The Middlesex Disability squad arrived at Chiswick CC yesterday for the first game of the 2021 season to play a Chiswick CC Select XI, with all players excited to get back together as a team and play cricket after such a long period away from the game due to the pandemic.
The 2021 season is the first season that deaf players have been included into the Disability County League, so as a county, Middlesex we have welcomed a number of new players into the squad, with four of them making their debuts yesterday - Umesh Valijee, George Greenway, Farooq Mohammed and Moazzam Rashid.
Middlesex won the toss, put Chiswick CC into bat, and immediately took control, as our opening bowlers struck early and quickly put our hosts on the back foot, with Chiswick 10 for 3 after the opening five overs.
Our bowlers kept the pressure on and picked up wickets regularly, not allowing any of the Chiswick batters to settle, and at the halfway stage the score was 46 for 6.
The Middlesex bowlers continued to dominate, eventually bowling out our opponents for just 70, in the 25th over of their innings.
On a day where the bowlers were prospering on a tricky batting surface, our batsmen started confidently and successfully negotiated the opening five overs, putting 10 runs on the board, however a flurry of wickets saw the top order back in the pavilion with the score reaching 36 for 3 after 10 overs.
Looking to steady the ship, the middle order batters did just that, whilst punishing anything loose over the next few overs, and after 15 overs the score had progressed to 56 for 3, with victory now clearly in sight.
One more wicket was all the reward the Chiswick bowlers would get, before Middlesex surpassed the victory target, four down, to record a six wicket opening game win.
Prior to the start of the second innings it has been agreed by both teams that Middlesex would bat until their innings was complete, to allow our players some vital time at the crease ahead of next Sunday’s League season opener.
Middlesex continued, and took the score to 124 for 6 before a hat-trick from Chiswick's opening bowler, who claimed 7 for 20 in the match, put an early end to the Middlesex innings, all out for 150.
This was an excellent start to an exciting season ahead and we look forward to the county season starting on the 25th of April with our first D40 fixture against Wales.
We would like to thank Chiswick CC for their hospitality and involvement in the game, helping to raise the profile of Middlesex Disability Cricket.
