Tower Hamlets Cricket Club kicked off their 2015 cricket season with a determined victory against Alexandra Park CC, winning by three wickets. This was the first time a club from Tower Hamlets had taken part in the Middlesex County Cup that has all the top clubs in Middlesex taking part – including the current champions of the ECB Premier Division in Middlesex, Teddington CC.
THCC was drawn away to Alexandra Park CC which is based in Alexandra Palace in North London and is currently playing two divisions higher that THCC in the Middlesex Championship League Division 1. APCC batted first and scored a solid 273 for 5 wickets in their 45 overs, with Yasin Hawa top scoring with 120 not out.
The young players of THCC, who challenged the top clubs in Middlesex during their U17s period, knew they had to get a solid start to chase down the target, requiring just over six runs per over. THCC started well, losing the first wicket for 33 runs before a half century partnership between Ovi and Shumon steadied the ship. When Ovi was out for 57 runs and last season’s top run scorer Shaklee Ahmed was out for a duck, nerves were starting to set in among the young players. Mohammed Fahad scored a quick 26 before he was bowled and he was quickly followed back to the pavilion by captain Mahbubul Alam and Azlan Bhuiyan who added only four runs to the total.
The only senior player in the team left was Shumon Shariff who was mentoring the number 8 batsman Md Mutahirul Hassan – with the score at 113/6. Shumon started to attack, while Hassan observed the conditions carefully. They reached 169/7 off 36 overs when Shumon was bowled out after scoring 54 runs. As Arafat Bhuiyan, 18 years old, stepped out to bat, his twin brother Azlan told him to smash it. Arafat came out and literally smashed a four off his first ball. He continued to smash the ball to all parts of the ground and was joined by Hassan who was finding his range too. The pair scored 105 runs off 9.4 overs and delivered the first victory for THCC in the 2015 season. Hassan ended with 57 not out with eight fours and three sixes and Arafat scored 46 not out with six fours and two sixes.
The next round sees THCC face one of the biggest clubs in Middlesex in the form of Eastcote CC, whose members have been playing cricket for over 150 years. THCC visit Eastcote on Sunday, 3rd May and will hope to continue their run in the most prestigious Cup competition within Middlesex.
THCC is the only club in the borough playing Saturday Cricket in the Middlesex Championship League Division 3 and has five adult teams and four junior teams. The majority of THCC players currently involved were part of the new junior team that was set up in 2009 as an Under-15 team with the vision to grow the club into an adult club. The club has produced nine UKCC Level 2 coaches and three players are also working full time as cricket coaches for Middlesex and Surrey Cricket Boards.