Ealing CC 1st XI v Twickenham CC 1st XI

EALING CRUISE TO THIRD STRAIGHT LEAGUE WIN AND REMAIN UNBEATEN

Green machine keeps on marching with convincing victory over Twickenham at Corfton Road. Full report by Mylo Wilkin:

Week three. Back at home on the hallowed turf. Twickenham the visitors today, a beautiful sunny day in West London. But there was just a little chill in the air. Some said it was jumper weather. Others laughed. “Jumpers? Today? You’re crazy,” they said, rolling up their un-jumpered sleeves.

Robbie Connelly made his debut today too, the 19-year-old being presented his 1st XI cap by Beast – more than twice his age and about 250 League games ahead. It was a big moment for Robbie, who smiled awkwardly as he had his photo taken.

To the cricket, and Kristian lost the toss. Our visitors had no hesitation in opting to bat first on what looked like a very good wicket. Chad and Scotty opened the bowling and gave nothing away – the former beating the bat with pace and swing, the latter beating the bat with mystery and voodoo.

But it was Chad with the breakthrough, clean bowling ex-pro Scott Newman with an inswinging beauty that clattered into middle stump. The other opener battled onto nine off 40 balls before he was bowled by Scotty. Someone had just reminded him it was a 50-over game, like you do in the under 9s.

The next pair batted well for a while but had to take their chances against the very tight bowling. Glasper came on and got the breakthrough, edging to Kristian at slip; and then when Glasper had the other batsmen caught behind for a well-constructed 38 we were well on top at 80-4 with the top four men all back in the shed.

Spin came on and things got even harder for the Twickenham middle order. Skipper Carlos was the last remaining hope for the visitors, but when he was trapped in front by Ryan “The Barrel” we felt we were on the verge. It was also his first League wicket, which he denied was true at the time, before spending the next two overs trying to think what wickets of his we had missed over the past two weeks.

Kristian then got in on the act – first with a sharp catch by Barrel at first slip, then a simple caught and bowled to make it 112-7.

Now the game got interesting. Not the cricket perhaps, but the newly introduced Fumble, the last person to fumble the ball in the field having to write the match report. (Spoiler alert: I lost).

For those avid supporters of Ealing Cricket Club 1st XI there is only one man you would have had your money on at this point: Mr Christopher Glasper, a fielder so fumble-prone that even he himself expected to write this very match report. When the ball rolled out to him at long-on, the whole crowd (approx. 24 people) oohed collectively. The ball went cleanly into his hands and he breathed a big sigh of relief.

In the next 10 overs there were fumbles galore, the pressure of the match report hanging heavy over the fielders’ heads. Even Oli misfielded a ball rolling at less than 4mph, only for Beast to fumble the ball saving three with a diving stop at backward point.

Someone who didn’t feel the pressure was Chad, who ran out the number eight with a calm and collected piece of fielding at mid-off, which left Kristian to continue his very useful habit of cleaning up the tail, a stumping and a second slip catch to Barrel all that was needed. 142 all out from 38.2 overs.

****

If the crowd (approx. 28 by now) wanted drama, then they should have gone somewhere else. This was about as convincing a run chase as you could have ever wanted. Despite being one down early, Oli and Beast batted calmly and coolly, picking off bad balls and rotating the strike well. Twickenham bowled nicely, but with only three and over required there was never any pressure on the batters.

The only moment of panic came in the 18th over: Scotty, leading a game of boundary bowls by a large margin of three, misjudged his throw and sent his ball flying over the fence off the face of an old roller. It was an unfortunately piece of luck, but it was also a foolish mistake to make, and cost him all of his five points that he’d worked so hard for. He’d never recover, and would finish in a lowly fourth place.

On the field and Oli cruised to his first 50 of the season, reaching the milestone in 63 balls. He then got in a big mix up with Beast coming back for two and ended up being run out for 51. Only 22 was needed by now, Bails coming in and hitting his third ball for four before being trapped LBW trying to finish the game in style.

Ryan came in and saw us to the line, but there was just enough time for Beast to reach his 50 as we strolled to victory by seven wickets inside 35 overs. Three from three, and an unbeaten start to the season maintained.

Full report and highlights:

https://www.pitchvision.com/#/pvm/96427