Where does a summer go?
It only seems like yesterday that we were getting the grounds ready for a busy summer of cricket and now we are halfway through the season.
With that in mind it would be good to see how things are progressing in Middlesex’s two major leagues – the Middlesex County Cricket League and the Middlesex Premier Cricket League.
Middlesex County Cricket League
There has been a significant contrast in the performances of three of the teams that dominated last season’s Premier League. Shepherds Bush and North Middlesex have continued to show what strong clubs they are and are pulling from the rest. The pair are now two wins ahead of the rest and are turning this year’s league into a two horse race.
Ealing, meanwhile, the 2024 champions, are having a difficult season and currently sit at the bottom of the table. Fortunately for them there are a number of teams that will be in the battle to avoid relegation for the rest of the season. It is likely that wo teams from Ealing, Harrow St Mary’s, Richmond Hornsey and Stanmore will go down.
Shepherds Bush’s star players this summer have been Ijkot Thind ( 477 runs @ 59.63) with the bat and Ramon Bailey (20 wickets @ 15.85). For North Middlesex runs have been harder to come by and Will Fort (244 @ 40.67) being the top runs scorer. Ben Lockrose is having an excellent season and is the top MCCL wicket-taker with 30 wickets at an average of 11.93.
In Division 1 Twickenham have had a strong first half of the season and are 18 points (2 wins) ahead of third placed Finchley. Brondesbury occupy 2nd place. Twickenham’s success has been a real team effort whilst Aum Patel ( 338 runs and 22 wickets) is Brondesbury’s stand out player. At the bottom Southgate are struggling and look destined for the drop. Osterley’s withdrawal from the league during the off-season means that North London, Indian Gymkhana and Barnes will not have as stressful an end to the season as they could.
Eastcote are running away with Division 2 and are currently 23 points ahead of 2nd placed Kenton. And it seems that Enfield and Harrow will be competing with Kenton for the 2nd promotion spot here. Ronald Ettienne is Eastcote’s star player having scored 371 runs at 53 and taken 27 wickets at 16.9. Four teams – Ealing Trailfinders, London Tigers, Brentham and Harrow Town - will be looking to avoid the two relegation spots.
Division 2 is currently supplying the three highest run-scorers in the entire MCCL. At the top of the list is Harrow Town’s Sanjay Mishra with 541 runs, and in joint 2nd place are Winchmore Hill’s Jim Gatting and Harrow’s Devon Smith with 489 runs.
Kay Plus top Division 3 but are being pushed hard by Bessborough, Chiswick and West Harrow. After nine games only seven points separate the top four teams. At the bottom Wembley and Old Isleworthians are slipping away from the group. They will be hoping they can drag SKLPC down to give one of them a glimmer of staying up.
Division 4 is turning into a three layered division with three teams Headstone Manor, North London Muslims and Pinner Challengers competing hard for the title and two promotion positions. At the other end two out of Actonians, South Harrow and Lanka Lions will inevitably face the drop.
Two London sides – London Desperados and London Superkings – lead Division 5 but there are four further teams – London Sportif, United Sports, New Calypsonians and Perivale Phoenicians – who will be hoping to get in the promotion battle. At the other end two from United Sporting Club, Northwick Park and Swamibapa are likely to get relegated.
Two outcomes appear inevitable in Division 6. Ealing Three Bridges are running away with the title and CRS Cardinals are destined for relegation. In Division 7 Tamil United are set for promotion.
Middlesex Premier Cricket League
West Harrow are on course to win the MPCL for a second consecutive summer at the half point of the season. The club currently lead the table and are 12 points ahead of Harrow Lions. At the bottom Friends United and South Harrow currently occupy the two relegation spots.
Shahbaz Meer from Harrow Lions is the currently the top run-scorer in the Premier League with 454 runs, whilst Neasden’s Krunal Patel and Akshay Kumar Jr Patel are the top wicket-takers, with 23 victims each.
Peshwa proudly sit at the top of Division 1, 22 points ahead of their nearest rivals West End, making the two teams favourites for promotion. At the other end Rajput Samaj Sports and Diu Daredevils will be hoping the second of their seasons are better than the first. Harrow Willow sit in mid table but in Satyak Patel they have the top run-scorer in the MPCL, with 574 runs.
In Division 2, two teams are currently going head to head for the title – Gangeshwar and Ealing Three Bridges. Both teams will need to keep an eye on Zahira, who are only 14 points behind them. Young Puthoharis and Baladia Youth currently occupy the two bottom places. Ealing Three Bridges’ season is being helped hugely by Yashwanth Dhadi, who has taken 24 wickets, more than any other player in the MPCL.
Neasden 2nd XI and West Harrow 2nd XI are dominating Division 3, whilst Diu Community of Southall and Muktajivian will do well to avoid relegation.
Division 4 should have an interesting 2nd half of the season with three teams – Harrow Indians, Stallions and Neasden 3rd XI – leading the way. At the other United Sports 2nd XI and Sri Lankan Cavaliers have plenty of work to do.
Gladiators and Mill Hill Village currently occupy the top two spots of Division 5, whilst neither of London Challengers 2nd XI or Friends United 3rd XI will want to finish bottom of the MPCL.
The T20 League has become a two horse race with Neasden and London Challengers running away from the rest.
