Sunday XI pipped at the post in high scoring encounter with Brentham

 Twickenham’s Sunday XI came a close second best in a high-scoring encounter with Brentham on 20^th May.  The T’s overseas player, Pete Carey, notched his first century in T’s colours, but the impressive Kiwi was matched step for step by Brentham’s Majed Ali whose 108no saw his side to victory with four balls to spare. 

The day started in inauspicious circumstances with skipper Holger Kriess having to abort his journey to the Green and go direct Brentham on account of being rather beind the clock having been out on Saturday evening.  Kriess nonetheless managed to get out to the middle in time to call correctly and decided that Twickenham would have a bat.  His time-keeping difficulties were immediately forgiven and forgotten.

Carey and the evergreen Gil Sanchez opened for Twickenham.  Both mixed solid defence with some aggressive strokeplay.  Carey, who hasn’t enjoyed the best of luck with the bat in recent weeks, immediately started to drive crisply through the covers, whilst Sanchez cut two short pitched deliveries in front of square for boundaries.  Sanchez continued to be particularly harsh on Kevin Brett, the opening bowler from the tennis courts end, hitting one lovely flick off his legs under a gate and down the Brunswick Road (so technically well and truly out of the ground).  Indeed, at times it was hard to work out which batter had recently been opening the batting for New Zealand in the Under 19 World Cup in Bangladesh and which was the 57 year old opening bat for the Saturday 4ths/5ths!

The flowing opening partnership came to an end with the score on 67 when Sanchez was bowled (18), but the foundations had been set for a decent total.  The slow pitch (and some even slower bowling) didn’t stop Carey from continuing to make good progress.  A couple of balls whistled through mid-wicket for boundaries, while a steady stream of off drives also made it to the ropes.  Number three Dan Hough took a little while to join in the fun, but soon he too began to drive with conviction and it wasn’t long before the score raced past 100.

Brentham’s overseas player, Hasan Khan, was introduced with the aim of stemming the tide of runs and this he did with some effect, bowling 5 tight overs for 7 runs.  Runs nonetheless continued to come freely from the other end.  Carey cruised past 50 and although he was somewhat becalmed for a time in the 60s and 70s, he soon picked up the tempo again as he made steady progress towards three figures.  Hough played some uncharacteristic big boy shots, hitting Mohammed Ali over his head for six and pulling James Hitchcock for a couple more boundaries.  The sprightly batters also managed an all-run five (no overthrows involved) as 150 came and went. 

Their 111 run partnership gave the Twickenham innings plenty of momentum and even although Hough departed for 64, Carey sped past the 100 mark as the declaration loomed.  Skipper Holger Kriess and Sunday debutant Nintin Perab fell on their respective swords whilst trying to score quick runs, leaving Carey to mercilessly take 21 off the final over of the innings, closing on 127no, as Kriess called his troops in with the score on 251 off 42 overs.

After a decent enough tea (nice hot dogs, a bit odd to only have 15 seats in the tea room though; B+ on the Hendo-teameter), the T’s took to the field in confident mood.  If Brentham were going to get anywhere near the Twickenham total, then they’d need to bat well, scoring at over a run a ball.  After 6 overs of the Brentham innings it became clear that for one of their openers, Steve Gaffin, 7 an over was far too pedestrian; Gaffin stood and delivered, smashing anything and everything that moved.  At times it wasn’t pretty, but it was certainly effective in getting the innings off to a flyer.  His 47 came in less than 20 balls and it took a nice catch from Pareb in the deep off the bowling of J-P Bowman to remove the bulky Brentham bosher.

Gaffin’s opening partner, Mohammed Ali, was much more orthodox and subsequently more circumspect.  He nonetheless drove well, picking up runs as and when the opportunities arose.  Hasan Khan came in at three.  The slow track immediately caused the New South Wales batter problems and it wasn’t long before the wily off spin of Karl Rand trapped him leg before.  Apparently it was the top spinner.  Apparently.  The departure of Khan brought Brentham’s Saturday firsts skipper, Majed Ali, to the crease.  He also played Rand with plenty of respect, working his way into his innings at a leisurely pace.  The departure of Mohammed Ali for 33 - another Rand victim (3-47), caught in the covers by Carey - saw Majed Ali begin to take over.  And with good reason, as wickets continued to fall at regular intervals at the other end.  Shibu Paull (2-31 off 6) picked up the first of his two wickets, trapping Hamiden LBW for 4 before following this up with another scalp; that of Saggers, well caught by Bowman at short fine leg.

The Brentham innings would undoubtedly have been wobbling had Ali not been there.  But he was, and whilst that remained the case then Brentham knew that they were in a decent position.  Ali passed 50 with a booming drive, as the run rate needed hovered at around 7 an hour.  Skipper Kriess mixed his bowlers up, bringing both Colin Chidwick and J-P Bowman back for second spells, but Ali wasn’t to be budged.  Dave Henderson, bowling in difficult circumstances at the death, managed three boundary-less overs in the final 10 - but to no avail.  Ali continued to play with authority, moving calmly into three figures with yet another fine drive through the covers.

The final two overs nonetheless left Twickenham with an inkling of hope as Brentham needed 9 to win.  Bowman put the pressure on the number 8, Kevin Brett, by bowling three dot balls, but come the final six deliveries Brentham still needed only four to win.  A superb piece of out-cricket from Pete Carey - who had run miles and miles patrolling the long deep square boundary - saw Henderson take off the bails/demolish the stumps to run out the dogged Brett for 26, but Ali wasn’t to be denied, lofting the final boundary off his legs to see Brentham to victory with four balls to spare.

Although the T’s lost, Shibu Paull, Karl Rand and the luckless Dave Henderson bowled well and Pete Carey, Dan Hough and Gil Sanchez can be pleased with their performances with the bat.  Next week sees the T’s make the short journey over to the end of Heathrow’s runway to face Indian Gymkhana.