlesex’s ugly and protracted row with their former CEO Richard Goatley reached a conclusion of sorts with the recovery of some £100,000 of unauthorised expenses, while the club’s slender profit of £131,000 in 2023 – attained largely through the cost-cutting that contributed to that season’s relegation – has allowed them to shake off the spectre of ECB special measures.And now, in theory, it’s onwards and upwards into a brighter new era, as epitomised by Middlesex’s trio of overseas signings for the coming season … which is three more than they allowed themselves last time out while still deep in the depths of austerity.Related
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The great Kane Williamson is clearly the biggest deal of these (even if the nature of that arrangement, as a spin-off of his Hundred deal with London Spirit, begs as many questions as it answers). However, the most immediately consequential could be South Africa’s former Nottinghamshire stalwart, Dane Paterson, who has a date with destiny looming at the World Test Championship final on June 11, and four home matches in the meantime in which to hone his Lord’s length.”It’s a win-win, he’ll be highly motivated,” Johnson said. “He can’t wait to get over and start playing. His performances for Nottinghamshire over the last three or four years have been amazing – 180 wickets at 23 – so he’s full of experience, and someone you can lean on as a player and a coach to perform.”Add to the mix Ireland’s Josh Little, primarily for the T20 Blast, plus Gloucestershire’s ex-Pakistan spinner Zafar Gohar, and such is the quality, it’s easy to overlook the fact that Middlesex have actually streamlined their squad since last season – with the departures of Ethan Bamber to Warwickshire and Mark Stoneman to Hampshire among the most significant.”We’ve recruited really well, even though we’ve had to let some good people go,” Johnson said. “Kane brings that stardust, and he’s not even someone I can say we lacked when we weren’t able to bring in overseas players, because to get a player of that quality is quite unusual.Kane Williamson will feature for Middlesex as part of his deal with London Spirit•Getty Images”I don’t even know how that side of things works,” he added. “All I got was a phone call to say, ‘do you fancy Kane Williamson playing for you?’ And I was like, ‘yeah, okay, no problem!’ To have someone of his stature around, one of the top-four batters of his generation, is just brilliant for our younger players and senior players alike, because you can gain so much from having a guy like him in your changing room.”For Toby Roland-Jones, Middlesex’s veteran seamer and Championship captain, Williamson’s arrival is no less of a surprise, but one that he is eager to lean into, not least given his long and successful stint in charge of New Zealand, which culminated in victory in the inaugural World Test Championship final in 2021.”When someone of that magnitude comes in, his impact can spread a little bit further than just runs on the pitch,” Roland-Jones said. “I’m looking forward to picking his brains, and exploring how he sees the game, once you’re over the ropes.”With captaincy, everyone tries to be themselves and have their own stance,” he added. “But you’re always learning on this job, whether you’re 37 or 21, and fundamentally, any chance you get to see a different side of the game, or even just get a bit of confirmation that you’re aligning with certain views, is great. That’s the thing that keeps us all coming back.”Dane Paterson was a quality performer for Nottinghamshire before his move to Middlesex•Getty ImagesRoland-Jones himself is back for a third season as captain, conscious of the creep of time as he enters his 38th year, but no less committed to the cause than he was when taking a hat-trick to seal Middlesex’s last County Championship title way back in 2016.”I do feel good,” he said. “I’m probably somewhere in the middle of those two adages, of knowing when it’s time, but also of pulling the pin too early. But my mentality towards the game and bowling has always been to push things as far as I can. If I can find the right balance over the next year or two years, or whatever it is, then I’ll be in a good place to know when it’s right. It certainly doesn’t feel like that at the moment, but ask me in October when I’m struggling to get out of bed in the morning!”Last summer’s haul of 52 wickets at 22.55 backs up Roland-Jones’ assertion that he’s still got what it takes. Sadly, however, the chance to compare his creaking bones with those of English cricket’s most venerable seamer, James Anderson, will not come to pass this week. Anderson had been due to lead Lancashire’s attack at the age of 42, but has now been ruled out until May with a calf strain.”I was also looking forward to seeing him run in, and I feel for him,” Roland-Jones said. “I think the boys were excited to match up and test themselves out too, and I hope he has a speedy recovery. But, fundamentally, arguably the best English bowler of all time is missing the first game of the year here in April, and that serves us better than him playing. So from that side of things, I can probably accept it.”The chance to get out there and play – in what should be perfect spring conditions, and in what on paper promises to be a clash between two of the likelier promotion candidates – could be just the tonic that Middlesex need. After a glut of negative headlines, and amid that nagging existential angst, it’s time to let the cricket do the talking.”We’ve been close in two different ways the last two years,” Roland-Jones said, reflecting on the narrow margins by which Middlesex were relegated in 2023 and then missed out on an immediate return with last summer’s third-place finish. “In those situations, you probably get a clearer picture of the good parts of your squad, as well as those bits that are missing.”Certainly, the guys upstairs have tried to address that. I do feel like we’re going into this campaign with more depth in key positions, and a bit of added confidence and experience from some of the guys who are still establishing themselves and hopefully maturing and growing more and more. It feels like we’re really nicely placed.”