Raimondo Ton and thrilling Run Chase at the Rec

Saturday 2nd May 2015
Old Rutlishians 1st XI 296 for 5 (45 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon 1st XI 290 for 3 (45 overs)
Old Rutlishians 1st XI won by 6 runs

A run feast at the Stoke Rec as both sides played out an exciting match to end their pre-League preparations.

Batting first on a pitch that rarely saw the ball go off straight; Old Ruts’ openers Pryce and Wood made steady progress, scoring off anything loose.

First change Will Frost made the breakthrough when Pryce, (29), pulled a short delivery on to his stumps; and Frost was in the action again when Pemberton was smartly stumped by Neil Foster who did a great job behind the timbers in his first Saturday outing for the club.

Despite being a man short in the field, the change bowlers did well, notably Jack Townsend whose figures were spoiled when his last over went for a few boundaries courtesy of Wood whose hitting owed much to the pressure created.

This over got Wood into ‘hit mode’ and he became more expansive after drinks; as did No.4 Bryan as the pair moved the score past the 200-mark. They each had lives courtesy of some indifferent catching; but were well worth the scores that they made.

Wood retired on 101 at the end of the over in which he scored his century, and Stoke then started to chip away at the middle order. Bryan, (94), smashed a delivery from Jack Raimondo to Ian Hopton in the covers; then Douglas, (15), was run out by the same bowler next ball when new batsman Cooper called him through for a very improbable single.

Cooper, (16), scooped a ball from Raimondo, (2 for 71), towards the gap between backward point and short third man where Billy Newman took a great one-handed catch on the run.

Mude and Trimmings batted out the final few overs to close the innings at the end of the 45th over on a formidable 296.

Jo’s first tea of the season from the new kitchen was as good as ever; and the Stokers needed a similar appetite for runs on the resumption.

Billy Newman was an early departure, as good as adjudging himself leg-before to Bryan in the fourth over; but Raimondo and Gudgeon got the board moving with a stand of 82 in twelve overs.

Gudgeon hit a six and eight fours and looked good for a second half-century in as many weeks until he was bowled by Barnicott for 47 from 40 balls faced. Raimondo passed fifty from the 61st ball that he faced, and in partnership with Ian Hopton the score continued to climb.

The asking rate was tough, but not out of range as long as one of the pair batted through. In the end, both nearly did and the chase continued. Raimondo cleared the line on the full three times, and hit eleven fours in his Stoke career best of 120, (his seventh century for the club reached off the 125th ball he faced), his innings ending when he missed a ball from the returning Bryan. He faced 135 balls for his runs. The partnership with Hopton was 163.

Late arrival Tim Handel went to the middle with 37 needed from 14 balls. Hopton hit a six, Handel a four and a couple of 1s and 2s to leave 24 needed off the last over.

Hopton, (who needed all of them to complete a century of his own), hit the first ball for six. A single put Handel on strike who also hit a maximum. A dot and a four left a six needed off the last ball to tie. Sadly it went to a fielder on the circle and the batsmen chose not to run through. Hopton walked off unbeaten on 81 from 84 balls faced, a well constructed innings; Handel 19 from 12.

Defeat, but knowing that Stoke had pushed a side three divisions above them all the way despite fielding with ten and missing a number of first choice bowlers left cause for much optimism in the bar afterwards.

Next Saturday Stoke begin their seventh season in the Surrey Championship with a double-header against Maori Oxshott; the 1st XI making the short trip to Steels Lane, the 2nd XIs facing each other at the Rec.

Scorecard : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/2542406

FOOTNOTE – Eagle-eyed viewers might have spotted 4 penalty runs in the Stoke total on the scorecard. In the 15th over, bowled by Sonny Cooper, both the Stoke and Old Ruts scorers thought that a ball hit by Gudgeon for four was called no-ball but they couldn’t be sure as the neutral umpire had Cooper’s sweater on his arm and it was unclear if he was holding his arm out for a no-ball or just to support the weight of the sweater. Of course, the scorers had waved back to acknowledge that four had been scored. It was only at the end of the over that it became known that a no-ball had been signalled when a seventh ball was delivered, so just one was added to the total. At drinks, the umpire was adamant that four runs had not added the four in addition to the no-ball, and instructed the score to be increased. As four had already been allocated to Gudgeon, the runs were added as ‘penalty’ to balance the scorecard.

Jack 120