1st XI beat Merrow

Surrey Championship Division 5
Merrow 139 all out (47.4 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon 142 for 5 (40.2 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon won by 5 wickets

Stoke maintained their 100% record with a successful run chase at the Rec against Merrow.

The visitors bucked the trend and chose to bat first on winning the toss, but struggled against a committed bowling and fielding effort.

Matt Gottschalk struck in his first over when visiting skipper Hall was caught by Tom Frost, and it was 11 for 2 when Tim Handel found Trendell’s edge to give Shahil Ramdin the first of what would be three dismissals on the day.

As per last week it was then a diet of spin, headed by Will Frost who bagged his second six-wicket haul in as many matches. Frost took out Martinsen, Brown, Newman, D.Perry, Hurst and top-scorer S.Perry, (46), in a clinical spell of 17-4-53-6.

After Gottschalk checked out of the attack with figures of 1 for 45 from 17 overs, Siddhartha Lahiri finished things off with the wickets of Henderson, (42), and last man P.Windus to close the innings on 139.

In reply Lahiri and Adrian Taylor made steady progress, adding 33 before Taylor was bowled by P.Windus for 14. Will Gudgeon hit a six and four but was gone soon after for 12 when A.Windus took him out courtesy of a catch from P.Windus.

The cautious Lahiri, (22 for 65), and Ramdin moved the score past the 50-mark, but Lahiri and No.5 Handel were dismissed in quick succession by each Windus and it was 55 for 4.

James Whitmarsh helped advance the total to 81 before he was bowled by A.Windus, leaving Ramdin and new arrival Tom Frost with work to do. However the pair delivered and knocked of the remaining runs without further loss to secure the win with 4.3 overs to spare.

Ramdin, (55 not out from 70), hit a six and seven fours; Frost, (22 not out from 28, 1×6, 1×4), made the winning hit.

Next week Stoke travel to play Byfleet, the only other team with a 100% record, and with the chasing pack starting to make their move, (no drawn games this weekend), a continuation of the winning streak is highly desirable.

Scorecard Link : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/view_results_details?id=11873529