Shahin Khan’s 67 for North Middlesex proved the crucial contribution as the visitors came away from Twickenham Green with a hard earned 10 points.

Five Twickenham batsmen got past 30, but none made it to 50 as the hosts posted 230 in four balls shy of 50 overs.

North Middlesex started their chase in positive fashion and at half way they looked set fair on 117-2.

A sterling spell of bowling from J-P Cronje, ably supported by the left arm tweak of Clint McCabe, nonetheless kept the Ts in with a chance of pulling off an unlikely triumph.

But North Midd’s number eight Nick Brand kept his nerve, notching the seven needed off the final over with a couple of balls to spare.

North Midd have enjoyed the better of their encounters with Twickenham over the years.

Although the games have generally been pretty close, Brad Sculley traditionally helped himself to plenty of wickets as the Ts regularly failed to put enough runs on the board.

Sculley’s absence in 2009 gave the Ts at least some hope that this year could be different, and, 20 overs into the game, things were looking pretty good.

84-1 and the ever-elegant Warwick Paull and Dave Russell going along nicely. Those watching in the pavilion were more or less at one in thinking that the base had been set and a total pushing 260/270 was on the cards. And yet it never happened.

It would be wrong to say that the wheels came off, as most of the top order got in and looked pretty much at home.

It was more that somehow the Ts got stuck in third gear, with runs coming, but never quite quickly enough.

Russell’s flamboyant innings (39 in 71 balls) came to an end when keeper Alex picked up his first stumping of the day, whilst Paull’s impressive knock (39 in 64 balls) came to an abrupt end when he was catastrophically run out.

Skipper Nunes again looked in decent touch, but he too succumbed before really getting going (36 in 32 balls). Jimmy Munting’s positive running between the wickets kept the score ticking, but he too struggled a little to pierce the field.

J-P Cronje, on the other hand, had no such problems, attacking the spin twins Ben Honour and Jeron Semper.

Cronje’s 34 (27 balls) was supposed to be the start of the charge over and beyond 250, but the wily left arm tweak of Honour skilfully kept the Twickenham innings in check.

The Ts lower order tried its best to partner Munting, but when the Australian departed to a catch in the deep (42 in 65 balls) the Ts began chasing the game. Two wickets for Semper (3-38 off 8) saw Nunes’s men finish on 230, leaving the visitors a round 50 overs to get to their target.

The Ts have made a point of starting their time in the field by making early inroads into the opposition top order.

And given that North Midd have a top order that had plenty of runs in it, another decent start was vital if 10 points were to remain on Twickenham Green. For once, things didn’t quite go to plan. Jimmy Munting bowled at a fair lick, and Justin Scriven got the ball moving about, but neither managed to register anything in the wickets column.

Visiting skipper Hill made it clear that he was going to straight drive anything full, while Evan Flowers mixed sprightly singles with cover drives.

North Midd were gaining the upper hand. Nunes sensibly decided that he needed to mix things up a little, bringing on JP Cronje from the Staines Road End.

However, at the other end where the first wicket fell, Mike Vosloo – having replaced Scriven – removing Flowers (31 in 51 balls) thanks to a fine diving catch by Warwick Paull at slip.

57-1 became 67-2 as Cronje got through Hill’s defences (30 in 42 balls) and the Ts sensed an opportunity.

Cronje thought he had number three Shahin Khan both caught behind and stumped, but neither appeal was upheld.

No such controversy when Khan spooned a ball up to Clint McCabe at mid-wicket, but unfortunately the big South African inexplicably grassed the chance.

Khan used the lives he’d been given to good effect, cutting well and whacking the ball straightish as and when he could.

Frustrating though it was for the Ts, Khan was playing the game’s key innings and by the time he passed 50 (56 balls) the visitors were in control.

Greg Arnold, batting at four, was much more orthodox and wasn’t afraid to bat back dot balls off Cronje, while picking up singles and the odd boundary off Vosloo and then McCabe.

It was, however, the introduction of McCabe that helped get the Ts back in the game.

McCabe and Cronje began squeezing the run rate and slowly but surely Twickenham clawed their way back.

Cronje was the first to strike, removing Arnold (35 off 69) caught at long off in Dan Hough’s mid-riff, whilst Khan was well run out by Russell.

With less than a run a ball needed off the last 7 the odds were still on North Middlesex, but with the mercurial Jeron Semper and Max Creese at the wicket anything could happen.

Creese’s stay wasn’t a long one, departing to McCabe for 5, while Matt Drew – after starting with a boundary – came and went bowled Cronje for 10.

When Semper slogged himself out to McCabe, the game was getting too tight to call.

Sixteen needed off 12 balls became seven off six, Cronje ball in hand.

The Ts’ legend did his level best to pin the North Midd batters back, with a dot ball to begin with. But number eight Nick Brand was to be the hero, clubbing Cronje back over his head for two boundaries to win the game with three balls to spare.

Next week sees the Ts off up the North Circular to South Hampstead.