Games between the current U11s from Twickenham and Fulham are generally entertaining affairs. The cup game that the sides played out on the Green in May 2025 certainly fell into that category, and the league contest on 20 May 2026 was no different. Lots of runs, some decent bowling, and plenty of positive cricket along the way.

On this occasion, Fulham came out on top (see here for the card), winning by 57 runs. And, there was no doubt that they deserved their victory. Twickenham will nonetheless be kicking themselves a bit. Some of the fielding wasn't quite what it needed to be, and our learned friend Mr E.X. Tras came to the party just a little bit too frequently. 150/160, in other words, might have been gettable. 198? Always somehow felt like a bridge too far.

Wickets fall, but the runs keep coming for Fulham
Fulham put their stall out immediately. 'Keeper Oliver Paul looked in fine fettle, retiring on 33 having only faced 14 balls. Indeed, Fulham put on 50 without loss with only five overs having been bowled.

Vince Hough then began something of a Twickenham fightback. Shiva Kodlikeri played on for ten, four balls later Will Berkley (8 off 7) fell victim to an excellent catch by James Marsh on the boundary. The younger of the Hough twins was ultimately decent value for his 3-23. With Jonty Thornton prowling the square looking to add more run out victims to the two he's already claimed this week, Twickenham felt like the game might be turning.

Chip away though Twickenham did, Fulham managed to keep the run rate ticking nicely. Sammy Allen nipped out Bodhi Ings Williams, smartly stumped by Stan Hough for 11 (8 balls) before then producing a caught and bowled to remove Alex Hayley. At 80-5 and then 96-6 the Ts were very much in it, with both Ved Pradyumna and Zakii Miah getting involved in the wicket-taking fun.

The Fulham tail nonetheless wagged, and at times furiously so. Anaya Saigal (32 off 37) was at the centre of that, although last man Thomas Saunders (21no off 13) also batted admirably. 199 to win it was then.

Good start with the bat, decent finish, less said about the middle the better
Would the Ts be able to score the ten an over that they needed to win? A tough task, but, well, stranger things have happened.

Harvir Ghere (27 off 35) and Faris Iqbal (11 off 12) started brightly, putting on 26 for the first wicket. Zakii Miah continued that trend with an enterprising 29 at a run a ball. At 94-1 Twickenham may have been a little behind the rate, but they did at least have wickets in hand.

Cue Shiva Kodlikeri's entrance. The spinner caused all sorts of problems, first removing Miah before then dismissing James Marsh and Vince Hough to claim a hat-trick. Cricket is a game played at a generally slow pace, but games can be and often are decided by short, key passages. This was most definitely one.

94-1 became 95-5 and then 112-7 as the Ts' middle order vanished without much of a trace. Ved Pradyumna and Stan Hough nonetheless quietly rebuilt, and both dealt impressively with the flight and indeed then the pace that came their way. Pradyumna was very positive for his 10 (off 11 balls) while Hough (S) was unlucky to be run out for 19 (19 balls) in the last over.

That run out, however, had little effect on the final outcome. Twickenham had put up a good fight, but Fulham just had too much on the day. All good.