Surrey Championship Division 5
Stoke D’Abernon 173 all out (42.1 overs)
Dorking 174 for 6
Dorking won by 4 wickets
A second defeat in three games now leaves Stoke looking for a number of results to go their way if they are to play Division 4 cricket next year.
The loss of regular wickets led to a below par score that Dorking chased down for the loss of six wickets.
Stoke batted first. Hiken Shah and Adrian Taylor were back in the pavilion with just 23 on the board. Paul Prichard hit 30 to move the total past the fifty mark, but fell with the total on 59. James Whitmarsh dug in, and continued his supporting role for Tim Handel who showed signs of a return to form with 37 off 25 balls, a knock that included four fours and three sixes.
However Handel fell with the score on 100, and Whitmarsh, (19), and form man Jack Raimondo, (12), followed by the time 115 runs were scored.
Matt Gottschalk opened with a six and a four in a counter attack, but he lost Tom Frost for 13. Gottschalk was next to depart for 26; leaving Josh Howe and Will Lander the daunting, and some would say unfair, task of batting out the remaining nine overs – regrettably this was beyond them as they fell in successive balls to close the innings on a below par 173 after 42.1 overs.
Fifth and sixth bowlers Poysden, (3-33), and Quinn, (3-35), were the most successful bowlers, however five of the six used by visiting skipper Overton took wickets.
In reply Stoke showed their predatory instincts in the field as Josh Howe and Jack Raimondo each effected a run out to get Stoke on the board. Lander was supported by a number of spin options, but a third breakthrough proved harder to find than expected as the prolific Lee, and Chave, registered half-centuries to keep Stoke on the back foot.
The returning Lander made the breakthrough, dismissing Lee for 56; but Chave continued to edge Dorking nearer the finishing line. He lost Turnbull and Wycherley in quick succession to Shah who returned the innings’ best figures of 10-3-27-2, but with insufficient runs to play with, Chave steered the visitors home for the loss of just one more wicket; walking off unbeaten on 74.
Lander returned figures of 2 for 51 and Will Frost toiled away and returned 10-2-27-0; but Stoke were left to rue a lack of runs and failure to bat their overs.
Stoke travel to Old Hamptonians next week knowing that they are drinking at the last chance saloon if the pre-season objective is to be achieved.
Scorecard : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/scorecard.asp?id=11137897