Stuart Amos’s (monumental) wedding the day before ensured that the Ts started the show off at 10h30 looking a little rough round the edges.  Clint McCabe even had wine on his whites from the night before, whilst a number of other players looked like they’d been dragged through the proverbial hedge backwards.  Hence quite how the Ts managed to chase down Chiswick & Latymer’s total was a mystery to many.  By the time the Ts were next called in to action (against Richmond), skipper McCabe’s men were rather more up to speed and moving through the gears.  Indeed, McCabe and Tom Meredith carried their bats as Twickenham eased to a convincing 19 run victory against the men from Old Deer Park.

Following a delightful lunch the Ts carried on their run of good form with another decisive victory, this time against Barnes.  Mikey O’Brien had got in to a useful habit of bowling tight first overs, whilst Dave Russell and Dan Hough wobbled the ball about to surprising effect.  With Garth Borain excelling behind the sticks the Ts were quickly installed by the locals as tournament favourites.  With a place in the final secured, the Ts mixed and matched their batting line up against hosts Kew and although they ended up on the losing side the exercise was certainly worthwhile as most of the Ts batters had by now had a decent hit. 

With two games to sit through whilst the Ts opponents in the final were sorted out, Dave Russell decided to keep the Ts players and everyone else at the ground amused by offering a running commentary of both games via the public address system.  In the style of Geoffrey Boycott, of course; for ever bad ball we had a “you can’t bowl there, sonny” and for ever decent shot a “that’s a suuuper crick-it shot”.  For many, Russell’s performance was the highlight of the day …

Russell relinquished the mic for final, as the Ts predictably took on a strong Kew side.  Batting first, McCabe and Meredith took 15 off Kidron Thomas’s over before a calamitous run out saw the Horse depart back to the paddock.  Boycott, sorry, Russell went in at three, and started becoming most un-Boycott-like by belting two majestic straight sixes over long off.  With Garth Borain chipping in nicely at the end, the Ts set Kew an impressive 65 to win.  O’Brien again started off superbly with the ball, and once Russell had wobbled down another cheap over Kew were well behind the rate.  Meredith’s loopy off spin also caused Kew’s batters the odd problem or two and once McCabe had bowled another tight over from the Cemetery End Kew found themselves needing 23 of the final over.  Dan Hough stepped up to bowl it to Kidron Thomas and despite the Trinidadian swinging with gusto, the ball just wouldn’t go to the boundary, leaving the hosts ultimately 12 runs short.

Great support from the travelling Ts contingent ensured that a great day out was had by all, as the Ts enjoyed a convincing victory in the final.  Well done fellas, top effort!

The Ts team; Clint McCabe (captain), Tom Meredith, Mike O’Brien, Dan Hough, Garth Borain, Geoffrey Boycott (aka Dave Russell).