Shepherd's Bush and Ealing Trailfinders were the victors on Middlesex’s final weekend of men's competitive club cricket in 2024 when they completed comprehensive victories over their opponents in the Middlesex Cup and Middlesex Trophy respectively.
On Saturday Shepherd's Bush went some way towards making amends for narrowly missing out to Ealing in the race for the Premier Division title in the Middlesex County Cricket League, whilst on Sunday Ealing Trailfinders made short work of Wycombe House, who play in a division above them in the league.
Both matches followed a similar course, with the team that won the toss opting to field and then restricting their opponents to a modest score.
In the Middlesex Cup Ramon Bailey, Harvey Jupp and James Kidson shared nine Ealing wickets as the hosts struggled to a total of 174 for 9 in their 45 overs. For Ealing Harjot Rajasansir scored 54 but none of his teammates got past 25.
Ealing’s bowlers would have been telling themselves that if they could take early wickets they may put Shepherd's Bush under pressure. But quite the reverse was true as Idris Otto-Mian and Ikjot Thind took apart the Ealing attack. Otto-Mian was the chief destroyer scoring a brilliant unbeaten 117 off just 70 balls. The innings contained 11 boundaries and eight sixes and allowed Shepherd's Bush to reach their target of 175 in just 25 overs.
Ealing and Shepherd's Bush have been the two outstanding teams in Middlesex club cricket in 2024. The two clubs finished 1st and 2nd in the Premier League, with Shepherd's Bush securing the Cup double over Ealing, beating them in both the Middlesex T20 Cup and Middlesex Cup finals.
In the Middlesex Trophy Final, which was played at Acton CC, Wycombe House’s batters struggled to come to terms with Kifayat Ali, who took 3 for 35.
Wycombe House were reasonably placed on 91-3 after 25 overs and would have been hoping to post a total of 200+ in their 45 overs. But a collapse saw them lose 7-74 in 15 overs as their innings subsided.
As with Ealing, Wycombe House would have been hoping to create some pressure by taking early wickets but like at Ealing, they failed to materialize. Krupesh Patel and Juan Henri batted beautifully for Ealing Trailfinders – keeping out the good balls and dispatching the bad ones to the boundary. Patel reached his hundred off just 90 balls and his innings contained 15 boundaries and four sixes. The loss of Patel, bowled for 100, created Wycombe House’s only moment of joy when Absur Muhammad took a remarkable hat-trick. With only six runs required the tumble of wickets was never going to change the course of the game and Ealing Trailfinders gained their deserved victory when Henri struck a boundary down the ground.
These results mean that the winners of 1st XI trophies at clubs in 2024 are as follows:
Middlesex County Cricket League
Middlesex Cup Competitions
