Sunday 20th September 2015
Friendly
Kingstonian 125 all out (33 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon 110 all out (38.1 overs)
Kingstonian won by 15 runs
Stoke’s Sunday side failed to chase down the total set by Kingstonian in a match where there were many games within a game as both sides had a mix of league and social players.
Pre-toss discussions saw both sides keen to bat first, (in Stoke’s case to allow Stoke keeper Carel Ferreira time to finish his family lunch and get to the ground), but visiting skipper McEvoy called correctly, prompting the a request by Stoke of a loan fielder. The opposition were happy to oblige, even going as far as agreeing to lend us their keeper who did the job until he was required to bat.
The match had a bit of a league feel early as Kingstonian openers Khalid and Shan racked up 41 runs in the first six overs. Neither very keen to run they dealt almost exclusively in boundaries, Khalid hitting four fours and a six in his 25 from 16 balls before he was bowled behind his legs by Jase Earl.
This was the first of six wickets in just eight overs as the visiting batsmen continued to play with indiscipline; Zaki Ahmad profiting most in his first appearance of the season, collecting 3 for 31 as Montgomery chipped a full toss to Moumer Khara, Deep swung wildly at the first ball he faced and Nico Spreeth took a good catch in front of his face at short cover; then opener Shan, (21), picked out Adam De Swardt in the deep, the only fielder who was not in the circle at the time.
Khara, (5-1-12-2), bowled another tidy spell of left arm seam and swing from his preferred Railway End; Reddy hit to De Swardt at point and No.7 Bradley skied to square leg where Ralph Coleman did the rest.
63 for 6 and once again some game management was required.
Thankfully a repeat of last year’s match, (http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/667399), was avoided as Hussain switched his keeping pads & gloves for the batting variety, (Peter Phipps covering off keeper duties whilst Ferreira arrived), protected his wicket and scored off anything loose. No.8 Squelch stayed with him, (a seemingly unimpressive but important 7 off 37 balls for him), and the pair added 60.
Hussain hit a six and completed a half-century soon after; and with the score approaching something worth chasing Coleman and Spreeth took the last four wickets in the space of 20 balls, the latter taking wickets with successive balls to close the innings on 125 after just 33 overs.
With tea not quite ready due to the early finish, the sides played out ten overs before dining. Alistair McMillan’s season ended when he was leg-before to Shan in the eighth over leaving Peter Phipps and Sandy Henderson unbeaten on 13 and 1 respectively as tea was taken at 26 for 1.
When play resumed Stoke got themselves into a bit of a pickle. Henderson hit a return catch to McEvoy with virtually his first aggressive shot; Phipps cut the same bowler to Shan at gully and Ferreira made, by his own admittance, a bad call and was lost to a run out without scoring. 39 for 4.
De Swardt dug in and Khara played with good method to get the scoreboard moving and Stoke were in the same position as a couple of weeks ago where the batting depth was there to get the job done.
Khara pulled the first ball from Bradley into the playground for six and took twelve from the 26th over; but this prompted a change of approach from the visitors who introduced bowlers with 1st XI league experience.
Khalid showed all his skill to restrict the scoring on what was a already a difficult pitch to bat on as it held a lot of the mid-week rain; and Hussain, (giving up the gloves to Reddy at tea), also bowled tidily.
The partnership was broken with the total on 84 when Khara couldn’t keep out a full ball from Hussain and was keg-before for 31 from 34 balls with four fours and the aforementioned six.
Spreeth hit a nice straight drive for four but was lost to a stumping off Khalid; and with the asking rate rising De Swardt called for a single and was beaten by a direct hit. He had battled hard, needing 64 balls to compile his knock of 18.
97 for 7 at this point and Earl had just Ahmad and Coleman left to help him. The total moved to 110, but it took a number of deliveries to get there, meaning sixteen runs were needed off the last 13 balls with Khalid showing all his skill at one end and 1s player Shan now back in the attack at the other.
Khalid, (6-3-5-2), castled Ahmad off the final ball of the 38th over; and with a decision then taken to attack the 39th over, Earl was bowled next ball for 11 to complete the match. Sadly there was no Jack Townsend on site this time to double the number of one wicket victories against Kingstonian this year.
Pleasingly a number of the opposition stayed for a few beers afterwards despite the lure of a Sunday 2nd XI match back at their own ground. We’ll see them next year.
Scorecard : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/2542403