Some games of junior cricket can be hard work, others can be really enjoyable affairs. The U11s' friendly encounter against Richmond was very much in the latter category. Richmond batted first and put 133 on the board (see here for the card). The Ts started promisingly, then went through the gears to get home with three overs and four wickets to spare. Excellent stuff.

Richmond step in to replace Wycombe House
Originally the U11s were scheduled to play Wycombe House on Monday 29 June. But, the sad demise of their U11 side meant that the Ts were given that game by virtue of a walkover.

So, to fill the gap the Ts arranged a friendly against Richmond. The last time the two sides met was around 12 months ago; Richmond came out on top in a truly fantastic game of play off cricket (see here for the details on that one). The 2026 edition was never going to be as dramatic as that game was, but it was nonetheless a good game of cricket played positively by one and all. You can't ask for much more than that.

The dog that couldn't be caught
Richmond won the toss and (sensibly) decided to have a bat. The Ts would've done the same.

Muhammed Zidan Khalid (25 off 25) and Avyaan Mishra (7 off 16) opened up for the visitors and started brightly. Indeed, 43 was on the board before Stan Hough tweaked one through Mishra's defences.

The major eye-catching moment of the first 45 minutes had, however, little to do with any of the cricketers playing in the middle of the Green. Zidan Khalid neatly cut a ball behind point for four, and a leadless dog raced over and picked the ball up. Would it release it? No. The owner clearly had no power to retrieve the cherry either, cue a new(ish) cricket ball being devoured by aforementioned dog.

In the end, everyone had to admit defeat. The dog could not be caught and the ball was written off as lost. Hardly ideal, and the players found themselves with little option but to dig out another ball and simply carry on.

Twickenham bowlers squeeze impressively
Maybe it was dog-gate that prompted a change in the game's momentum. Whatever it was, Twickenham managed to wrestle the initiative away from Richmond.

Albert Whitehead was very much part of that. He fielded superbly in the deep, before coming on to bowl and taking his first ever wicket in club cricket. Faizan Ali was the batter, he looped one up to Vince Hough at backward point and one half of the senior 5th XI scoring unit gobbled the chance up.

Hough (V, 2-9) then removed the dangerous pair of Ahaan Kapoor and Tommy Beaumont as Richmond slipped to 74-4. Zakii Miah (2-16) joined the wicket-taking party, while both captain Murtaza Momin and Austin Tilzey gave little away. It was, however, Sam Allen who rounded everything off rather quickly; he took 3-6 off 9 balls to sweep the tail away.

Ghere goes ballistic
133 can and indeed has won many games of junior cricket. The view from the sideline was that it might win this one, too.

That became more apparent when the destroyer of Richmond's U10s ten days or so ago, Jonty Thornton, failed to trouble the scorers. 0-1 and Richmond had their tails up.

Sam Allen and Jack Baran subsequently set about rebuilding. And, they did a decidedly decent job of doing so. Both hit hard and ran well, before Thomas Houlahan bowled Baran (20 off 20 balls) and the speedy Simon Waight castled Allen (13 off 24).

But, the work that Allen and Baran did set the scene for Harvir Ghere. Ghere took his time at the beginning, but once it clicked he went decidedly bananas. With each batter being allowed to face a maximum of 25 balls, Ghere hit hard, straight and generally true; by the time he'd faced his 25th delivery he'd become the first player in this year group ever to pass 50 (57no off 25, with 12 fours and one six). Hats all duly doffed.

Ts get home with just a little to spare
By the time Ghere left the scene, Twickenham were all but home. Vince Hough (20 off 16) had batted very nicely, but the fact that the Ts were in touching distance didn't stop Sebastian Bevon from taking two wickets in two balls to give Richmond just a little hope.

Austin Tilzey and Stan Hough nonetheless kept their cool, and by the time Hough (S) stroked a drive through extra cover the job was indeed done. The Ts were home with four wickets and just over three overs to spare.

The result, however, was largely irrelevant. Richmond were, as they always are, excellent opponents; decent management team, good parents and players playing things in a good spirit. All good, bring on the summer league rendez-vous in July/August.