Fireworks from Nev Talbot as the ones start in style
Two wins, three defeats for the Ts in Week 1 of the MCCL
The Twickenham CC 1st and 5th XIs were celebrating on Saturday night, having started their 2024 campaigns with impressive victories. That having been said, there’s a case to be made that it could have been a 50 point day; the 3rd XI lost by one run, the 4ths lost by one wicket and the 2nds lost by two wickets. Magnificent games of cricket, one and all.
Talbot goes haywire
The ones have a very simple aim for 2024; bounce back to the top flight of Middlesex cricket. They made a step in that direction in Week 1, easing past Wycombe House by 162 runs (see here for the card).
The man who caught the eye was the irrepressible Neville Talbot. When he begins to tick, complete carnage can often be on the agenda. On Saturday he hit 18 (!) sixes on his way to a belligerent 166 (86 balls).
Talbot’s pyrotechnics rather overshadowed some good batting elsewhere. Pat Dixon did precisely what was required at the other end; he stood and watched, happily chipping in as and when required. He ended 77no off 128. Don Manuwelge raced to a 33 ball 50, with Carlos Nunes chipping in with a breezy 27.
Chasing 344 is always going to be a challenge, but Hamzah Khan and his side did give it a go. Eventually, however, in a chase like that the run rate generally gets you, and so it was on Saturday. Khan looked good for 42 (37 balls), as did Talha Malik (38 in 59). Opener Yasir Ahmed also played nicely for 33 (30 balls).
The Ts’ bowlers nonetheless took the strain and chipped away. Nikhil Nomula (3-45) and Gurjit Sandhu (2-27) made inroads into the top order, Don Manuwelge and Faf Fourie (both 2-13) cleaned up nicely at the end. The Ts can be pleased with their day’s work,
Indian Gym edge out the 2s
The twos were involved in a close one on Twickenham Green (see here for the card).
Twickenham batted first in their contest with Indian Gym, putting 185 on the board. No fewer than five players got into the 20s, but no one went beyond 29 (stand up Nakul Vishvanath there, 29no when the music stopped). Dehvan Bancil (3-29) was the main wicket-taker for Indian Gym.
Would that be enough? Indian Gym looked like they were going to struggle with the same problems as the Ts. Daniaal Bhatti got to 20 before Eugene Berger bowled him, Karanpreet Bhati made it a bit further (27) until Phil Nash and Wes Hurn combined to remove him.
However, once Berger had bowled his nine overs through (3-20) Indian Gym found life just a little bit easier. Deepanshu Chadha was the key man in all that, contributing 40 (off 54) to see them squeeze home. Damien Prophet (2-40) and Phil Nash (2-43) deserve honourable mentions in despatches.
Knicker-gripper of a game for the threes
The seconds might have come close, but the thirds came even closer. They lost by 1 solitary run in a knicker-gripper of a contest against Richmond.
Richmond put 171 on the board at Broom Road. That represented a decent recovery from 19-3, although the Ts were nonetheless happy enough chasing down the total that they’d been set. The ever-reliable Mark Smith (the senior Smudger) helped himself to 3-43, with Ali Sheikh ending up with identical figures alongside him. Imran Niazi (2-42) and the skipper (1-34) also put in decent shifts.
In reply it was Sheikh who got the ball nicely rolling. He contributed 45. The rest of the batting order struggled to come to the party and at 79-5 Richmond were very much in the box seat. However, the visitors kept leaking wides and slowly but surely Bosier’s Boys got themselves back into things.
Alex Waddell was the first to stop the rot, but it was Bosier and last man Deep Dasgupta who really knuckled down. Dasgupta (19no) and Bosier (22) put on 26 runs, before Bosier succumbed and was caught with the scores just one run apart. A magnificent effort.
The 3s lost, but show that sort of resilience in the future and the wins will come.
Bozdar’s brilliance not quite enough for the 4s
The fours found themselves in similar heartbreak territory. They lost by one wicket at South Hampstead (see here for the card).
The Dassani Army had first hit and put 98 on the board. Muhammed Ali Jafar (13) and Shah Bozdar (15) were the only two batters to reach double figures in a batting performance that reeked of rustiness.
But, Hinay Dassani’s sides are nothing if not resilient. Armani Holder (20) got South Hampstead off to a decent start, but a severe attack of the collywobbles then set in. Shah Bozdar (5-25) registered the club’s first five wicket haul of the league season, and both Hinay Dassani (2-37) and Pete Burke (2-22) piled on the pressure from the other end.
Dassani gambled big in giving his best three bowlers their 12 overs early, and indeed that very nearly paid off. The Ts needed just one more wicket to seal the 10 points. Would it come? South Hampstead ultimately held their nerve and just about got home.
Given that the Ts’ batting never really turned up they can be very pleased with the way they kept at it. Much as was the case with the threes; show that sort of resilience every week and they’ll be fine.
Zafar Ali and Punit Sahota stand up for the 5s
The Fifth Dimension started their season with a 16 run victory against Harrow St Mary’s 4s.
Zafar Ali was the star of the batting show, the ageless opener hitting an impressive 42. The middle order than went AWOL somehow as HSM roared back into the game. Harry Tebb, batting at ten, and Lloyd Townsend (following Tebb in at eleven) both nonetheless got into double figures and in the great scheme of things their 25 run partnership proved to be vital.
The HSM innings followed a similar pattern to that of Twickenham’s. Two of the top three made it into the teens, but then there was very little until the number eight strode to the wicket. Would the 5s be able to keep their nerve and bring the bacon home?
Yes, was the emphatic answer there. Ryan Oakes (3-42) and Lloyd Townsend (3-38) put in sterling shifts, but it was league debutant Punit Sahota (2-15) who took the crucial 10th and final wicket. Jubilation in the ranks.
The Ts may only have picked up 20 points, but there are stacks of reasons to be positive about the first round of results in the MCCL this year. Keep at it, fellas, wins will come….