Surrey Trust League
Spencer 260 for 9 (40 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon 128 all out (29.3 overs)
Spencer, (4 points), beat Stoke D’Abernon, (0 points), by 132 runs
With a certain football event happening at the same time as this match, Stoke’s resources at Academy level were stretched to the limit; less of a problem for the opposition who had over 700 colts to select from for this match.
However, Premiership Spencer were indebted to their first eleven captain who hit a chanceless unbeaten 101 after arriving at the wicket with the scoreboard reading 78 for 6.
The young and inexperienced Stoke side, with a couple of older heads to help them get their bearings, completely dominated the opening exchanges. Nick Embling’s first four overs yielded just eleven runs; and Jake Lavender, (6-1-42-2), struck twice in his first over when Edwards slashed the first ball he faced to Sonny Cott at backward point, then M.Jafri was pinned leg before three balls later.
O’Neill and Ikram moved the score to 39 before the former fell to a good catch by Embling at mid-off to give the impressive Alex Bond, (8-2-27-1), a first wicket in Trust League cricket.
Spurred on to achieve greater things by captain Will Gudgeon his brother Tom ran through the middle order, taking the wickets of A.Jafri – caught at the wicket by James Whitmarsh for the third duck of the innings – Malik chipped to Lavender at mid-wicket then Ikram served up a return catch after making a less than fluent 31, testament to the accuracy of the Stoke bowlers – only a generous number of wides and no-balls tarnished an otherwise perfect start.
On the hottest day of the year, the aforementioned club captain Baker strode to the wicket with work to do. He found an ally in L.Billingham and the pair took the total to 160, targeting the short boundary and the change bowlers. Ralph Coleman broke the partnership when L.Billingham was bowled for 27. Embling, (8-1-37-1), returned to the attack and deservedly took the wicket of Sajdewa, again caught by the wicket by Whitmarsh who didn’t concede a single bye.
T.Billingham came in and helped Baker add another 63 before falling to a good catch on the circle by Will Gudgeon off Coleman; but this would be Stoke’s last joy with the ball. By now Baker found the short boundaries to his liking and completed his century shortly before the closure of the innings. None of the players in the Stoke side with 1st XI experience were able to contain him.
The innings closed on 260 for 9. Tom Gudgeon was the most successful bowler with figures of 3 for 59.
Faced with a required run rate of over a run a ball from the off, Stoke’s batsmen needed to make a good start, but could make little headway against the accurate Edwards and Luftkin. In twelve overs, the pair conceded just 33 runs, and in this time Luftkin had dismissed Will Patrick, Tom Frost, Sonny Cott, (who managed to nick a peach), and Whitmarsh at personal cost of just 13 runs.
Embling cut a lifting delivery from Malik to the keeper, then Will Gudgeon perished trying to regain the initiative. By drinks the score was 42 for 6.
With plenty of overs still to bat, Lavender and Dominic Morley made good use of them; adding 46 before Lavender, (27), skied a ball from M.Jafri. This was M.Jafri’s third and final wicket to end with figures of 3 for 38 from his allotted eight overs.
Tom Gudgeon struck the ball cleanly in his knock of 17 before he was lost to a stumping, then Bond picked out cover moments later. Start the car.
In a final act of defiance Morley hit the returning Luftkin for two boundaries, but picked out Baker at mid-off the ball after reaching 30, the innings’ highest score, a brave innings given an injury sustained whilst fielding.
Luftkin ended with figures of 5-25 from 7.5 overs, and although Stoke were well beaten, much should have been learned a lot from the experience; seeing how to construct an innings in adversity and turn it into a match-winning one; then to watch how accurate bowling could have such devastating effects with runs on the board; and how this can inspire fielders regardless of the weather.
Our thanks to Drew Patrick for umpiring; and the team of tea ladies who also kept the drinks coming to the field on such a hot day.
With reinforcements available next week, hopes of progression in the competition still remain high ahead of next week’s trip to Old Whitgiftians.
Scorecard Link : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/scorecard.asp?id=10878758