As many of you will know, Peter Such has accepted the honour (though some would say it is something of a backwards step) of moving on from TMCC to become the spin specialist with the ECB.

The press release from the ECB said:


"The England and Wales Cricket Board has announced that ex-England cricketers Bruce French and Peter Such will join the staff at the National Cricket Performance Centre as consultant specialist coaches covering wicketkeeping and spin bowling respectively.

Such will be responsible for supporting the most talented young spinners and establishing a spin bowling programme to ensure a clear pathway for future cricketers. Mushtaq Ahmed continues in his role as spin bowling coach to the England team.

Such represented England 11 times between 1993 and 1999, taking 37 wickets at an average of 33.56.

Most notably, this included a six-wicket haul (6-67) on his Test debut against Australia. Since retiring from first-class cricket in 2001 he was employed as Academy director at Essex before establishing his own coaching organisation.

Commentating on these two appointments, David Parsons, ECB performance director, said: “The arrival of Peter and Bruce means we have now have specialist coaches employed across all the disciplines of the game.

“I am confident that both Peter and Bruce will do an outstanding job in developing future specialists for England.”

Such and French will join the ECB specialist coaching team, based at the NCPC."

We are delighted to see a TMCC alumnus (re)take his place in the national setup - we thank Peter for his time here and wish him all the very best in his new role.

The last game of the season was the 'annual' intra-club match between Jim Hutcheson's Cavaliers and Mark Dearing's A-Team, and an exciting game, which went right down to the last ball, gave the A-Team a win by 1 run, thus bringing the running score to one game apiece for the teams.

But despite some generous bowling and excellent batting (not least by Caz, (Wo)Man of the Match for her well-accumulated 20*), there was really only one moment that will live forever in the memory, and that was the moment the above headline was inked into the scorebook.*

In a brilliant tactical move, Cavaliers skipper Hutch brought Hannah on to bowl just as the A-Team were starting to gain some momentum, with none other than hubby Mark 'The Engine' Dearing occupying the crease. There hasn't been a no-win situation like this since Goliath said "Leave this one to me", and this occasion turned out with similar results.

To the onlookers it was like it all happened in slow motion, but then we realised the ball really was travelling that slowly. Mark said afterwards that he knew, as stepped out of his crease to the beautifully flighted delivery, that if he missed it he was in trouble, but a big swing and an even bigger miss left the ball to bounce, tumble gracefully through the air, and delicately dislodge both bails as it fell onto the top of middle stump.

Cue scenes of mass jubilation, poor old Mark trudging off to the strains of the timeless, 'Nah nah, na-na nah nah, heyyyyyyyy, goodbye', and history - along with everyone's day, week and year - had been made.

Mark had the last laugh when he bowled the final over and wrapped up the win, but everyone present was left in little doubt that bragging rights in the Dearing household are a far greater prize (to the Dearings at least) than the winning team's trophy.

Good fun had by (nearly) all, and we're looking forward to match number three next year.

* It has been brought to my attention that Mark had probably pushed a couple of runs before having his timber rearranged, but let's not let the truth get in the way of a good story.

This amazing game saw a very strong Tms batting side almost reduced to rubble by some excellent Tennyson bowling. Despite putting out probably our strongest 'Mason-less' batting line up of the season, the first 20 overs saw Raf, Matt John, Riz, Simon Chapman and Dougie Pyrke all back in the hutch for a mere 37 runs! 37-5 soon became 50-6 as Siva 'Boom Boom' Sakthivel was caught and disaster looked unstoppable. However these Sunday boys are made of sterner stuff and 44 from Dinesh was added to by Arun Madhasaravan who also hit 44 (his highest of the season) and a superb 37 by Rahul Bhatnagar (by far his highest of the season). Even Roger Luck managed to stick around in a last wicket partnership of 21.
So with 195 posted, things looked much better...until we started bowling.
The pace bowling line up was put to work, with the skipper standing expectantly at slip, but suddenly 10 overs had rushed by, Dinesh had bowled excellently, but fruitlessly and both Riz and Matt John had had a bowl and raised the white flags. Tennyson had reached 45-0 and our total looked under threat. We needed help, but all we had left were a couple of old 'has-beens' who had recently spent most of their time on the treatment table or looking after their kids at home. Sixteen overs later, Raf had figures of 4-18, Roger 5-22 and it just needed Dinesh (1-16) to apply the last rites. Job done!

This game saw an excellent innings by Saf, scoring his seasons best of 91. Good contributions from Himansu Depala (54) and, for the second day in a row, from Matt John (31) meant Tm's posted a total Ealing Three Bridges were never able to challenge. Oliver Ridout (2-54) bowled a good opening spell and wickets fell regularly to all the bowlers used, as Ealing crumbled to a 47 run defeat.

