Surrey Championship Division 5

Farncombe 246 all out (50 overs)

Stoke D’Abernon 250 for 2 (45.1 overs)

Stoke D’Abernon, (10 points), beat Farncombe, (0 points), by 8 wickets

An opening stand of 159 between Hiken Shah, who went on to hit a Stoke career best 110, and returning captain Siddhartha Lahiri, who hit 58, set up a comprehensive eight wicket win over Farncombe at the Rec.

On a hot afternoon, the visitors chose to bat but momentum was difficult to build up as wickets were taken at regular intervals by the Stoke bowling unit who showed great discipline on a surface that clearly favoured the batsmen. Jake Lavender made an early breakthrough when he found Appleton’s edge to give Tom Frost a regulation catch at the wicket.

The quick scoring new strip led to the fifty being posted in the twelfth over; but six overs later Barnes and Baker were back in the pavilion with the addition of just 14 more runs; both castled by debutant Seb Jewell who ran in and hit the pitch hard in his opening seven over burst.

Only opener Cussan made any progress against accurate change bowling; and when he fell to a fortuitous stumping by Frost off the bowling of Lahiri for 66, Stoke were in the ascendancy with the scoreboard showing 104 for 5; Lahiri, (2-25), having already struck in his opening over when Carter was leg before for 13.

Kamoto set about rebuilding the innings with a knock of 69 from just 60 balls faced. Jaggard, (17), helped him add 85 for the sixth wicket; but the partnership was broken when Jaggard was stumped by Tom Frost off his brother Will.

Unlike last week, this was not really a day for spinners and young paceman Lavender returned to the attack to remove Kamoto, Jewell showing good hands under the high ball.

Greaves and Cruz took the total past the 200-mark, but the former was well caught in the gully by Ian Hopton off Tim Handel; but for Hopton this was merely the entrée as a stunning one handed save in the deep was converted into the run out of visiting captain Dray.

The tail continued to wag and Farncombe’s innings was not concluded until Shah effected the run out Cruz, (27), off the final ball of the last over with the total on 246. Jewell, (10-2-43-2), and Lavender, (7-0-26-2), were the pick of the eight bowlers deployed by Lahiri.

Lahiri and Shah took strike after tea and posted the fifty in the twelfth over, incredibly Stoke’s first fifty opening stand in their time as members of the Surrey Championship.

On and on they went, scoring runs all around the wicket at the required rate; Shah reaching his 50 first, then becoming more expansive against an increasingly demoralised visiting bowling attack who were now aware that their total was well below par.

Lahiri completed his half-century, but his fatigue was beginning to show and he spooned a catch to Dray at cover off the bowling of Kamoto for 58 from the 94th ball that he faced. Lahiri hit nine fours and registered his 40th score of 50 or better, (eleven of them hundreds), in just 110 innings for the club.

Perhaps the only disappointment was that Lahiri was not at the crease when Shah completed his second century for Stoke moments later. He hit fifteen fours and a huge six; and with the field spread both he and No.3 Handel were able to keep the scoreboard ticking with a series of singles.

With the score on 196 the visitors collected the wicket of Shah who mis-pulled Hudson to mid-on for 110 from 105 balls faced. Shah walked off to huge applause from the sizeable crowd that included a number of good spirited visiting supporters who contributed to a match played in great spirit.

Having taken time to play himself in Handel took on the role of senior partner and needed just another 20 balls to move from 23 to his final score of 63 not out, launching the winning hit over the infield with 29 balls to spare. Handel passed 3000 runs for the club during his time at the crease.

Tom Frost walked off with another not out, (this time 13 from 13 balls faced), and the pair had added 54 in just over 5 overs to complete the win with a bonus point.

Next week Stoke travel to play the Croydon Municipal Officers hoping to reverse their defeat in the corresponding fixture last season.

Scorecard Link : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/scorecard.asp?id=10911094