Bungle bites Stanmore hard as T’s enjoy first league win!
I can’t help but think back to the first game of the season against Finchley as I write this match report and remember my initial thoughts, which were this is going to be a sink or swim scenario and right now as Finchley are 60 for 0 after 5 over’s we are DROWNING.
However, this week’s triumph for the T’s over Stanmore at Stanmore was nothing more than a few gentle laps in the paddling pool by comparison.
Never the less what is important is to re count how the T’s managed to mark this historic occasion of winning their first premier league game.
On what was billed as the hottest day of the year so far, Twickenham captain Carlos Nunes lost the toss and was inserted ‘as it were’!
The T’s made a strong start despite Stanmore’s best efforts to out fox them with two spinners opening the bowling. Clint making a handsome 19 before being dismissed by an arm ball or as he described ‘the one that didn’t turn’.
Dan the ‘House’ and our resident Ramsey street star then put on a standard of over 50 before Dan the ‘House’ was dismissed doing his Saturday night fever impression of dancing down the strip.
Enter Nunes who in his usual nonchalant style batted with Gerard Rebecki until lunch with the T’s being well placed on 168 for 2 after 42 over’s with plenty of batting to come.
Lunch came and went and the T’s were back batting in the blazing sunshine and making a decent fist of things, however the loss of Nunes, Rashid, JP and Russell for less than 40 runs meant that Twickenham were close to falling short of the 250 intended total.
However, hope still shone in the form of Bungle, Toadfish or just plain old Tom Meredith who had now batted for the best part of 50 over’s and was close to reaching his first league 100. In true Australian style Tom nudged his way to 99 and ran a sharp single to complete the milestone. A fantastic 100 and very well deserved and helped the T’s to a respectable total of 223 off 60 over’s (bearing in mind a winning score so far this season at Stanmore had been 230 ish).
With the runs on the board the T’s set about the task of dismissing the opposition and taking 10 points back to South West London.
The perfect start to proceedings was produced by Maaz ‘Mars Bar’ Haffeji cartwheeling overseas player Whealing's off stump first ball. Then followed by Fawad ‘ill bang you with my bat’ cleaning up Middlesex Man Jackson Thompson in the following opening over.
This really set the scene for the day. Fawad and Brother Rashid along with Maaz all bowled exceptionally well on what was a receptive fast bowlers pitch. Smart bowling and clever lines from Fawad meant his 5 wicket haul was thoroughly deserved. However, and at the risk of receiving a bat over the head the best over of the day came from 16 year old Rashid. It was the most intelligent piece of fast bowling I think I have seen for some time, softening the Stanmore 7 up with three fiery bouncers and a precision gun barrel straight slower bowl producing the LBW dismissal.
Twickenham managed to finish Stanmore off in 30 overs and take the full allotment of points.
A precision performance and well deserved 10 points. Bring on Saturday and the continued Twickenham steam roller!