Watts keep a cool head to steer the Ts home …

Turnham Green           152 a/o  (John Brown 36, Anu Agarwal 4-53, Stuart Amos 3-26)

Twickenham               153-7   (Steve Watts 54no, Ben Parer 32, Trevor Bailey 5-55)

Twickenham’s promotion charge continues apace thanks to a 3 wicket victory over Turnham Green at a wet and soggy Fuller’s Ground in Chiswick.  Turnham Green didn’t make life easy for the visitors, and ultimately a(nother) good stint from the spin twins (Agarwal and Amos) and a rock-steady 54no (66 balls) from Steve Watts was the difference between the sides.

On wet and woolly days, cricket is often hard work.  And Saturday 7^th August was no exception.  The lack of covers at Turnham Green’s Fuller’s Ground didn’t help matters, but the positive attitude of both the hosts (who needed the points in their attempt to stave off relegation) and the visitors (who were equally desperate to play as they strive for promotion) ensured that 86 overs were indeed ultimately possible. 

Turnham Green took first knock, and it wasn’t long before they were struggling.  Ryan Combrinck had both Glayson Baptiste and Will King jumping around but it was the gentle medium pace of Ben Parer that ultimately got them out; Parer, after having a very close LBW turned down, prompted Baptiste to lunge at one too many, Anu Agarwal taking a smart catch at first slip.  Number three Proctor looked rather more capable of hanging around, but Parer eventually removed him too, this time bowled for 11.  King, meanwhile, seemed to have more lives than Felix the Cat, as he somehow nudged, nurdled and edged his way in to the 20s.  Indeed, King’s partnership with number four Joe Proctor soon began to take on annoying proportions, as the hosts moved to 75-2.

So, as so often in times of need this year, skipper Dan Hough took the pace off the ball and reverted to spin.  And, just as the rain began to fall, Agarwal and Amos managed to snare a wicket apiece to leave Turnham Green on 75-4 as both sides raced to the pavilion.  Although the shower was heavy, it didn’t thankfully last that long.  Hence whilst the ground dried out the sides dined (correction, ‘pigged out’) on a truly resplendent tea; we had onion rings and chips at one end, with pizzas, samosas, fruit, cakes and sandwiches at the other.  I’m not sure Jamie Oliver would’ve been overjoyed with the calorie intake, but no one in the Twickenham side was complaining.  Pretty much a straight A on the Hendo-tea-o-meter. 

 

When Turnham Green did resume their innings both John Brown and Navid Malik had to deal with decidedly slippery batting conditions.  Malik in particular struggled to come to terms with things, and it wasn’t long before Agarwal zipped one through him to send him back to the nets to bowl at his kids.  Brown, meanwhile, had a pretty simple plan involving basically two shots; the fuller delivery was going to go long and straightish, the shorter delivery was going to be cut hard.  And this minimalist strategy served him pretty well as he soon – courtesy of, amongst other things, some comedy fielding from Ashley Gray on the boundary – moved in to the 30s.  His partners, however, faired less well; Baines hacked away but was soon to become the first of Jon Trippett’s three stumping victims, before Stuy Amos bowled the dangerous looking Phillips with a loopy full toss.  Brown then fell on his sword – stumping number two for Trippett, as Agarwal skilfully brought the batters down the track only to deceive them nicely in the air.  By the time Floyd Williams fell in to exactly the same trap the job was done, with Turnham Green perched on 152 after a fraction over 43 overs.

Given that 14 overs had been lost during the stoppages, the Ts found themselves with 42 overs to chase down the total.  And, with further rain in the air, it became clear that this wasn’t going to be a walk in the park.  Dan Hough subsequently opted for a rather left-field opening combination with the ebullient Trippett sent in to get things going along side Benny Parer.  Trippett’s job was to dig in, use that northern grit of his, and give the Ts a solid start.  The more outgoing strokeplayers could then – so the plan went – start to push on and go for the 10 points.

And, the plan initially went perfectly.  Parer played the more exuberant shots, but Trippett also played his part.  With the score on 58-0 off 19 it appeared the Ts were more or less where they wanted to be.  However, home skipper Trevor Bailey (who bowled unchanged from the Pavilion End) slowly began to tie the visiting batters down.  His first scalp came rather fortunately, with Parer unluckily adjudged leg before (32 off 57 balls), although his second was less lucky, Garth Borain looping a ball to deep mid off to depart without scoring.  By the time Trippett feathered one behind (28 in 69 balls) the Ts had slipped to 67-3 and were beginning to tread water a little.

Enter Steve Watts at number four.  Watts hasn’t had the easiest of seasons thus far, and he was due some runs.  Watts had also had a very difficult pre-match build up, and fair play to him for even making it out on to the pitch in the first place.  Many wouldn’t have.  Given this, it soon became clear that he was going to do anything other than make up the numbers.  He took his time, built partnerships and made it abundantly clear that he was there for the long haul.  That the bad balls took a while in coming didn’t unnerve him; Watts knew that in the end bowlers in second team cricket will eventually give you the chance to score some runs.  And, sure enough, this is exactly what happened. 

The Ts needed 55 off the last 10 with 7 wickets remaining, and with Matt Bendelow providing able support Watts kept control.  Bendelow’s unfortunate dismissal (another LBW) was quickly followed by Jawid Dadarkar being bowled by Bailey without scoring.  Ryan Combrinck, promoted up the order, nonetheless added some impetus, immediately plonking Bailey over his head for six.  Crucially, Watts also laid in to the bowling, taking 18 off Navid Malik’s second over as the Ts slowly but surely manoeuvred themselves in to a winning position.

Even when both Combrinck and Ashley Gray perished, Watts remained in control of proceedings.  Even though Anu Agarwal did his best to run the former Highgate man out, Watts stroked his way passed 50 (60 balls) as the Ts got ever nearer.  17 were needed off 5 overs, and then just 9 off 3.  A touch more kamikaze running nearly saw Watts stranded by half the wicket, but, somehow, he scrambled home and by the time the last over was upon everyone the scores were tied.  Agarwal was on strike and he calmly blocked delivery number 1.  With the field in all he needed to do was get bat firmly on ball and the Ts would be home.  And, sure enough, this is precisely what he did second ball, as the batters scampered through for the vital winning run.

With North London only gaining 1 point at SKLP and Wembley managing 4 against bottom of the table Southall, this victory could indeed prove important in the end of season shake up.  Next week sees the Ts again on the road, this time to Southall.  Given their result at Wembley this week they shouldn’t be underestimated, but the way that Twickenham are playing at the moment there’s no reason not to go in to the game brim full of confidence.