Semi-Final defeat for the Academy

Surrey Trust League – Wasim Raja Shield Semi-Final

Dulwich 297 for 5 (40 overs)

Stoke D’Abernon 142 all out (34.3 overs)

Dulwich beat Stoke D’Abernon by 155 runs

For the third time in four years Stoke’s Academy suffered heartbreak at the semi-final stage of the Surrey Trust League. The class of 2010, qualified in second place in their zone, but ran into defending Wasim Raja Shield winners Dulwich determined to retain their crown.

The visitors chose to bat on winning the toss and openers Mahey and Deasy set about the bowling early. None of the six bowlers used were allowed to settle, difficult half chances were not taken, and the pair moved the field well. The fifty arrived in the ninth over, the hundred in the fifteenth, the 150 in the 21st and the 200 in the 27th over.

The partnership was finally broken in the 32nd over with the total on 217 when Mahey, who hit 89 with seven fours and one six, picked out Ian Hopton off the returning Will Frost. Two balls later the same duo combined to remove Deasy for 108. The classy Deasy faced just 84 balls for his runs and hit thirteen fours and four sixes. Frost finished with figures of 8-0-46-2.

Hopes that this double breakthrough would slow things down were dashed as No.3 Corbin cracked 53 from just 23 balls faced with eight fours and a six. He lost Johnson for 11 and Farrow for 2 in the closing overs, both wickets to James Lander, (6-0-27-2), but he moved the total to 296 before being run out by Will Gudgeon’s throw from the deep coming back for two on the final ball of the innings.

Sadly this run out was a rare highlight in an off colour fielding display.

With an imposing target of 298 Stoke needed to make a good start but could make little headway against accurate pace bowling from Betts, (2-23), and McDonald. Betts removed Jack Raimondo for 10 and James Lander for a duck; and although Jay Stevenson, (20), and Will Gudgeon, (27), moved the total to 70, they were dismissed by Corbin in successive deliveries trying to up the scoring rate, Gudgeon falling to a good catch by McDonald.

The next five Stoke batsmen all made double-figures, but none passed 14 as wickets fell at regular intervals. Corbin took a third wicket to end with the match’s best figures of 7-1-23-3; Davies and Farrow helped themselves to two wickets each as Stoke were shot out for 142 in just 34.3 overs.

So Stoke’s excellent run the competition came to an abrupt halt against a side three divisions above them and including six first-teamers in their side; but the Stoke side which only included a player over the age of 21 in an emergency during the season will have learned a lot from the good and bad experiences in this year’s competition, and will hope to progress further in 2011.

Scorecard Link : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/scorecard.asp?id=11096312