Sunday XI have better of draw with Concorde

Sunday Friendly
Stoke D’Abernon 180 for 9 dec (40 overs)
Concorde 130 for 8 (40 overs)
Match Drawn

Stoke v Concorde returned to the fixture card and the sides played out a good spirited match.

The visitors chose to field on winning the toss and runs flowed early as Dan Douthwaite and Jeremy Connell made full use of the bad balls served up to them. Douthwaite, (14 from 9 balls), got under a ball from Nizzola and Merrow 1st XI opener Jordyn Dyer slid in from backward point to take a good catch; but the scoreboard ticked round as Will Thomson hit the ball cleanly from the off.

Connell fell to a return catch from Nizzola for 17; but Thomson and Muzaffar “Umar” Qayyum posted the hundred by the end of the 16th over; the latter enjoying his first home game for Stoke having played all his cricket on the road to date.

Thomson brought up his first half-century for the club with his eleventh four, but the text to Dad from the scorer’s table saying “102 for 2 W.Thomson 53no” was hastily amended to “102 for 3 W.Thomson 53 (out)” as he was bowled by I.Cudworth two balls later. Thomson faced just 42 balls for his runs.

Umar and late call-up from the junior section Lian Meyer added a further 27 runs; Meyer hitting a nice four through mid-on; but they were two of three quick wickets to fall. Meyer hit a return catch to Wright, Umar checked out on 35, (6×4), with an edge to keeper Smith off I.Cudworth and Stephen Finch skied the same bowler to another member of his family, but not before drilling a nice four through the covers with Jack Raimondo’s bat.

At 134 for 6 Stoke were in danger of squandering the great start given to them by the top five, but Baz Medlycott steadied the ship, got himself in on a pitch that was starting to wear after the previous day’s match and got the board moving again.

He lost a succession of partners when Moumer Khara, (batting in a snazzy flat cap), Andrew “Chester” Beckingham and Jay Atwal all fell for single figure scores.

Captain Ralph Coleman helped young Medders add a further 25 runs before the declaration; Medlycott compiling a career best 30 not out.

After another of Jo’s bumper teas the match took on a bit of a league feel as Douthwaite charged in from the Railway end at Dyer. It was compulsive viewing; a near caught & bowled and a sharp slip chance went down were scant reward for his hostility. Caught in the cross-fire, veteran Stockbridge stood firm until the last ball of Douthwaite’s spell that he spooned to Meyer at backward point.

After five tidy overs from Khara, slow left-armer Atwal bowled well for the second week running. He combined with Thomson to account for Freeman, tempted A.Cudworth to hole out to Khara at deep cover, then visiting skipper Wright chipped to Medlycott at mid-wicket; Medlycott atoning for a dropped chance offered by Dyer off Beckingham. 76 for 4. Atwal 8-0-33-3.

The tempting declaration meant that Dyer, if he could find someone to stay with him, could still bat without risk to get the visitors close; but Medlycott shifted the balance of power in Stoke’s favour by bowling him with a peach, (bowler’s assessment), for 67, (from 100 balls faced); then T.Cudworth hit to Beckingham who took a great diving catch before leaving the field to attend an evening function.

With men round the bat, Coleman collected another couple of wickets to complete a satisfying weekend, bowling Reeve and Howard, (there may be video evidence of this passage of play as the standing umpire was holding a mini-camera whilst adjudicating); but 112 for 8 was as good as it got as the pitch started to lose life.

Medlycott, (10-2-31-2), and Douthwaite, (9-4-16-1), left everything on the field in pursuit of victory, but Nizzola, (18 not out), and I.Cudworth batted out the remaining overs for an honourable draw.

The clubs shook hands on a good day’s cricket, made better by the surprisingly good weather. Next week the Sunday XI are on the road as they travel to Thursley; the Stoke Rec being used for the opening Surrey Trust League match against Oxted & Limpsfield.

Scorecard Link : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/scorecard.asp?id=11714944

FOOTNOTE : Concorde CC have also posted their own match report and an action photo : http://www.stokecc.co.uk/news/?p=5401