Ealing U11As vs Ealing U11Bs (h) - LEAGUE

Arguably a perfect way to unwind after all that SATs and exam nonsense that the boys had to endure in the week and a half running up to this fixture. Plenty of reason for both teams to stay at the top of their respective games and in choosing to bat first, the Bs undoubtedly set out to make a mark on the match.

And so they did. A brisk opening stand of 30 between Mattie and Harrison put paid to any complacency that might have set in and it was fantastic to see the Bs face up to Harjot and Jilal (who weren’t exactly bowling slowly) in a way that will make many “A” sides we’ll face this year jealous. No backing away, everything on the front foot, full face of the bat. Top notch. Scoring became trickier, however, and the regular fall of wickets saw the Bs restricted to 81 all out. Runs for Mattie and Harrison –whose straight drive for four first ball was perhaps shot of the season so far 0 - (10), wickets for Toby, Nathan and Harjot (2), Jilal, Lucas and Rishab (1). At the halfway stage the Bs ought to have been happier than the As with their outcome to that point…….a skiddy pitch made keeping very difficult but the As conceded far too many wides and we’ll need to tighten up on that. The Bs batted very well – called decisively and intelligently and ran hard.

It was always difficult to predict what was going to happen when roles were reversed but bith teams had the right intentions - the As had the instructions to play each ball on its merits, but seek to play assertive cricket, the Bs looked to keep it tight and keep the singles to a minimum. That the game ended eight and a half overs later is an unfair reflection on the fielding side given their efforts with the bat, but Harjot (29no) and Adi (32no) were happy to work the bowling around, hitting the bad balls as they eased the As to a ten wicket win.

It looks like a comfortable win for the As, which it was, but huge credit goes to the Bs for the way they played. They posted a higher score than Old As would two days later, and I’m sure there will be plenty more going the same way. The key for the Bs is to maintain that form and build on it when facing the other teams in the league – no reason why we shouldn’t see that happen. Onwards and upwards for both squads, I hope.

Have fun, stay safe.

Naz