Crunch match awaits Bush

A crunch match awaits Shepherds Bush 1st Xl on Saturday when they host second-placed Crouch End, with both teams keen to wrap everything up around 5pm so everyone can dash into the pavilion to watch the football!

It follows a stumble for Bush away to Ealing last weekend, which has left the team from Bromyard Avenue third in the table, but still within touching distance of leaders North Middlesex.

Put in to bat, Bush scored steadily with Joe Carrasco and Mitch Crayn both passing 50, before Idris Otto-Mian went one better to reach his maiden SBCC 1st XI century; a brilliant, composed innings that led the team to 294-7 declared after 60 overs.

Everything was looking rosy at the Corfton Road ground. Ikjot Thind took two early Ealing wickets, while Harvey Jupp removed the dangerous Noah Korkolis just before tea.

However, Ealing turned on the style after tea, with Robbie White achieving 82 before Ethan Petta – the second of Ealing's three overseas batsmen – scoring 97, including 16 boundaries.

A flurry of late wickets made for an exciting finish, but Ealing won by three wickets with a couple of overs to spare.

Bush 2nd Xl remain at the pinnacle of their league after a winning draw, and four points, from their top-of-the-table clash with Barnes.

Barnes were limited to 206 for 9 in a 53-over first innings, thanks largely to the skilful spin of Ned Howard-Vyse (5 for 66 from 26 overs) and James Kidson (4 for 67).

In reply, Bush began well, led by Andrew Perry (74) and Jack Aldous-Fountain (57), but had to settle for the winning draw by virtue of Bush's superior run rate in compiling 198 for 8 from 47 overs following the end of Shivam Gandhi's entertaining individual effort (32) to win in the final of the game's 100 overs.

Shepherds Bush Cricket Club recently hosted a first women's softball cricket festival. In glorious sun, five teams, and more than 40 women, competed. Chiswick CC and North London CC finishing joint winners. The festival was designed to get players of all levels involved, with speedy eight-over games mixed with music and barbecue.

Women's cricket is enjoying a real moment in Middlesex, and a festival of four softball clashes is being held to gauge interest in a potential new women's softball cricket league for 2025.

The SBCC festival saw many players making their match debuts, and the newly formed Stanmore Women's team playing for the first time. Ex-England star Angus Fraser lent his support. "Watching the women play was a real treat," he said. "Everyone seems to love it and it was wonderful to see and hear people having such fun."

SBCC women's team is now in its third year, with players aged 16-60+, including complete beginners.

The girls of SBCC have also had a good season after starting well with an U12s two-day tour to Wiltshire – the club's first junior tour. Around 70 girls are registered and have enjoyed weekly training sessions as well as 25 matches, both hard and softball, for ages 8-15. On top of playing cricket, they have had a talk on female health and sport, a Q&A with a professional cricketer and a couple of indoor sessions, one on overcoming performance anxiety and another on fielding positions.

They are now looking forward to their awards nights, and a group outing to Lord's to watch England women take on New Zealand.

As the school term ends, so does the junior cricket season. Again, the club has been at full capacity with more than 240 children involved in training sessions and matches.

The club played junior competitive matches from ages 8 to 15 for boys and girls, and even with a wet start in April the majority of matches were played against other local clubs.

Once again the club linked with local primary schools, including hosting the H&F competition for boys and girls over two days, with St Stephen's winning the girls' contest, and Good Shepherd the boys'.

Email cricket.sbcc@gmail.com for information on all sections at SBCC. Peter Todorov is the men's contact, Tim Howard the juniors', while it's Briony Brock for girls and Amy Dhindsa for women.