Saturday 11th June 2016
Travelbag Surrey Championship – Division 4 – 2nd XI Competition
Stoke D’Abernon 2nd XI 124 all out (53.3 overs)
Alleyn 2nd XI 128 for 5 (34.5 overs)
Alleyn 2nd XI won by 5 wickets
Stoke were beaten by the better team on the day but were left to rue a shortage of runs caused by the loss of early wickets in bunches when batting, and the inability to find a tail after making early inroads in the field.
Visiting skipper Clayton once again won a handy toss at the Rec, and set bowlers Farooq and Brawn to work. Seven came from the first over, but after that runs were much harder to come by; particularly off the impressive Brawn who conceded just five runs in the first ten overs he bowled…although it Brawn who effected the first wicket via his fielding efforts when Malcolm Dickson tipped and ran, but the bowler collected the ball well and under-armed a direct hit to leave Peter Phipps stranded. The pair had seemed little troubled in their opening stand of 16.
Dickson scored 23 of the first 30 runs scored; Wade was kept in check by Brawn and as so often can happen, it was his first real loose ball that brought Wade’s demise as he feathered a wide-one to Moncrieffe behind the timbers.
Stoke lost two wickets in the next over as Dickson, (25), cut to point aiming a repeat of his previous scoring shot; and Alistair McMillan was leg-before next ball. 32-4.
Will Thomson, who travelled down from Manchester to play in the match, hit the hat-trick ball for four, and in partnership with Dad at the other end they advanced the total past the fifty mark.
As Stoke started to build a total, however, they were pegged back again by wickets in successive overs. Thomson Jnr, (11 – runs that is, not age), chipped Clayton to backward point where Foster made a relatively easy grab; then Amy Page served up a return catch to fourth bowler Owen.
Carel Ferreira added some much-needed omph to the scoring, (he arrived with the innings run rate less than two per over), hitting some nice shots in his 15 before the returning Brawn pinned him leg-before. Jeremy Connell also hit two nice fours but his progress was cut short on 10 when he hit the same bowler to Everitt.
Rod Thomson and Ralph Coleman took the total past the 100-mark, Thomson reached 30 from 88 balls faced, a fine effort, before chipping a catch off sixth bowler Gallington; leaving last man Richie Parrett and his acting captain eight overs of batting. They negotiated 6.2 of them and advanced the total to 124; Parrett showed good bravery after getting two beamers from two different bowlers, and crashed a couple of twos; one over point and another back over the bowler’s head that pulled up just short of the line. Moments later, though, he dollied up an easy chance to a close catcher to close the innings.
Brawn was by far the pick of the bowlers with figures of 17.3-7-32-4; but it was a good collective bowling effort where five of the six bowlers used took wickets.
After tea Will Thomson made two early strikes when Van Der Merwe mis-cued a drive to cover where Dad took a decent low catch; and in his next over Everitt edged to Ferreira. 14-2.
Stoke’s first wave of change bowlers Coleman and Connell backed up the good early work from Thomson and Parrett; and Coleman took out Foster and Gay, who both contributed just a single, with successful leg-before shouts; the first a yorker than hit the back foot in front, the second an easy decision after no shot was offered to one that nipped back and would have hit everything, the batsman as good as walking on realising his error of judgement.
Stoke were in charge at 38 for 4; but were unable to remove No.3 Bridgeman who scored 50 of the first 70 runs scored; his only scare being a ball that he jammed down on that rolled back onto the stumps and didn’t dislodge the bails. This aside it was an innings of the highest quality.
Clayton provided a good foil for the well organised Bridgeman, and it would be another 54 runs before Stoke, who used multiple bowling changes to keep everyone fresh, would strike again; Clayton cutting a delivery from Rod Thomson to Amy Page at backward point. Page was excellent in the field, a point not lost on very complimentary opponents. Thomson Snr was into the attack ahead of Alistair McMillan who selflessly suggested others bowl ahead of him due to his recent lack of cricket.
One more wicket and Stoke might have got to a tail, but they never got a sniff as Moncrieffe, far better than a number 7, hit 25 of the remaining 36 runs in quick time to secure victory. Bridgeman walked off 71 not out with ten fours and a six.
Stoke were good in the field, the bowlers generally bowled well to the fields set, and did their best with what resources and runs they had. Better 1st XI availability next week should create a better feed to the 2nd XI, who make the trip to Sinjungrammarians in need of a win to keep themselves in the top half of the table.
Scorecard : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/2804160