An excellent all round performance by Dinesh Ramalingam (61 and 3-36) and a fine innings by Matt John (61) in a new role for him as opener, saw TM's through to a good victory.
Despite some poor top order batting, Matt and Dineshs contributions, as well as a sensible lower order knock by Neil Dennison (18) and a quick fire 10 by Arun Madhasaravan meant that 197 was the score to beat.
Finchley fought hard, but good bowling, particularly by Dinesh, Riz and Arun, as well as 3 run outs, meant that another win was posted for the Sunday boys!

A well battled 46 by Noz and a superb chanceless innings of 79 by Dinesh allowed TMs to set a very respectable total 0f 252 against some very good UCS bowling.
Fine bowling performances, again by Noz and Dinesh, along with an excellent 4-50 for Arun Madhasaravan meant that TMs, under Saf's leadership, cruised to a 30 run win.

In the end it was but six points that stood between the TMs and Home Counties League cricket, with 376 points accruing from nine victories, six draws and three losses over the 18 match campaign ultimately proving not enough.

Visitors to Leverstock Green for the second time this season, TMs having won the toss started well, with opening pair Shaun O'Brien (45) and Chris Mason (69) putting on a brisk 80 run partnership. Mason continued to ply his trade as partners came and went however with his departure the innings somewhat entered the doldrums. TMs score was eventually given a timely impetus by big hitting Matt John (42)leading to a final total of 210-9 in 53 overs.

Leverstock Green then felt the wrath of new ball pair Dinesh Ramalingham (8-2-30-5)and Hasan Mahmood (6-1-23-3) as the Chennai Express and the Ilford mullet scythed through the opposition leaving them utterly broken. Chris Mason (1.3-0-3-2)then finished off what little was left, to leave the dazed Greeners 58 all out in under 16 overs.

2009 Roll of Honour;

Batting:

Chris Mason (awarded Player of the Year)
18 matches, 713 runs, average 44.56, Highest Score 117* ( 1x 100s, 4x 50s)

Shaun O' Brien
18 matches, 703 runs, average 43.94, Highest Score 110 ( 2x 100s, 2x 50s)

Bowling

Peter Such
17 matches, 49 wickets, average 13.31, best of 6-27

Shaun O Brien
18 matches, 21 wickets, average of 21.86, best of 4-41

Dinesh Ramalingham
9 matches, 21 wickets, average of 9.45, best of 5-30

Last match of the season and the TM IIs wanting to end the 2009 campaign on a high destroyed North Mymms by 185 runs racking up a record breaking score of 336-5 in the process.

After the early losses of Zakuan and Arjun, Javed Soomro (100*) and Aleem Hussain (98) settled nerves and steadily built up a 94 run partnership which was eventually broken when Aleem fell two runs agonisingly short of his third century this season. Shakeel Durrani then joined the party scoring a brisk 57 as Javed continued to chip away from the other end.

With six needed to score his first century this season, Soomro, ever the showman, deposited the ball into the Manor bringing up his century and Totteridge's declaration with the score on 336-5 in 51.2 overs.

Rizwan Siddiqui (12.2-5-23-7) opened up with Nozmul Hussain and made early inroads into the North Mymms line up taking three wickets in his first spell of six overs. After a brief flurry of runs by the middle order Rizwan returned and with the aid of Sameen Khan (1-0-2-2) mopped up the last 6 wickets for 20 runs off 7 overs.

TM IIs therefore end the season in 6th place, on 398 points with 10 wins and 6 losses and a mere 27 points behind the promotion spots, close, but no cigar - bring on 2010!!!

TMs II bid for Division 2 cricket ended in astonishing circumstances on a warm but rather windy day at London Colney's home ground in Shenley.

TMs elected to field upon winning the toss and in the first over Rizwan Siddiqui (8-2-41-2) struck followed up by his second to leave the home team 20-2 in the 7th over. Regular wickets followed thereafter as first Aleem Hussain (7-3-16-2) and Imran Khan (18-2-104-2)reduced the opposition to 76-7 in the 26th over. Happy days one would have thought.

Over the years TM IIs and previously TCC Is were famed for their rearguard action and lower order counter attacking cricket, well for the first time in memory, the tables were well and truly turned as Nos 6 and 9 began to lay waste to all the TMs could muster , No 6 - Fretter battered a century ( second 50 coming off 16 balls) and his partner No 9 - Cole, a sublime 89 in a 160 run partnership taking London Colney to 276-9 in their 53 overs.

TMs chase started with th usual clatter of top order wickets and the cause looked forlorn at 78-4 in the 19th over. Nozmul Hussain (59) and Javed Soomro (33) tried their best to offer some hope but the damage had been done in the 1st innings and TM's effort petered out in the 36th over for 171.