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| About :: Japan May 08
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Turnham Green CC 28th Best Side in World
Turnham Green Cricket Club secured the first international victory in the club’s history on Sunday as the leading side in Chiswick defeated the team ranked 29th in the ICC’s international rankings by 5 wickets at the Fullers sports ground.
An eagerly anticipated game caught the imagination, not just of those involved, but also of the nation’s media, with representatives from both sides interviewed on radio 5 live on the morning of the match and Test Match Special even making mention of the game.
With Japan warming up for an international tournament in Jersey in a week’s time, a gentleman’s agreement between the sides meant that whatever the outcome of the toss, the tourists would be given the option of whether to bat or bowl. As a result, when the coin went up, the Japanese skipper dispensed with the usual shout of heads or tails and simply called ‘batting’.
The game got underway in bright sunshine at Fullers, with Rob Hickman and Ollie Thorne opening the bowling for Turnham Green and both immediately slipped into a strong rhythm, bowling a good line and making it difficult for the Japanese batsmen to score. This set a trend for most of the innings, with the run rate never really rising above 3 runs per over. It was Rob Hickman who made the breakthrough, swinging a slower delivery back into the pads of one of the opening batsmen to trap him LBW and register Turnham Green’s first international wicket of the season.
It was during the middle period of the innings however, when most wickets really started to fall. Excellent spells of bowling from Nawaz Ali Pir and Archie Cornwall, saw them take three wickets apiece and really stem the flow of runs. They were ably supported meanwhile by the Porter brothers, Tom and Joe, who between them gave nothing away, with Joe picking up a wicket in the process. John Sanger also bowled…
Japan went on to register a total of 145-8 off their 50 overs, leaving Turnham Green needing to score at just under three an over to record their first international victory. Andy Taylor went early in the reply, falling to the bowling of Turnham Green legend Naoki ‘Alex’ Miyaji, but Jon Hall and Sam Phillips steadied the ship, taking the score past 50, before Jon Hall fell for 21 trying to accelerate the scoring.
This brought Stuart Owen to the wicket and it was he and Sam who combined to record a match winning partnership, both passing 40 and taking the score well past the hundred mark before falling in quick succession with the victory post in sight. Skipper Nawaz Ali Pir also departed before the win was sealed, showing a captain’s example by trying to get off the mark by launching the ball over the pavilion and being clean bowled in the process.
This left it to Joe Porter and Ollie Thorne to seal the victory and appropriately enough it was Joe Porter, one of the clubs longest serving, and oldest active players who hit the winning runs, clipping the ball through the legside for four.
This brought to a close memorable day for the club, with both sides staying behind afterwards to share a beer and sow the seeds for a return fixture… in Japan in 2009?
See also:
Overs: 25, 29, 33, 34.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/may/19/englandvnewzealand2008.englandcricketteam3
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Scorecard v Japan 18/05/08
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