TCC 3’s v. Hornsey CC 3’s (Away) – Saturday 2nd June

For the first time this season Summer broke out in all its glory as T’s visited Hornsey at their new 3^rd team facility, Aloysius Field near Highgate. With TCC  losing the toss for the first time HCC who are languishing at the bottom of the League, decided to bat.  A new opening bowling partnership of Saunders and Biggs hit both line and length early and were astonished (to say the least) when both HCC openers were given “not out” to what seemed regulation LBW appeals in the first 3 overs. There was no life in the wicket at all and some decidedly streaky shots from both batsmen followed as our bowlers toiled with no luck and the score reached 50 without loss. Just when it seemed to be turning into a long day in the field Richie Saunders produced two wickets out of nothing, first bowling Captain John Simon with one which kept a tad low on the dead wicket, and then getting a caught and bowled from an inexperienced looking number 3 who tried to force one far too early in his innings and was dismissed for nought (54-2).

With renewed hope of a collapse, a change of bowling brought the accurate nagging medium pace of Peter Burke to one end and our regular opener Grobler to the other. 16 accurate overs in tandem produced less than 40 runs off the bat and then a well-deserved wicket each in quick succession reduced the home side to 114-4 in the 33rd over. R Charlton, the HCC opener was single-handedly keeping their innings together and it was no consolation to know that he should have been given out in the second over of the innings. Hornsey had largely “shut up shop” by now and were looking to frustrate T’s bowling at every opportunity and we were digging in for an expected 60 over spell in the hot sun. Charlton was bowled by Saunders (in his second spell) for a match-saving 81 and Hornsey eventually declared at 186-7 in 59 overs (another distinctly dodgy direct hit run-out appeal turned down) as Peter Burke polished off a couple of tail enders for figures of 19o-4m-3w-35r in the match. This left us 41 overs at a little over 4.5 per over to achieve our first win of the season.

The Hornsey opening bowlers started accurately and restricted the T’s to just 19 runs after 10 overs, a slow start compounded when Parker attempted to force a straight one through the onside in the 7^th over and was bowled off his pads bringing Colin Blunden in to join early season success story Stuart Amos. These two were just beginning to put us back in business at 65 for 1 after 16 overs when Amos tried to clip one off his hips (the highest the ball had got up all game) and got a top edge and was caught at backward square for another fine 41. The next partnership Blunden/Vanaswegan yielded a further 37 runs at 4 an over before Blunden(36) lost his wicket, once again just as he was beginning to dominate with the score now 102-3 after 26 overs. Birtwhistle joined Willie at this point and with two majestic boundaries off his first two balls faced he was then bowled attempting a third in a row (110-4). Mark Smith and Jon Trippett both went cheaply and suddenly T’s were in a little trouble at 123-6 off 32 needing 64 to win off  9 overs. Willie continued to hold the fort manfully but the scoring rate was slowing and wickets were running out, so when we lost Willie for 23 at 137-7 in the 36^th over with 50 runs still needed off just 5 overs it looked like the time to consolidate the winning draw. A valiant partnership of 30 from Saunders (11no) and Grobler(18no) saw us reach 166-7 off our allotted 41 thereby achieving a winning draw (4pts) Hornsey (1pt). Only 20 runs short in the end off 18 less overs but it was a case of “oh so close, but oh so far”

Phil Parker.