There are just three weeks left of the 2026 league season. The ones, threes and fours can be pretty sure about where they will be playing their cricket in 2027, but things remain much more open for the twos and fives. Interesting games subsequently lie ahead.

Ones travel to title-chasing Hornsey
The ones are off around the North Circular to face second placed Hornsey. Their hosts have had a brilliant season, and it could get better still. They sit eleven points behind top of the table Crouch End with three games left. Crouch End are subsequently title favourites, but Hornsey are still in with a chance of ending up top dogs.

Twickenham skipper Carlos Nunes is still away on World Cup duty so he’ll again be missing. Donny Manuwelge takes the captaincy reins. Faf Fourie – following his swashbuckling 92 (38 balls) last week - definitely plays, as do both Margin Kanitlal and Ali Jennings. Ethan Wright is in to open the batting and Val Giraud will be likely let loose with the new ball.

The first XI is Don Manuwelge, Faf Fourie, Val Giraud, Preet Himanshukumar, Ali Jennings, Margin Kantilal, Akash Multani, Varad Rampal, Dru Shori, Ross Talmage and Ethan Wright.

Twos welcome Hampstead to the Green
The second XI are currently 8th in the second tier’s premier division. Win on Saturday and they’ll still be eighth….but they’ll be over a win clear of their opponents this week, Hampstead. Big game incoming then.

The twos look in reasonable fettle. Skipper Blake van der Linde plays, and he’ll be pleased to call on all-rounders Eugene Berger and Mehdi Syed. Nakul Vishvanath is definitely back, as is the indomitable Kev Cavilla. Milan Gurjal comes in from the threes, while Dev Tomlinson is, as they say, due.

The 2nd XI is Blake van der Linde, Eugene Berger, Kevin Cavilla, Milan Gurjal, Oliver Melville-Ross, Phil Nash, Nishan Singh, James Smith, Mehdi Syed, Dev Tomlinson and Nakul Vishvanath.

Threes host table-toppers Hornsey III
The jigsaw that is the ones and twos may still have a few pieces to put together, but the threes’ side is looking more straightforward to pick.

The 3rd XI look safe enough in mid-table. That may be no bad thing – they host top-of-the-pile Hornsey at Broom Road. Indeed, a win for Hornsey on Saturday and they could well be promoted.

Skipper Robbie Bosier will certainly be happy to have both Vamshi Krishna and Monish Malhotra back. Neither has played much in 2026, but they are both in for the weekend. Steve Cowley has been in decent nick, so his name on the teamsheet can’t be anything but positive. Tom Petrides also steps up for his third XI debut.

The 3rd XI is Robbie Bosier, Barty Boyd, Steve Cowley, Rohith Doma, Ollie George, Jarryd Knott, Vamshi Krishna, Monish Malhotra, Imran Niazai, Tom Petrides and Dom Thamby.

Fours travel to Chiswick 4s
The 4th XI are involved in a mid-table clash with Chiswick 4s. The Ts are fourth (78 points) and Chiswick are sixth (76 points). Indeed, the middle part of the Division 4A (third tier) table is all decidedly congested. A win for the Ts at the weekend and they’ll go a long way to making sure that they stay on top of that particular battle within a battle.

That having been said, there’s no Mehran Iqbal in the fours this week. That just leaves Hinay Dassani and the quietly effective Shah Bozdar to take the new ball. Matt Parker offers a leg spin option, Ross Leighton a ‘bash the ball into the next parish’ variation with the bat. Terone Alexander also has that in him, too….

The 4th XI is Hinay Dassani, Terone Alexander, Shah Bozdar, Rajdeep Choudhary, Andy Donelan, Ross Leighton, Eijaz Mahmood, Ali Malik, Matt Parker, Harry Tebb and Liam Tebb.

Fives host bottom of the table Ealing
The fives won via walkover last week, but they are back in action in Week 16. They welcome bottom of the table Ealing 6s to King George’s Field.

Ealing may well only have 29 points, but they showed in the first game between the sides that they have something about them. The Ts won, but a really good knock by Harry Tebb was the only real difference between the sides.

The 5ths’ XI on Saturday will be quite different from the one that won that contest nine weeks ago. Mind you, Rishabh Gulati – a man who bowled excellently in that game – will be playing. He’ll be joined in taking the new ball by young speedster, Jake Hendry. Both Udernanis play, as does Ben Hawkins. Zafar Ali and Hiran Dissanayake join forces with Paul McLoughlin to offer the experience and wherewithal.

The 5th XI is Jon Bosier, Zafar Ali, Hiran Dissanayake, Rishabh Gulati, Ben Hawkins, Jake Hendry, Paul McLoughlin, Freddie Steel, Lloyd Townsend, Adi Udernani and Pawan Udernani.

Go well everyone.