Date-stamped : 12 Dec93 - 08:57 The Guardian 4 May 1993 Gatting cuts himself out of the one-day picture: MATTHEW ENGEL Tour match: Middlesex v the Australians WHEN Geoff Boycott was In The Psychiatrist's Chair on the radio, he rejected the idea that cricket was a team game. At Lord's yes- terday there was some evidence that he might have had a point. An extraordinary number of events happened and, of these, the fact that the Australians beat Middlesex by 69 runs in the third of their one-day warm-up games seemed well down the list. It was a day for individual winners and losers and the greatest loser of all turned out to be Mike Gatting. Returning to the pavilion after being run out trying for an over-hopeful second, he opened the dressing room door in what by all accounts was the traditional manner of displeased batsmen through the ages. However, he missed the wooden part of the door and put his left arm through the glass, gashing his hand and forearm. He was taken to hospital in a police car and was given a large number of stitches. The good news was that there was no damage to tendons, ligaments or any other really nasty bits. But he is cer- tain to miss the one-day internationals later this month and must be considered an improbable starter for the first Test on June 3. England as a whole could well be losers too because Gatting ap- peared to have found the form that eluded him in India. With two imperious shots in an over he had suggested that at least one of the Australian bowlers, the medium-pacer Paul Reiffel, need not be taken too seriously on flat wickets. Gatting was on 32 and steaming when he was out and he was, as one of his team-mates tactfully put it, ''disappointed''. Whether that was a factor in what followed is a matter of conjecture. It was, undoubtedly, appalling luck. The other Gatting arm had been in evidence much earlier. A few days ago there was some optimism among the England selectors that Angus Fraser, who has been fighting injuries for two years, might be close to contention. Yesterday Fraser was held back to second change, which displeased him, and when he did bowl, the Australi- ans clouted him all round Lord's. There was some conversation between captain and bowler which was not of a mutually admiring nature. When Fraser went off, after bowling four overs for 35, Gatting wagged his finger at him as if he were talking to a Pakistani umpire. Fraser did get the wicket of Border, bowled by an attempted yorker that turned into a stump-high full toss. Border seemed to lose sight of it at the Nursery End, where spectators now sit high above the sightscreen, and was bowled leg stump. Fraser raised his hand to apologise as Border knocked out the other stumps with his bat. Keith Fletcher, when England captain, got into trouble for that. The Australian management's first reaction was to turn a Nelsonian blind eye. The day also included a punch-up between a man who ran on to the field wearing only an Australian flag, and that across his back, and two Lord's officials. There were other small indications that not every spectator this summer will behave entirely soberly and decorously. What? Oh yes, the cricket. Even that was far more of an indivi- dual contest than a team game. Matthew Hayden and Michael Slater are presumed to be competing for one place as Mark Taylor's open- ing partner for Australia. Slater clipped the ball to mid-on and wanted a single; Hayden decided he was staying right where he was and by the time Slater realised, it was too late. The left-hander Hayden stayed on to make 122 and with his baggy green cap and his classical driving, he looked as though he could have been a member of any Australian touring party this century. He made 151 in the even more trivial contest at Radlett on Fri- day. There is a theory that he will be discomfited on days when the ball is shifting about. Anyway, he might be peaking too soon. That is Slater's best hope. Hayden put on 139 with Damien Martyn, another marginal pick, who relied more on flicks and deflections, and the Australians made 243 for five in their 55 overs. It was always likely to be too much for Middlesex even before the first of Gatting's mishaps. Craig McDermott looked sharp in his opening spell from the Nur- sery End and, when Ramprakash was lbw, he seemed to be as con- fused and unsighted as Border had been. On the field, the rest was predictable and Middlesex were all out for 174. About 8,000 watched, rather fewer than might have done given that it was a Bank Holiday, dry if not warm, and - for anyone who has not yet bought a ticket - there may not be another chance to see the Australians in London. Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)