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First XI juggernaut continues
on as Barnet B’s are brushed aside in another run feast on
Twickenham Green
Barnet B’s 252 a/o (Devang
Amin 79, Valentino Martinesz 50, Justin Scriven 3-47, Warwick Paull
3-51)
Twickenham 254-7 (Pete
Carey 96, JP Cronje 41, Carlos Nunes 41, Zubair Ayub 5-68)
Another run feast on Twickenham
Green and another victory for Jon Varney’s men. After a solid start
the Barnet B’s lost their way a little as their innings drew to a
close, giving the Ts just enough overs to knock off the 252 they
needed for their fifth victory on the bounce. North Middlesex’s
slip against third placed Bessborough now leaves the first XI 13
points clear at the top and in pole position in terms of securing
promotion to Division Two.
The Ts made two changes from the
side that brushed aside Wycombe House the week previously. Ryan
Combrinck returned to the side in place of Twickenham’s answer to
Julian Clary, Scott Perry, while Srinjoy De came in for Andy Barnes
who was undergoing knee surgery and is likely to be out for the
season. As ever, winning the toss was to be crucial and Varney
again came up trumps. Barnet – with half their players stuck in
traffic jams on the North Circular – were asked to bat.
Openers Martinez and Rajapkse made
a steady start, taking just one single off the first two overs,
before Rajapkse got the innings up and running with a nicely clipped
boundary of Justin Scriven. It wasn’t long before Scriven – with is
nagging line and extra pace – hit back, Rajapkse edging off bat and
pad to JP Cronje in the gulley. Any thoughts of a procession of
wickets were, however, soon nipped in the bud as Devang Amin and
Martinez settled down to create a solid base. Martinez rode his
luck a little, edging Ryan Combrinck just over Al Storey at second
slip, but both players played positively and the score quickly moved
towards the 100 mark.
Given the steady progress Barnet
were making, skipper Varney brought off-spinner JP Cronje into the
attack early, no doubt hoping that his subtle changes of pace would
prompt the odd false shot. And, although both Martinez and Amin
drove Cronje expansively over his head for boundaries, Cronje did
indeed make the breakthrough, bowling Martinez just after the plucky
opener had reached 50. Ayub replaced him at the crease and after
another period of consolidation his partnership with Amin began to
develop. The Barnet innings was taking shape nicely, plenty of
wickets were in hand and both players ensured that the run rate
remained well above 4 an over. As the score passed 170 it looked
very much as if Twickenham were going to be chasing nearer 300 than
250 and it was only a clever bowling change from Varney, bringing
Kiwi Pete Carey (2-22) into the attack, that broke the dangerous
looking stand. Carey dismissed Amin (caught by Storey at cover) for
79 and then Ayub (caught Nunes in the deep for 36). 171-2 had
turned into 185-4 and, in truth, the Barnet innings never really
recovered momentum.
Having broken the partnership,
Carey was whisked out of the attack and the trusty double act – 45
wickets between them this season so far – of Scriven and Warwick
Paull set about cleaning up the tail. Paull was next to strike,
removing Abbas leg before for 12, before a marvellous piece of
fielding by the electric Scriven saw overseas player Shah run out
for 23. As the runs began to dry up and the overs ticked past,
Twickenham strengthened their grip on the innings with some sharp
fielding and straight bowling. The dangerous Patrick Blair – having
already been dropped on 0 – played on to Scriven for 7, while Patel
was well caught at long on by Cronje off Paul. 238-8 became 243-9
as Sethi became another Scriven victim and after a couple of lusty
blows through the off side by Patel last man Steve Day was removed
by Paull to leave the Ts needing 253 to win in 42 overs.
After another excellent tea, Carey
and Cronje opened for Twickenham knowing that they needed almost
exactly a run a ball to see the Ts home. Both batters started very
positively, Carey playing an exquisite on drive to the boundary
first ball, whilst Cronje soon got into his stride pulling a number
of half trackers with glee. The opening attack of Blair, with 20
wickets this season so far, and Amin struggled to gain any
resemblance of control, as the 50 came up in the 8th over
and by 10 overs the score had moved easily on to 74. Both batters
scampered well between the wickets and their fun was only ended –
just as their second hundred run opening partnership in successive
weeks beckoned – as Cronje succumbed to the clever off-tweak of Ayub
for 41 off a racy 32 balls.
Warwick Paull joined Carey at the
crease and although Paull was circumspect at the beginning, the
total continued on its merry way upwards; 100 was passed in the 17th
over, with Carey reaching another elegant half century (off 48
balls) shortly afterwards. Carey skilfully manoeuvred the ball into
the wide open gaps on Twickenham Green, taking plenty of 2s and 3s.
His driving remained controlled throughout and the Christchurcher
cruised onwards towards what was looking like his third hundred in
the week (!) and his fifth of the season. Paull’s departure (32 off
37 balls) brought big-hitting Carlos Nunes to the crease and his 41
off 26 balls saw the score accelerate past the 200 mark. Nunes’s
brute force brought him one six and five boundaries as the Ts looked
set to cruise home in style.
The dismissals of Nunes – another
to be bowled by the tricky Ayub – and Carey (for 96) signalled a
major attack of the collywobbles as, with Scriven, Srinjoy De and Al
Storey all coming and going quickly. Despite this, the Ts still
only needed 25 to win with three wickets standing and the cool heads
of Dan Hough and Ryan Combrinck settled the ship and moved the score
comfortably along. Combrinck ended proceedings with a delightful
clip off his legs over square leg for four as the Ts reached their
target with 13 balls to spare.
The Ts once again showed that they
are competent chasers of high totals. Barnet batted well to begin
with but good spells from Paull and Scriven towards the end of their
innings left the door ajar from the Ts stella batting line up to
take advantage of. Pete Carey again looked imperious at the top of
the order and – despite a major wobble with the summit in sight –
the Ts got home with a bit to spare. Next week sees Twickenham take
on Bessborough in a top of the table clash in North-West London.
Dan Hough |
