Sunday Friendly
Stoke D’Abernon 128 all out (29.5 overs)
Wisley Southside 132 for 8 (39.5 overs)
Wisley Southside won by 2 wickets
Stoke’s Sunday XI were left yet again to rue a lack of runs and a failure to bat a decent number of overs as Wisley Southside, whose eleven included one current and four former Stoke players, secured victory by two wickets with the last pair at the crease.
Matt Gottschalk was back in town, kindly took over the captaincy in the absence of both Stephen Finch & Adam Cooke and won the toss, choosing to bat first.
Rick Mustill and Andy Page added 44 for the first wicket, scoring 37 and 13 respectively. Mustill hit four fours and a six in his knock; but Stoke were soon 79 for 5 as both openers, (Page suffering the pain of being caught by fellow Stoke VP Malcolm Dickson), plus Will Thomson, Jase Earl and Dom Morley fell to John Richards and James Haddow, who shared the first five wickets to fall. Richards left the attack with figures of 8-3-19-3.
After Rod Thomson was bowled by the mercurial Siggal Cragwell’s fifth ball, Jeremy Connell and Gottschalk moved the total past the 100-mark. Connell hit four fours before running out of luck on 20 when he skied a delivery from Haddow to Cragwell. Late call up Jack Raimondo was bowled by Haddow, leaving Gottschalk, who hit one nice six, with the tail which sadly did not wag.
Alex Bond edged Cragwell to the keeper, and three balls later Roy Johns couldn’t keep down a ball that stopped on him; Haddow taking a good low catch at forward short leg to close the innings on 128 and leave Gottschalk stranded on 15 not out. Stoke were bowled out in less than 30 overs.
Cragwell had begun with a wicket maiden; then bowled unchanged to the conclusion of the innings, finishing with 6.5-1-17-3. Haddow, (Stoke’s Player of the Year in 1997 for his keeping!), was the most successful bowler returning figures of 11-0-42-2.
After tea Johns made an early breakthrough when M.Kerrigan was leg before playing back to one that kept low; but Dickson and T.Richards posted the fifty in good time as Bond was unlucky for the second day running not to enter the fourth column.
On a pitch well suited to his pace Page entered the attack and gained his revenge when he bowled Dickson for 29. After short spells from Morley and Raimondo; Earl struck next when Kumar hit to Gottschalk. 71 for 3.
With so few runs to play with Gottschalk introduced himself into the attack and bagged three quick wickets to turn the game in Stoke’s favour. T.Richards was bowled for 39 with six fours; Rosine was bowled next ball and in his following over J.Kerrigan was also bowled for duck. All three wickets fell with the score on 81.
This brought brothers Macarty, (whose unbeaten 153 at Ewhurst in 1995 still remains the club’s record 2nd XI score), and Haddow together. Keen to give opportunities with the ball to everyone; Gottschalk rotated the bowlers and a partnership started to build, but the pair were separated in unfortunate circumstances.
Haddow struck what was becoming a rare boundary, but moments later top edged a ball from ninth bowler Rod Thomson into his face and left the field after a lengthy stoppage. The break in play did for Macarty who was leg before to Connell; and Stoke sensed victory was back on with 35 runs still needed.
This see-saw match swung decisively back into the visitors’ favour when No.10 John Richards clubbed five fours in a brisk knock of 26. He lost Snelling to a catch by Raimondo off the returning Gottschalk; but found help at the other end in No.11 Cragwell who hit a two and a four to secure the win with a handful of the last twenty overs to spare. Gottschalk returned season’s best figures of 5.5-2-16-4.
Much to the tea lady’s delight, Haddow wasn’t required to return to the arena and the sides also take credit for playing through a shower in the closing minutes to complete a well-spirited match; watched by a decent crowd including former Stoke captain Gavin Johns and another former Stoke player Rupert Geer.
The last scheduled Sunday XI match of the season is at home to Dorking next week, (although there may be another the week after if there is demand and a fixture available) – to make these games happen please e-mail Ralphie with your availability.
Scorecard Link : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/scorecard.asp?id=11192953