Sunday 25th May 2014
Stoke D’Abernon 229 for 8 (40 overs)
Battersea Ironsides 52 all out (30.3 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon won by 177 runs
Bob Willis, (http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/subsite/player_stats_widget/bowling_stats/10801438 & http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/22462.html), was at the Stoke Rec on Sunday and was treated to a big home win.
The visitors were keen to field first, and got their wish as Ralph Coleman won the toss and elected to bat.
Nico Spreeth caressed the first two balls of the match through the backward point area for twos, but was out three balls later as he chipped a ball to cover, a big divot in Ian Hopton’s wicket evidencing where things might not have gone as intended.
All-time Stoke leading run-scorer Alistair McMillan and No.3 Baz Medlycott batted cautiously, notably against Eaton who was quite skiddy, but they found enough balls to score from to build a second wicket partnership of 78 in a little under 19 overs. McMillan reached 39, three of his five fours coming in one over, but was caught at the wicket by Davies off Nicholson to prompt an early drinks break. Immediately after the re-start Asif Ali cut the only ball he faced to point.
Medlycott, (31), continued to show that his game was improving nicely, playing some good shots and calling & running well; but he did contribute to his own downfall when he attempted to steal a bye only to find keeper Davies had moved quickly and threw the stumps down.
Will Thomson hit the first pie he faced for four, but mis-cued his third ball to mid-off; and suddenly Stoke had put themselves in a precarious position at 88 for 5.
A much needed partnership came courtesy of Moumer Khara and Rod Thomson. They cashed in on anything loose as the visitors seemed short of a fifth bowler option. Khara planted a huge six into the Brownies’ car park at square leg; and completed his second half-century of the season moments later. He hit his sixth and seventh fours before falling to another direct hit, this time from Patel on 58.
Rod Thomson continued to keep the board moving, and despite losing Zaki Ahmad cheaply, he found another belligerent partner in debutant Ed Ashwell who clubbed a brisk 15 before losing his wicket on the penultimate ball.
Thomson, (54 not out with seven fours and a six), should have had the opportunity to add to this score, but somehow Keegan Weideman managed to end up on strike for the last ball despite the batsmen crossing. In the end he could only run through for a bye to close the innings on 229 for 8; a total that would have been gladly accepted after the flurry of wickets mid-innings.
Nicholson was the most successful bowler with figures of 3 for 29 from his allotted eight overs. Eaton bowled better than his figures of 8-0-47-2 suggested, celebrating each wicket with a cartwheel that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the O2 at London 2012.
After tea, (one tray of sandwiches less than were made as emergency tea lady Tim Handel missed one of the ones left in the store by Jo), Stoke’s bowlers took the field aiming to defend what looked a tough score to chase.
Openers Greenway, (who came into the match off the back of scores of 39, 114 and 52), and Davies were suffocated by Weideman and Ahmed and the run rate barely touched two per over. Weideman castled Greenway for 1 and returned figured of 5-2-5-1. Ahmad found it a little tricky finding the right line to the left-hander, but still had commendable figures of 6-1-12-0.
The younger players then moved Stoke into a position of dominance. Ed Ashwell, on his Sunday XI debut and making just his fourth senior appearance overall, found Davies’ edge, (the catch taken by Spreeth who kept tidily); then he bowled Speed and Mustafa. Baz Medlycott bowled four good overs from the other end and had a leg-before shout against Nicholson answered in the affirmative.
The figures of Ashwell, (5-2-5-3), and Medlycott, (4-3-2-1), were fully deserved.
After drinks, Asif Ali was thrown the ball and took his first wickets for the club in a devastating spell. Kularatna edged a delivery that flew to slip where Medlycott took a great catch, (and he had the bruise to prove it), Katwala edged to Spreeth; Eaton, who hit the only boundary in the innings and top scored with 12, cut to Ashwell at backward point.
Ali, (5.3-1-8-4), closed the innings on 52 when he yorked Gopal, but not before McMillan, (keen to point out in the huddle that Play Cricket says that he had the best strike rate in the club of those still playing for the club who have more than 200 career wickets), entered the fourth column by bowling Patel.
So the margin of victory was 177 runs; strange as Battersea Ironsides’ bowling and fielding effort didn’t suggest that their batsmen would have struggled as they did, but take nothing away from Stoke who showed good standards and fully deserved their win.
Next week the Sunday XI are on the road as they travel to Ewhurst.
Scorecard Link : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/view_results_details?id=11940089
