Under 17s are off and running

sterley on a Friday evening in mid/late April with (at the start of the week) a poor weather forecast looked like a challenging first round cup tie. Osterley are a good side with some excellent - if young - cricketers. And there's always the risk of being caught cold in the first match - especially as it was reduced to 15 overs a side to make sure we finished before dark.

But tonight went pretty much exactly to plan. Even before the first ball was bowled the traffic in Hanwell and Southall was unusually light (albeit that Sam T was scrambling to get his pads on in time to open), and Mungo won his first toss of the campaign. Despite losing Tom in the first over (a little unlucky to fall to a great catch having middled a cover drive) progress was serene with Arthur happy to play second fiddle to Sam T's fluency. The runs came freely and with commendable composure and although Arthur was stumped for 23 with the score on 87 in the middle of the 12th over, Sam A and Ben supported Sam T as he closed the innings brilliantly adding 50 from the last 21 balls. Sam ended on 85 not out from 49 balls - a superb innings that took the team to 137 for 3 from 15 overs.

So an imposing target for Osterley, and despite Ben keeping us guessing with his first 3 deliveries, once he hit his length (and Sam T whipped the bails off to bag the first wicket) the result was never in doubt. An excellent all round bowling and fielding performance squeezed Osterley out of the game - they were all out for 52 in the 12th over. Ealing won by 85 runs and progress to the second round against Old Actonians which has to be played by 10 June.