When the Going gets tuff the Ts get going!
 
While the song lyrics from above are from a cheesy 80s classic it is never the less the most appropriate phrase in describing a match like this!
 
Expectation and delivery are always some what different, or so my girlfriend keeps telling me.  However, the expectation was that Ealing would walk away from Saturday’s game with a minimum of 4 points. The delivery was in fact very different with Twickenham taking the full 10 points on offer to them.  Incredible TEKKERS considering they have only lost a handful of games over the last 5 years (and none at all thus far in 2010!).
 
The victory was fantastic on several fronts;
 
Everybody, all year, has said you must always bowl first in the premier league to ensure you stand the best chance of getting a win.
Not the case on Saturday.  Plus, more importantly, the team that Twickenham took to the field with (and please nobody take offense to the next comment) was very possibly the weakest one of the year.  And yet
everybody chipped in with a performance of some description (whether it be a great catch at long off or 80 with the bat) and everything came together to help pull off a phenomenal victory.
 
A matter of months ago I heard the phrase “White Buffalo” in relation to girlfriends past. The “White Buffalo” is that ex-girlfriend who always made you laugh, smile, have a great time or enjoyed carnal activity more than once a week.

Well, Ealing really will be Twickenham’s "White Buffalo; we are talking the looks of Claudia Schiffer with the go of Debbie does Dallas. It is for this reason alone that victory was in fact so sweet! She didn’t get anyway we kept hold of this one.
 
Now to the small matter in hand of a match description.
 
Twickenham, as would appear to be a common theme with this season thus far, lost the toss and were asked to bat first.  Clint 'the horse' McCabe (fresh from his return from South Africa) and Tom 'Bungle' Meredith (fresh from his return from Eastbourne on cricket tour) went about their business in the usual manner, and stroked Twickenham to another 50 partnership. McCabe batted beautifully for a well earned 62 off 64 balls including 10 boundaries. I fear, however, Tom was a little worse for wear and although he battled hard was dismissed for 26.  This meant with a good start Messrs Nunes and Housego were required to push on and this they duly did before Nunes was dismissed for 41.

Russell (equally fresh from cricket tour) came to the crease with the score 172 for 3. Russell and Housego did a little consolidating and took the score to 236 before Housego was dismissed for a fine 80. JP 'cuddly' Cronje came to the crease and walloped a quick 27 before being dismissed and he was swiftly by Russell for 34. Paul 'John Travolta' Pannell was next to go for 0 from the second best catch on the Green this year, and the entire Twickenham team greeted Pannell's return to the pavilion with a ‘well now you know how it feels’ look on their faces.
 
Twickenham subsequently posted a respectable 298 off 66 overs.
 
Then it was down to the Ts to simply bowl Ealing out and take the 10 points.  Simples.  Maz The Mars Bar came back to startling form this week taking two fantastic wickets which help put Ealing in a tough spot early.
 
However, as good sides have a habit of doing, they consolidated and got the score to 80 for 2 at tea. After we'd dined 'The Horse' McCabe began to work his magic. A combination of tight bowling from himself and JP Cronje saw Ealing reduced to 201 for 9 with McCabe taking 6.
 
However, a resistance began to set in and before Twickenham knew it the winning drew was no longer a possibility and Ealing looked set to escape the jaws of defeat and take away 4 points. This would have been the second time this year Twickenham should have won and had in fact got themselves in position where they'd felt they'd lost (the first game being at second placed Eastcote).
 
In a desperate bid to uproot the number 11, The Mars Bar was reintroduced to try and squeeze the last wicket out. However, neither McCabe or Maz could do so and with Ealing now 252 for 9 and with only 7 balls left all looked lost.
 
Dan Housego at this juncture turned to me as I was swearing into my cap and said cricket "can be a funny game, mate".  As night follows day this expression has never been more true!

Ealing's number 8 decided to try and pinch the strike for the last over and reach 50.  Confusion spread like wild fire and before anything could be done ‘The Horse’ prowling like a tiger on the loose, pounced on the ball, dived full stretch and out of the back of his hand threw the stumps down to run the confused No.11 out and win the game!
 
Quite comfortably the best game I have ever played in, and with out question up there with the Southgate game that won us promotion last year.
 
Congratulations must go to the MOM Clint for his well crafted 62 runs and superb bowling as well as his electric run out.
 
As always David ‘Geoff Mcintrye’ Russell.   
 
P.S. A solid performance in the patch was produced by all who came, and special mention goes to the coach Martyn Fryer and Paul Pannell for dancing together and producing the wheel barrow, something I thought was only done in the privacy of your own home!