Great win for the 1s with the skipper showing his outstanding all round abilities. Worth mentioning that this success completed a rare win double for the Midd over Ealing with our U15's beating them in the County Cup Final the night before.

1st XI vs Ealing (h) - NMCC win by 113 runs
NMCC 177 (56.1) v Ealing 64 (27.3) - Evan Flowers 52, Fergal Walter 37, Joel Hughes 8-25
Scorecard - https://northmid.play-cricket.com/website/results/4621823

By Mark Williams
Thick low cloud meant that there was a chill in the air all morning, and Ealing won the toss and invited North Middlesex to bat. The pitch was still damp from the recent period of rain and the outfield was lush and slow; the surface of the pitch looked firm but run scoring was to prove difficult all day, and there was no change in the way it played throughout. Ealing were without a couple of leading players and Hugh Teesdale replaced Howeld in The Midd side.

Tom Heathfield and Matt Cracknell negotiated the early overs circumspectly until the latter drove at a good length ball and was rather lamely caught at extra-cover (8-1: 2 from 16 balls: 4.6 overs). Not long after, the former shouldered arms to a ball bowled from wide of the crease which hit the top of off (22-2: 10/31: 9.1). This brought Evan Flowers to join Fergal Walter, and both players realised the critical importance of not losing any further wickets, although that didn’t stop the former from stroking two early cultured boundaries. They ran several short singles when taking the pace off the ball and always kept the scoreboard moving, but it was grim, intense stuff all morning. Ealing rotated four quality seamers: Ensom, Stow, Ladd-Gibbon and Palmer, and the former pair in particular bowled with commendable pace, stamina and accuracy, maintaining the constant pressure. Walter was content to score mainly in singles, although he punished the rare bad ball when it came, but Flowers steadily increased the tempo as he became more confident, ending Ensom’s spell with a powerful six. The fifty partnership came in 84 balls, and as lunch approached, skipper Kristian Martin essayed a couple of overs of off-spin. The first 5 balls were flat and tight, but the sixth was tossed up and dispatched gloriously over the sight-screen by Flowers. He also benefited from a 5 after a wild throw from extra-cover went for 4 overthrows and Ealing looked slightly in disarray as the players left the field: 100-2 from 30 overs. The sun came out over lunch and brought fresh moisture up to the surface of the pitch. There was time for Flowers to reach fifty from 72 balls, before he played all round a length ball from Stow (105-3: 52/77: 31.6); this uncharacteristically loose shot suggested perhaps that he was tired of batting for the day, but it had been another superb exhibition of how to defend the good ball and really attack the loose. He gave a couple of half-chances as aerial drives just touched or eluded despairing fingers, but other than that his judgement was near-perfect. Not long after, Walter was castled by the deserving Stow as the ball appeared to go under his forward defensive (114-4: 37/89: 37.1). This invaluable innings was worth 80 on another day, and was the perfect accompaniment that Flowers needed in their 85 run partnership which was to be the difference between the two sides. Vanderspar’s brief but promising innings was ended by Stow having him caught behind slashing at a wide one (133-5: 17/24: 41.1), and Hassan Khan hit consecutive well-timed boundaries before being caught at 2nd slip (143-6: 17/21: 44.5). Both Gareth James and Uzzy Amjaid played sensibly, running well before the former holed out at deep cover (153-7: 10/24: 40.3), the latter was caught at extra (155-8: 2/20: 50.6), and Hugh Teesdale was bowled (160-9: 0/2: 51.5). Helped by 4 byes next ball, skipper Joel Hughes and Jeremy Warner now embarked on a lively scoring spree, with the former taking an attacking stance. He played some fine off-drives ‘on the up’ (not an easy shot on this pitch) in a cultured performance before his partner was caught behind (177 all out: 3/10: 56.1), leaving him undefeated on 17 from 24 balls. This partnership edged the total from the ‘just about gettable’ to ‘challenging’ category. Ealing had bowled very effectively as a unit, with Harry Stow (17-2-57-4), Scott Ensom (14-4-30-3) and evergreen Ahmad Elech (7-2-13-2), belatedly introduced, being the most effective.

What followed was the stuff of fantasy and dreams. Joel Hughes knows this square and its vagaries inside out: he exploited them ruthlessly and skilfully, adding pressure with ‘keeper Matt Cracknell standing up. First Elech was confidently pouched by James at second slip driving (2-1: 1/8: 1.5), then Milo Wilkins pushed forward and was neatly caught behind (3-2: 1/11: 3.5). Hugh Teesdale was bowling with rhythm and consistently moving the ball away from the bat, and had his reward when Ensom was effortlessly caught at second slip by Hughes (8-3: 2/11: 6.2). Tong-Jones then essayed a brave shot at Hughes, only to drive the ball straight to Heathfield at cover (9-4: 1/9: 7.1), and three balls later, the same bowler had Rhys Williams caught and bowled from a defensive push (9-5: 0/3: 7.4). At this point the skipper’s figures were 4-3-1-4. Rajasansir and Ladd-Gibbon finally provided some resistance, running aggressively and taking no risks; the latter even managing two authentic boundaries in an over off Hughes, who continued to probe with a really full length. They reached tea at 37-5 from 18 overs. After dallying with the spinners before tea, Hughes returned with immediate effect, ending Ladd-Gibbons brave innings with a peach of a ball which swung late from an initial leg-stump line, to take a leading edge as the batsman aimed at mid-wicket and skied a leading edge to Walter at cover (38-6: 17/43: 19.3). Soon after Rajasansir’s defensive vigil ended when he edged the same bowler to the ‘keeper (45-7: 15/46: 23.6). Will Vandersdpar was bowling a controlled spell of accurate medium pace; for once not trying to knock the batsmen’s block off, and he soon induced Martin to snick off to the ‘keeper (64-8: 0/5). Next over, it was all done when Hughes first trapped Yadav palpably lbw (64-9: 13/23:27.2) and next ball Stow was caught by Khan at first slip. Ealing had been routed for 64, and lost by 113 runs. Hughes finished with the remarkable figures of 11.3-4-25-8, and left the field a champion. Not yet fully fit, and bowling off a reduced run-up, he nonetheless had the spring of the hunter in his stride, and every batsman struggled just to stay at the crease against his relentless probing attack. Able to move the ball both ways in the air, and also gain significant seam movement in perfect bowling conditions, and with unrelenting accuracy, he was near unplayable on the day.

This win took The Midd to third in the table, and together with last week’s victory at Teddington, has galvernised their season. They play host next week to Brondesbury in a vital game for both clubs, but no one present will ever forget Hughes’ towering performance, and will be able to say ‘I was there!’

2nd XI vs Teddington (a) - NMCC lost by 132 runs
Teddington 249-3 dec (48) v NMCC 117 (30.4)
Scorecard - https://northmid.play-cricket.com/website/results/4621861

[b]3rd XI vs Osterley (a) - NMCC won by 73 runs[/b]
NMCC 121 (41.4) v Osterley 48 (23.5) - Ed Wells 6-11
Scorecard - https://northmid.play-cricket.com/website/results/4623349

4th XI vs Highgate (h) - NMCC won by four wickets
Highgate 116 (45.4) v NMCC 117-6 (44) - Jonny Gould 50, Nico Smith 4-18, Nikhil Perrincherri 4-21
Scorecard -https://northmid.play-cricket.com/website/results/4621888

5th XI vs North London (h) - NMCC won by eight wickets
North London 83 (32) v NMCC 84-2 (11)
Scorecard - https://northmid.play-cricket.com/website/results/4620220
Win takes 5s to second place