Robbie White steers Ealing to 3 in a Row

Ealing v Richmond

Venue: Home Weather: Overcast, drizzly
Pitch: Seam friendly Toss won by: Ealing

Result: Ealing win by 34 runs.

Ealing: 265-7 (50)
Robbie White: 124
Mylo Wilkin: 71

Richmond: 231 all out (47.2)
Scott Ensom: 4-16
Derek Lane: 3-52

Report:
The third Saturday of the season saw a top of the table clash, as we took on Richmond at home, one of only two other undefeated teams. The day was overcast and the wicket fresh with a layer of grass on top, but we won the toss and chose to bat first.

We suffered a poor start as history-maker Tom Morton was bowled in the first over, then Oli went off in the second over with a mysterious illness. Robbie and Mylo endured a tough time in the first 10 overs as the Richmond openers made the ball move and gave nothing to hit, but gradually the run rate started to improve.

Both batsmen neared 50, Robbie going his third in as many games, Mylo also reaching the landmark in the 27th over. Now 136-1 off 30 overs we were in a good position and could start to play with more aggression. Robbie in particular was able to cut loose, and in the 37th over went through to a brilliant 116 ball century.

The Powerplay brought runs, but also wickets, as Mylo was eventually caught at cover for 71 – breaking a 197 run partnership with Robbie – then Ahmed was also caught for 4 to make it 208-3 with 10 overs left.

Oli, slightly recovered from earlier, came back in at five, but could only manage a couple of boundaries before he was caught behind for 17; then when Robbie was dismissed for 124 off 137 balls we were in slight danger of running out of steam.

The Richmond bowlers were very accurate in the final few overs and we were unable to keep up the momentum, but at the halfway stage we had amassed 265-7, which we thought was about par.

After the break the drizzle had started, but it didn’t stop Scott Ensom picking up his maiden 1st XI wicket, and it was a big one too – Richmond’s Middlesex player Ryan Higgins LBW for 4.
Cabs opened up the other end and was particularly miserly, he along with Scott restricting our opponents to 26-1 off the first 10.

The rain kept coming and with Duckworth-Lewis in action the race was on to get to the 20 over mark and ‘complete’ the game. Richmond were well behind the rate and only realised in the 15th over, suddenly trying to hit boundaries to make up the runs. This brought wickets – one for Jayden, bowled, and one for Laney, caught on the boundary by Oli. But it also brought the visitors back into the game, and at the halfway stage they were 103-3, needing a further 163 from 25 overs.

Laney picked up two more – caught and bowled, then LBW – and we were firmly in the driving seat when their captain ran himself out for 0 to make it 122-6. But Richmond weren’t going to go down without fighting, number eight coming in and taking the attack to the bowlers, racing to a 43 ball half-century and putting on 96 with their number three, who was closing in on 100.

Now, for the first time in the innings Richmond had the momentum, and we had gone from firm favourites to slightly behind the eight-ball. Jonesy rolled the dice, and with the ball soaking wet, handed it to Scotty. It proved a masterstroke – a wicket with his first ball, number eight spooning it to Kristian at point. Then, two balls later – LBW appeal, not out, Kristian picks up at point, one stump to aim at, run out. 219-8.

Fifth ball – number 10, clean bowled. One wicket to win. 218-6 became 219-9 in five balls, and the game was all but up for Richmond. It was all over for good six balls later, Scotty finishing off the innings by bowling their number three for 108, completing an excellent 34 run win.

It was our tightest game yet, battling hard with the bat and then under real pressure in the field with a soaking wet ball, but after three games our 100 per cent record was still intact.

For the full scorecard:
http://www.totalcricketscorer.com/TCSLive/TCSScorecard.aspx?id=43301

And the league results and standings:
http://www.middlesexccl.com/