Unbeaten Century for the Hik-Man as 1st XI defeat Godalming

Surrey Championship Division 5
Godalming 189 all out (49.1 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon 190 for 4 (35.1 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon won by 6 wickets 

A majestic century from Hiken Shah backed up an efficient bowling display as a depleted Stoke side cruised to a six wicket win over Godalming at the Rec. The win was even more satisfying as Stoke’s strength in depth was put to the test with a number of absentees due to holidays, weddings, christenings and other commitments.

Visiting captain Mayne won the toss and chose to bat. He was his usual positive self, hitting three fours in the opening exchanges; but these would be his only scoring shots as he chased a wide delivery from Alex Bond and Tom Frost did the rest behind the stumps. In the next over, Hickey was bowled by acting Stoke captain Tim Handel offering no shot.

The mercurial pair of Milner and Agge started to build a partnership. As he generally does, Agge looked to deal in boundaries and was generally successful, also hitting one maximum. The introduction of Shah into the attack proved a shrewd move as the runs began to dry up.

At the other end, Toby Tarrant also found good areas to bowl to each batsman; and a decisive spell either side of the first drinks break swung the game in Stoke’s favour. Firstly he pinned Milner leg-before for 28; three balls later N.Clarke was bowled; then Dawson edged to Frost for just six. From 89 for 2 it was suddenly 95 for 5.

Agge was joined by fellow left-hander Churaman, and their know-how was needed to get the innings back on track as the change bowlers gave little away. Agge survived a chance that allowed him to run through for a single to complete his half-century; but in the next over he was leg-before to Shah off the 58th ball that he faced without further addition.

Churaman and J.Clarke edged the total towards the 150 mark, but were separated when Churaman, (27 from 67), had a leg before appeal from Ralph Coleman answered in the affirmative by visiting umpire Stephenson, who had his usual busy day avoiding the ball.

Minus a couple of regular spin options, and with Shah having bowled his ten over allocation in one spell for the concession of just 27 runs; Handel turned to Nick Lo for more pace off the ball; and the big man struck next when Clarke, (26 from 52), holed out to Malcolm Dickson in the deep.

This left Bond and Tarrant with the last overs at the tail; and both did what was required of them. Bond, (2-49), shattered Stow’s stumps, then Tarrant closed the innings on 189 off the first ball of the final over when No.11 Dukes was another to hear the death rattle.

Tarrant returned the excellent figures of 9.1-1-31-4; but pleasingly all six bowlers used entered the fourth column and did their jobs well on a generally unresponsive pitch.

After tea, Shah and Handel were patient and took what few runs were on offer from Milner, Dukes and first change Churaman.

Having flashed Churaman’s first ball hard to slip only to see the chance go to ground; Handel, (10), repeated the exercise moments later and this time Agge held on. Next ball, Lo chipped to mid-wicket. 34 for 2.

Shah and Frost gave the innings momentum. Whilst Churaman was his usual consistent self, the other change bowlers struggled to find their lines. One or more boundaries came in each of the next eight overs from the railway end.

Frost looked well set and hit five fours in his 23 before he fell leg before to Churaman, out on the last ball before drinks for the second week running; but Stoke were still handily placed at 78 for 3.

Shah and Will Gudgeon continued to bat positively and doubled the total in the next eleven overs. Both were merciless with any bad balls; Gudgeon’s run-a-ball 30 contained four fours and a straight six. His innings came to an end when he cut Churaman, the pick of the bowlers with figures of 10-1-29-3, to Mayne at backward point.

Shah then went through the gears. Having brought up his 50 with a six, (the ball after he was bowled off a no-ball, curiously the only extra in the Stoke innings), he peppered the boundary regularly and ran hard.

Having brought up his fifth century for Stoke to great applause from both sides and the sizeable crowd; he added his eleven & twelfth fours and his fifth six to his total to end on 118 not out from 115 balls faced. The winning hit was made by Rob Davis in his first appearance of the season as victory was completed with nearly fifteen overs to spare.

Davis was one of three call-ups, the others being former club captains Andy Page and Dickson; who all did well earlier in the field on a warm day to contribute to the win.

So Stoke’s points total received a welcome boost, and will look to make up more ground on the leaders next week when they host early front-runners Oxted & Limpsfield. A number of returning players will make this week’s selection meeting an interesting one.

Scorecard Link : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/scorecard.asp?id=11456120