Cassidy takes control as the Ts return to winning ways

Twickenham II           205 a/o  (W. Paull 46, R. Brewin 44, T. Bailey 4-49)

Turnham Green II       71 a/o  (F. Williams 24, P. Cassidy 5-27, R. Combrinck 2-17)

Twickenham’s second string brushed aside Turnham Green to register a convincing 134 run victory on 5^th June.  Solid contributions from the enigmatic Warwick Paull (46), the ever-reliable Richie Brewin (44) and the big-hitting Garth Borain (34) saw the Ts to a useful 205 all out, before Ryan Combrinck (2-27) and particularly Paul Cassidy (5-27) blew the victors away for just 71. 

Last Saturday was warm and sunny, and the track on Twickenham Green looked – as it nearly always does – as flat as the atmosphere at a Shrewsbury Town promotion party.  It looked like a day to bat.  However, on winning the toss, visiting skipper Bruce Edhouse opted to bowl.  Given the playing conditions in the Middlesex Championship, batting second can make a lot of sense – you can control the game, and generally give yourself a better chance of gaining 10 points.  But opting to field may not be such a great idea when only 7 of your team have arrived!  To be fair to Edhouse, two players did manage to (just about) make it for the 1pm kick off, and a 10^th player arrived around quarter past.  The whereabouts of John Brown, the 11^th man, remained largely unknown, until – around 13h45 – it became pretty clear that he wasn’t going to materialise, and so a sub fielder was (after quite a bit of persuasion) sent on. Amidst all the confusion, Turnham Green didn’t really have much time to indulge in long pre-match warm ups – although the opening bowler, Baines, did have an interesting approach, necking a pint of Carling just before entering the field of play.  I guess it beats jaffa cakes and lucozade sport … !

When the cricket finally did get underway, the Ts made a reasonably brisk start.  Eddie Paxton slipped nicely back in to the groove after a couple of weeks away, and Pete Richards – despite a slightly dicky finger, a left-over ailment from the week before when he dislocated it at Osterley – again looked to be positive from the off.  Richards’s (11) departure to a smart catch in the gulley by the mercurial Trevor Bailey nipped their flourishing partnership in the bud, but seasonal debutant Warwick Paull quickly picked up the baton.  One or two airy shots early doors soon made way for the full range of Paull drives and glances, as TCC’s version of Bruce Forsyth began to purr.  It was subsequently something of a surprise when he (46) departed to the wily medium pace of L. Bailey (3-33), bowled off his pads just as he was really getting going.

With Paxton (34) also falling to Bailey – who was generating quite a bit of bounce from the Hampton Road End – the Ts began to wobble a bit.  The middle order sagged and 90-1 became 105-6 in pretty quick time.  A rebuilding exercise was very much required and, and not for the first time this season, Matt Bendelow and Richie Brewin set about the task with relish.  Both took their time, played themselves in, and generally looked to take a good look at the bowling.  Although Bendelow ultimately perished just as he was starting to be a little more expansive, his contribution to stopping the rot was not inconsiderable, and put Brewin and the new TCC 2^nd XI fines co-ordinator, Garth Borain, in a great position to push onwards towards 200.  The running was crisp, the shots sensible and as the 50 over mark approached the Ts started generating real momentum.  Brewin played a couple of bombastically disdainful pulls, whilst Borain hit hard and straight, and their totals of 44 and 33 did much to get the Ts over and above 200.

Turnham Green subsequently had 48 overs to score the 206 that they needed to win.  Faced with something of a gluttony of riches, Twickenham skipper Hough opted to throw the ball to the Zulu warrior Ryan Combrinck and the ever-reliable Paul Cassidy.  Combrinck, presented with a pitch and some weather that was reminiscent of his native South Africa, immediately generated real pace, and within 5 balls the Ts were on their way, R. Bryan caught behind off a real snorter by Richie Brewin.  Although Combrinck’s tail was up, it was Cassidy who made the next set of inroads, claiming skipper Edhouse leg before and then the dangerous Trevor Bailey first ball.  Turnham Green were very much on the back foot and the Ts went right on to the offensive.  Indeed, at one stage Combrinck had 5 catchers behind the bat, plus a short leg and a silly point as the Ts did everything they could to put the pressure on the visiting batsmen. 

Combrinck claimed his second caught behind of the day, whilst Cassidy claimed his third wicket when Proctor also succumbed LBW.  30-5, the Brady sledge-machine was cranking through the gears and the Ts were set fair.

Warwick Paull was the next to join the party, engaging in an entertaining contest with the number 6, Williams.  Williams certainly gave as good as he got, too, slapping anything short of a length through the covers.  But Paull ultimately wore him down, removing Williams – and with him any real hopes that Turnham Green may have had of saving the game – for 24.  Cassidy, meanwhile, deservedly picked up two more wickets (one thanks to a well taken steepler of a catch by Brady running around from mid-wicket) to claim his first five wicket haul of the season (5-27 off 13), as he made excellent use of the extra bounce whilst keeping to that metronomic off stump line.  Wicketkeeper King managed to stick things out for 5 overs, whilst also enjoying some entertaining banter with the (never shy and retiring) TCC slip cordon, but things were ultimately wrapped up when Paull trapped L. Bailey leg before to bring the curtain down. 

Although the Ts suffered a nasty attack of the collywobbles in the middle of their innings, generally they were in control pretty much all the way through.  Richie Brewin and Garth Borain deserve special praise for batting sensibly at the end, whilst all the bowlers turned in excellent performances.  Borain’s insistence on the inauguration of a 2^nd XI fines system also met with all round approval!  Next week sees the Ts once again at home, against bottom of the table Southall.