Long overdue half century for Raimondo and Trower power as 1st XI beat Sanderstead

Surrey Championship Division 5
Sanderstead 205 for 6 (50 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon 207 for 5 (48 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon won by 5 wickets

Two wins out of two for Stoke’s 1st XI as they restricted Sanderstead to 205 for 6 in 50 overs, then chased the runs down for the loss of just five wickets with twelve balls to spare to claim a win and a bonus point.

Adrian Mills, (1-12), and James Corbishley, (1-23), conceded just 35 runs from their allotted 20 overs to give captain Will Gudgeon control. Tim Handel and slow bowlers Ian Hopton, (2 for 41), and Matt Gottschalk, (2 for 42), also bowled well, although Handel’s figures took a hammering in the closing overs as Sanderstead’s prolific overseas player Muzammil went through the gears, hitting an unbeaten 102.

In reply, Handel and No.3 Gudgeon fell cheaply; but Adi Taylor, (23), and Shahil Ramdin, (39), as good as saw off openers Carter and M.Hilton. Taylor was one of three scalps for M.Hilton, (10-2-29-3), and Ramdin fell to Carter’s last ball to leave the game in the balance at 94 for 4.

However Jack Raimondo and James Trower put together a decisive partnership of 90. Running well and taking full advantage of anything loose as Sanderstead searched for fifth and sixth bowler combinations, the pair were not separated until the 46th over when Trower was bowled by Muzammil for 44, the ball after Raimondo registerd his first League half-century since August 2012.

Tom Frost calmed nerves with two well struck fours, leaving Raimondo, (61 not out from 85 balls faced), to make the winning hit, drilling the ball through the in-field for just his third boundary.

Next week Stoke make the short trip to new-look Oxshott who recorded their first win of the season today.

Scorecard : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/view_results_details?id=11873527