First team slip to defeat in disappointing display against Bessborough 

The T’s slipped to a nail biting one wicket defeat against Bessborough on Twickenham Green on 19th May.  A plucky bowling display couldn’t make good the loose batting performance that had preceded it as the T’s slipped to their first defeat in the 2007 MCCL season. 

Once again the T’s lost the toss and once again they were inserted.  A pattern is already developing.  The track was not perhaps as dry as the groundsman would have liked, but it nonetheless looked a decent surface - certainly compared with the pitch the T’s had encountered the previous week at Barnet.

Twickenham’s innings didn’t get off to the best of starts, with Pete Carey departing for 7 when the score was 10.  The luckless Carey played one immaculate on drive that fizzed for four before clipping a full length delivery to square leg where Linton took a decent catch.  Carey’s fellow opener, J-P Cronje, looked to be his normal positive self, and, together with Warwick Paull, he pushed the score up to within sight of the 50 mark.  Cronje’s positive intent saw the quick removal of the opening bowler, Bailey, from the attack to be replaced by medium pacer Linton; and with quite some effect.  Linton only came off 7 or 8 yards, but his big induckers soon had a succession of Twickenham batsmen in trouble.  Cronje was the first to perish (19 in 36 balls), and Nunes soon followed (for a belligerent 20 off 18 balls).  Yet, with the score on 83-3 there didn’t appear to be any real reason for a alarm.

The next 10 overs changed this completely as Linton ripped through the heart of the T’s side (6-40 off 15.4).  Although not much was going on at the Pavilion End, Linton bowled Scriven for 5 and followed this up next ball by doing exactly the same to the unlucky Mark Ryan.  By the time Dimitri Nicolaides committed hari-karri, running himself out for 0, the T’s card was beginning to making gruesome reading at 110-6.  Andy Barnes attempted to fight fire with fire, but his fightback was curtailed when Barrie removed him for 15.  Dan Hough came and went quickly and not even a couple of boundaries from skipper Jon Varney (batting at 11) could push the score up to respectability.  Damon Combrinck was left high and dry on 18 as the T’s innings ended with the score on 140.

The T’s knew that they had let themselves down with the bat and that should they still harbour hopes of getting anything out of the game then they’d need to bowl and field well.  Justin Scriven quickly illustrated that he meant business, bowling with pace and accuracy and immediately upsetting both Bessborough openers.  It wasn’t long before he made a breakthrough, Pete Carey holding on to an excellent catch at second slip to remove Botha for four.  Bush, the number three, quickly followed - bowled by Scriven - for 0 as Bessborough were reduced to 12-2.  Mark Ryan could and should have picked up his first wicket for the T’s from the other end, but an outside edge by the other opener Clarke was grassed by Dan Hough at slip.  Linton - fresh from his six wicket haul with the ball - looked to take the game to the bowlers, but he didn’t last long, Warwick Paull trapping him LBW for 5.  Carr, batting at six, fared little better, departing to Paull for 7 and the Bessborough nerves weren’t eased when the dangerous looking Clarke became Scriven’s third victim, bowled for 26.  59-5 looked good for the T’s, as the home side really tried to turn the screw in the field. 

The opening bowler, Barrie, had come in at six and it soon became clear that he was likely to be the pivotal figure in the game.  He took his time, waiting for over-pitched deliveries to either work through the leg side or drive.  In Parker, the number 7, he found an able partner as the score edged ever upwards.  Paull’s wily medium pace eventually did for Parker, however, as Varney bagged his first catch of the season, whilst Reichers came and went for 0.  79-7 and the game once again looked to be turning Twickenham’s way.  Barrie had other ideas.  He batted with great composure and no small amount of bottle, marshalling the innings well.  Bailey contributed a useful 15 before succumbing to Scriven, whilst Jutla bladed a couple of boundaries before Nunes removed him for 8.  Although Bessborough were now 9 down, they only needed 2 more to win.  And, with Barrie on strike, they had to be favourites.  Scriven, who had bowled excellently (4-53 off 17.2) couldn’t quite pull off the miracle as Barrie stroked the winning runs through wide mid-wicket for 4.