Washington Cricket Club - 40th Anniversary Year

Mike Turner reporting.

Familiar surroundings greeted the Wash as they pitched up for battle a stone's throw from the hallowed North Middlesex turf, scene of the thrilling opening day victory against Barnes only 7 days before.

The second of the long weekends unfortunately saw the side depleted in numbers, the patriotic Wash members undoubtedly still waving those flags with thoughts of the maid of honour fresh in their memories.  Those who could make it were met with a slow but good track, lightning outfield, and a sunny day that would rival the middle of August.  Captain Mariner's early bartering had seen the numbers bumped to a mighty 10, as the oppo kindly lent us a West Indian olympic sprinter, the superbly named Bevan, and one other.  The quorum was met and battle could commence.

The other side of a lost toss, the Wash found themselves in the field.  Captain Mariner and ringer Bevan took the new ball and immediately set to work with testing lines, decent movement, and plenty of comical facial expressions.  The effort unfortunately did not provide early rewards as Highgate's openers made the most of the lightning outfield, cruising along to 50 for no wicket with the minimum of fuss.  The breakthrough came as a top edge off the bowling of Bevan found the grateful gloves of Mike Turner behind the stumps for his first victim of the season.  New batsman at the crease, enter Stephen Coyle.  Number 3 clean bowled, and the other Highgate opener induced into an illadvised hoick to cow corner, snaffled by none other the skipper, and he's got the finger to prove it!  There was still time for dubutants Samir and Muhammed to turn their arm over to great effect, Samir in particular keeping the runs to a minimum with some excellent lines and variable pace (the boy's been watching too much ITV4).  The timed game was well past its midway point when Ian Relf got one to nip back and claimed an LBW, and other ringer Rob took a wicket in the last over before the declaration at a fairly comprehensive and commanding 249 for 5.

Tea consumed, openers Mike Turner and Joel Braniff strode to the crease knowing that at best 35 overs were likely in total, and the draw looked to be the base result.  Could the Wash bat the overs?  After Braniff was trapped on the crease for a duck, and Turner was extremely harshly triggered for the second LBW of the innings (no prizes for guessing who wrote this report) for 34, the middle order was exposed, Highgate could smell the blood and were in for the kill.  Starts were made as Coyle and Relf both pushed into double figures, but wickets continued to tumble at pace and a rather damp end to the game culminated in Relf's middle stump getting a smack from the leather.  104 all out was never going to make it into Wisden 2011.  Enough said.

Great to see a couple of debutants make their Wash bows, first of many I hope.  Our thoughts go out to Toby whose protruding middle finger may unwittingly get him into trouble over the coming days.  Hope the swelling goes down soon.

The Wash will move on...