EALING Under 13’s RUNNERS UP IN ECB NATIONAL CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP

Ealing Cricket Club’s under 13’s achieved the notable distinction of finishing runners-up in the ECB National Club Championship at Oakham School, Rutland, last week.

Ealing had progressed from winning the Middlesex south area to lift the Middlesex cup, then to the Regional finals involving clubs from Suffolk, Bucks and Essex, to reach the National Finals which involved the last 6  out of the 1800 clubs who had entered the competition.  The National Finals were played over 3 days, with the 6 teams playing each other in a league structure.

The first opponents were Lindum from Lincolnshire.  After a shaky start, which left Ealing 19 for 3 after 7 of their 20 overs, positive batting from Andrew Cox, 31, Arthur Godsal, 33, and Uzair Khan, 21, aided by Hal Wilkinson, enabled Ealing to total 114.  Lindum set off in a hurry with 16 off the first over, but disciplined bowling and fielding reduced the run rate.  Leg spinner Harry Mayes then destroyed Lindum’s innings by taking 6 for 14 including a hat-trick, as they were bowled out for 62, with captain and wicket-keeper Louie Millman making 4 stumpings.

The second game was against local rivals Spencer from Surrey.  Openers Louie Millman and Ali Dewhurst put on a quick 23, and determined batting by Rob Bentley, Cox, 20, and Godsal, 30,  took Ealing to 106 in the 16^th over before a clatter of wickets left Mungo Russell to shepherd the tail to a respectable 124.  Spencer had no answer to Ealing’s spinners, with Bentley, Mayes, Rohanvir Sidhu and Dewhurst taking 8 of the 10 wickets, and 2 more stumpings for Millman, as Spencer crashed to 101 all out.

So after day one, Ealing and Newport were the only teams of the 6 finalists with 2 wins.  Then the weather took over.

Ealing’s third game was against Old Elizabethans from Worcestershire.  Due to overnight rain, the start was put back and the game reduced to 15 overs.  Steady bowling by all the Ealing bowlers, with Sidhu taking 2 wickets, 2 more stumpings from Millman, and 2 smart run-outs by Dewhurst,  reduced Old E’s to 79 for 9.  Ealing struggled at the start of their reply but recovered to 47 for 3 off 10 overs, with Bentley 20 not out, leaving 33 to win in the last 5 overs.  Rain then intervened.  After a prolonged delay, it was decided to restart at 4 pm to finish the game, only for the rain to return at 3.55 pm and for the game to be abandoned.  Insult was heaped on injury as Old E’s were declared winners on run-rate.

The big opportunity was to play Newport in game 4, but that game never started due to the prolonged downpour.

Going into the final day and game 5, the weather forecast was poor, and Ealing had to win and hope Newport lost to be crowned champions.  Playing Old Leodiensians from Yorkshire, Ealing lost their fourth toss in a row, but reduced Old Leo’s to 43 for 4 off 12 overs, another strong position, before another downpour led to an abandonment.

So Ealing finished the National Finals tournament as runners-up to Newport, a fantastic achievement when considered against a background of 1800 clubs entering the tournament back in April. 

Undoubtedly rain spoiled the tournament and Ealing’s realistic chance of becoming champions - although with a Welsh winner, Ealing could claim the English crown - but it was an unforgettable experience for the squad of 13 boys, and managers Charles Dewhurst and Anne Millman - over the 3 days of the event at Oakham. 

Manager Charles Dewhurst said: 'Ealing Cricket Club is proud of this outstanding group of boys, who competed with the best of their age in the whole country, and won both games completed and were well placed to win the two games curtailed by rain. The team’s quite exceptional fielding was a manifestation of the tremendous team spirit and of captain Louie Millman’s astute captaincy and motivation in the field.’

Charles Dewhurst