T’s second home game of the season saw us pitched against Wembley who were equal second in the league with ourselves on 30 points (3 wins from 4 games played). The disappointment of the previous week’s poor performance at North London needed to be expunged from the memory and a return to our winning ways of previous weeks pre-requisite to restoring confidence. The weather was certainly not going to be any influence on this week’s game because it was a beautiful sunny day at Broom Road and an inspection of the wicket and newly-mown outfield didn’t suggest that there would be too much in the wicket. But Phil Parker was happy that today’s bowling line-up was strong and so was delighted when his toss resulted favourably and the oppo were inserted having arrived late in a bit of a flap. We were keen to take advantage of their disarray and opened with two of our “returning” players, Phil Biggs and Jimmy Liebenberg.

The Wembley opening bats looked solid and confident in their own ability (one of whom, Brinley, turned out to be one of the chirpiest Aussies we are likely to face on the circuit this season!). Phil Biggs soon fell into his metronomic inswinging style from the Road End whilst Jimmy initially struggled with his line outside off stump but remained equally difficult to get away on a pitch that wasn’t really doing much for either bowler. So it was Biggsy that made the initial breakthrough removing Brinley LBW for just 3 runs. Lankika then joined Ramnathpur at the wicket and a partnership began to develop. It was a “yes,no,get back” keystone cops-type run out which broke this partnership when the score had reached 34 with Ramnathpur(10) having to depart. Phil Biggs’ accurate opening spell (10o-3m-2w-18r) was rounded off nicely when he had the aggressive Lankika(20) caught at forward short leg by newcomer Nick Burgess in the 19^th over with the score on 43.  Parker sensed that, with the drinks break approaching at 25 overs, a double bowling change would give the new bowlers a short burst at the batsmen before breaking up their concentration still further with drinks. First to be introduced at the Road End was Ajha Sahid’s left arm spin. The incumbent batsmen, including the stubborn Wembley captain, Joshi, visibly “wilted” at the quality of Ajha’s changes of pace and flight and, apart from the very occasional over-pitch down legside, they just could not get the ball off the square. Liebenberg(11o-3m-0w-21r) had toiled manfully at the River End without much luck and was replaced by Mark Smith making his first 3^rd team appearance of the season after some creditable performances in the 4’s. They say that all successful captains need a stroke of luck but Parker got a huge one with this bowling change. Smithy hit perfect line and length with his first ball and clean bowled Solanki(4) and Akujee(0) in his first over! Suddenly the game was firmly in T’s hands at 55 for 5 off 24 overs. Drinks were taken and Smith resumed confidently and soon took the next, catching Azar(4) plumb LBW with the score at 69. Sahid then finally removed Joshi(20) with a deft change of pace as the quicker ball ripped through his defence and bowled him(77 for 7). But it was to be Mark Smith’s day as Wembley decided that it was “hit out or get out” time. Two catches at long on from Liebenberg and mid-off from Biggsy (finally) gave Smithy his “five-fer” as he finished with (8o-1m-5w-23r) - a very gratifying return for him – pity that the only thing that spoiled his day was discovering that he had lost his bat (but I’ve got a feeling that Trippers might have hidden it). And it was Sahid(10.3o-4m-2w-19r) who finished off the last wicket with a stumping from Jon Trippett as the Wembley innings closed on 94 all out in 39.3 overs. A thoroughly “professional” bowling performance supported by some fine fielding work from the likes of Burgess, Salmon and Liebenberg and typically chirpy keeping by Trippett ensured that this was our best fielding performance of the season so far, in the face of what can only be described as poor batting by the oppo who just did not seem to be at the races.

After tea, T’s opened with Parker and Nick Burgess who was making his debut for the 3’s. T’s had to make 5 enforced changes from the previous week’s top six with eight personnel changes from the previous week in all. With Burgess dispatching Lewis’s first ball loosener to the boundary for 4 runs the signs were that T’s would not make such heavy weather of the conditions as the oppo had done in the first innings. But “padding up” to a later ball in the same first over and “receiving the benefit” of the umpire’s call on that particular one, we were soon in no doubt that Wembley were not going to give this one up without a fight. Parker(0) struggled to find his form in the face of some pacy deliveries from Lewis but survived into the seventh over and with the score on 18 missed an in-swinging full toss which bowled him off the top of his pads.

They do say “it’s the bad balls that take the wickets”. Jimmy Liebenberg then joined Burgess who was now looking settled. But Jimmy got an early wicked one from the other opening bowler, Khan, which cut in viciously and bowled him (also for nought). But, even at two down with just 20 on the board, there was no panic on the boundary as we looked around at the batting talent still to come. Another newcomer, James Salmon, then came to the crease. He had shown some athletic quality in the field earlier in the day ( though with a little “target practice” required with his throwing) so we were hoping for great things from him with bat in hand. He didn’t disappoint as the “match-winning” partnership started to develop and effectively broke the back of the run chase. Burgess and Salmon combined very effectively with good running between the wickets as the oppo fielders heads began to drop and Brinley’s chirp audibly went quiet. The lads picked their shots well and moved the score on to 61 for 2 in 18 overs before Gerry Brennan took pity on the Wembley captain, Joshi, and gave him an unlikely looking LBW which we believe hit Nick in the chest whilst a couple of yards down the wicket on one knee!! (65 for 3 off 19). Gerry was getting thirsty we believe.

Ajha Sahid joined Salmon at the wicket, and after the briefest of instructions to “take your time”, Sahid, very much ressembling his kinsman Sachin Tedulkar, faced just seven balls, dispatching four fours and one of the longest sixes I have seen hit at Broom Road one bounce onto the bank at the River End as his 22 not out fully vindicated Gerry’s earlier decision. James Salmon(19n.o), deciding that his poor advice was ill-timed, then got in on the act hitting two fours to seal the victory and a very important ten points. 

The news that Hornsey won again only slightly detracted from the day and so we remain second in the table. But there is now daylight between us and third place and the chase is on for top spot. Next week we are away to 4^th place North Middlesex, so another opportunity to further cement our position in the promotion places over a close rival.

The boys were heartened by the sight of a recovering Travis Birtwhistle on the boundary and he seems to be recovering well. We continue to wish him all the best and look forward to his return. Special mention is also reserved for our umpire Gerry Brennan who did “both ends” throughout the match, firmly giving the lie to the rumour that he is actually 106 years old.

Phil Parker.

(Very satisfied).