Ealing 258-6 (dec) Brondesbury 149-5

Middx County Premier Division One

Brondesbury skipper Rob Nelson put Division One newcomers Ealing into bat on a pitch the home side thought would be quite quick unfortunately it turned out quite the opposite.

A solid morning's performance from the visitors put a win almost totally out of Brondesbury's reach after they piled on 132-2 by the time lunch was called.

It didn't get any easier after the break but tighter bowling by Luke O'Reilly and Nelson, who ended with 4-87 off 25 overs, led to an improvement.

Ealing batted on for 66 overs before declaring on 258.

In reply Brondesbury openers Ian Osborne and Mike Hood needed to stick around until at least the tea break to keep their side in with a chance of forcing a four-point draw. Unfortunately, that's exactly what they didn't do.

Osborn found himself the victim of an unlucky decision when on ten and Osborne was tempted by a quick single but didn't make his ground in time and was run out on 17 leaving them at 40-2 at the break.

Ealing tightened up their bowling and didn't give anything away to the Brondesbury batsmen.

Ian Kidd and Matt Stein looked to get the scoreboard ticking over again and went onto the offensive.

However, both went while trying to make big shots Kidd for 17 and Stein for 38.

With two teams going down from the ten-team league this season, Brondesbury have been given a taste of how competetive this league will be. Opener Hood said: “It's going to be tough this season.

“But if the team can get on a role and get that bit of confidence growing we should be OK.”

On Sunday Brondesbury made light work of Essex Division One side Upminster in the ECB National Championship second round.

Having put on 308-4 (Osborne 88, Gladwin 64, Hood 63), Upminster were restricted to 140-9 at the close (O'Reilly 3-23 off nine overs).

This Saturday Brondesbury visit Wembley in the league.