1st XI win at Old Pauline

Saturday 22nd August 2015
Surrey Championship Division 5
Stoke D’Abernon 261 for 3 (50 overs)
Old Pauline 237 all out (46.2 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon won by 24 runs

Stoke’s 1st XI maintained a mathematical chance of promotion with a good win at Colets but in reality this great performance was another reminder of what might have been this season.

Acting captain James Trower won the toss and chose to bat, and bat himself at No.3. He had to wait a while to enter the arena, though, as Nico Spreeth and Ian Hopton put on 91 for the first wicket in 24.5 overs; the latter leg-before for 41 from 75 balls faced.

Spreeth and Trower carried on the good work, adding another 81 runs. Spreeth dismissed in the 38th over for a career best 81 from 109 balls with nine fours.

Another partnership followed as James Whitmarsh and Trower added 44 runs at better than a run a ball; the accelerator being put down by Trower, mindful of plenty of wickets in hand and competent batsmen down the order. He eventually departed for 64 off the 63rd ball he faced, (8×4), allowing Alastair Curran a chance to bat on his 1st XI League debut.

Although Curran only made nine, he helped the total past the 250-mark; the inning closing on 261 for 3 with Whitmarsh unbeaten on 44 and James Corbishley, (5 not out), adding to the total. Whitmarsh hit the innings’ only six and faced 37 balls for his runs.

In reply seven different bowlers were used and five of them took wickets; one of the two who didn’t, Adrian Mills, bowling his ten over allocation for the concession of just 33 runs, allowing the change bowlers runs to play with and the chance of wickets.

Alex Bond struck early; and Giacomo Gray took the prize wicket of Duncan for the second year running for 13. Runs were then traded for wickets as the board moved from 40 for 1, to 70 for 2 to 100 for 3.

The innings was given substance by Dundas who mad 61, but the real threat came from Harris who plundered 89. Before he was dismissed courtesy of a run-out effected by Dan Gluckman, Corbishley took two in two balls in the only over he bowled; and there were further strikes for Gray, (3 for 37), and Spreeth, (1 for 35.)

Hopton closed the innings with the wickets of Berkett and Kanodia, (that sandwiched the aforementioned run out of Harris); to compete a 24-run victory and move back into fourth place in the table.

Stoke end their season with home games Godalming and Battersea Ironsides.

Scorecard : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/2469727

James Trower