Surrey Championship Division 5
Stoke D’Abernon 2nd XI 252 for 8 dec (55 overs)
Godalming 2nd XI 193 for 7 (58 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon 2nd XI, (4 points), drew with Godalming, (1 point)
‘Winning Draw’ to Stoke D’Abernon
The 2nd XI were thwarted by a fine rearguard innings by Godalming’s Dan Tunna on Saturday.
Having lost the toss and been asked to bat first, Stoke 2s were off to a flyer, Falcon and Gav hitting 53 from the first 7 overs, Gav hitting 3 consecutive 4s off Dukes. Falcon hit 4 boundaries before edging Dawson to J Clarke for a swift 31 from 32 balls. Tufty came in and, with Gav, kept the scoring rate up above 4 per over. Haine was introduced at the railway end with good effect and bowled a number of maidens before he got Tufty out leg before for 30 with a ball that kept low.
Gav had dropped anchor by now and, along with Pagie, put a partnership together – Gav bringing up his 50 from 99 balls. Shortyl afterwards, he was well caught by Ketteringham for 58. Bizarrely their partnership of 47 is now our best 3rd wicket partnership since joining the Championship.
As ever, Pagie put the bad ball away hitting 5 boundaries on his way to 23 before he became Steel’s first wicket. He was quickly followed by skipper Matt and at 161-5 we were in danger of letting a good start go to waste. Crispy had other ideas though and, supported by Rob, he took the attack to the bowlers, especially Steel who he took for 35 from just 21 balls faced. Their partnership of 67 is also now a 2s record in the Championship. Crispy was caught on the boundary trying to bring up his 50 in style.
Rob then took Crispy’s lead hitting Haine over the fence along with 3 4s before he became Haine’s 5th victim in the last over of the innings, Stoke closing on 252-8. Haine was the visitors’ best bowler finishing a marathon 24 over spell with 5-69.
Matt opted not to take the new ball and Gazelle and Willo applied pressure from the word go. The pressure told as early as the 4th over when Wright called his partner for a quick singel before sending him back. It was too late as Tufty swooped from mid wicket to run out the dangerous Osborne. Willo could have had a wicket in his 3rd over when the edge of Wright’s bat just failed to carry to Crispy at gully, but he did get his man shortly afterwards for just 7. Gazelle got into the action when he found the edge of N Clarke’s bat. 21-3.
From then on things got more difficult as Tunna built partnerships with J Clarke and with Dawson. Bondi was brought on and given the new ball. The result 4 maidens in 5 overs, but no success for the young quickie. Muscles was tried without a breakthrough. Matt brought himself on and claimed the wicket of Dawson in his 4th over – the 45 of the innings and 100th of the match. Fortunately, thanks to our policy of getting through the overs quickly, there were still 40 minutes to play.
Tunna brought up a deserved 50 (from 123 balls) with 2 boundaries in Matt’s 5th over, but when Matt dismissed his opposing skipper we sniffed a chance of victory. Gav was brought on in an attempt to buy wickets (we had plenty of runs to play with by now) and Haine seemed to decide that he was going to win the game himself. Having hit 3 consecutive boundaries he almost inevitably edged Gav to Gazelle at slip to give Gav his first league wicket. (For those of you who may have been puzzled by that line on the scorecard, I can assure you that caught Harkett bowled Gresse is the correct way round.)
Unfortunately for Stoke there were to be no further wickets. Tunna finished with a splendid 89 not out including 17 4s and 1 6. Had we got him out we would have almost certainly completed another victory, but today it was not to be. Next week we make our first trip to Old Hamptonians and hope to get back to winning ways.
Scorecard Link : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/scorecard.asp?id=10912413