Friday 8th July 2016
T20 Friendly
East Molesey River Pirates 121 all out (18.5 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon 122 for 1 (18.4 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon won by 9 wickets
Why does Stoke D’Abernon Cricket Club have such a good reputation and why do people join us, stay with us and recommend us? This match was the classic example.
Firstly there was a will on Stoke’s part to play a match when others would have given up. Stoke were in a surprisingly unusual situation that holidays and other commitments meant they did not have enough age-group players to play the intended Under 19 T20 Blast fixture. By coincidence last week East Molesey were in the same situation, unable to raise a side against Chessington and those clubs agreed to re-arrange that match at a later date. Applying this precedent, we did the same and agreed a postponement; but in lieu Stoke were still able to raise a friendly side consisting of those under the age of 19 who were available, (note we haven’t said ‘Under 19s’ here), with some senior assistance to complete an XI.
OK so Stoke had the 1st XI, 2nd XI and Sunday Captains in their side, plus a 1s player in need of a hit after recent lack of game-time, but look at the scoreboard before drawing any conclusions as to why this match was won at a canter. None of these four players bowled or faced a ball in the match, and one kept wicket, (for the first time in his career), to allow others a chance with the ball and let Under 19 captain Giacomo Gray have the chance to direct operations from the circle rather than from behind the timbers. Stoke’s umpire was also a member of the Under 19 squad, kindly standing as he is currently incapacitated with a hand injury.
So the cricket. Gray was one of a few caught in the Hampton Court Flower Show traffic, so James Trower went to the middle, did his usual and consigned Stoke to a session in the field on a warm, sunny evening.
Oscar Jensen and Nico Spreeth took on five of the difficult ‘power play’ overs and both did well. Plenty of dot balls. Spreeth picked up the first wicket when Probert played back to one he should have played forward to and was leg-before.
The change bowlers were less economical, but very successful. Jack Townsend bowled numbers 3, 4 and 2 in his first spell; and younger brother Ben got more valuable experience and helped himself to a couple of wickets; including top scorer with the bat Talbot who mis-pulled a rare short ball to Freddy Zander at mid-wicket.
Alex Clinton got another taste of senior cricket and didn’t disappoint. Bowling a good line he forced Ingram to toe-end one to Trower at mid-wicket; but this was merely the entrée as he later moved quickly to a ball hit to him at mid-off and beat the batsman with a direct hit.
Ben Townsend, still learning on the job but learning very fast, castled No.8 Clissfold the ball after the same batsman had hit him for four; and the closing overs were shared by Jensen, Spreeth and Zander. Jensen dried up the runs, and the other two each took a wicket each to close the innings on 121 in the 19th over; a total boosted by 31 extras, (29 of them wides), but no byes were conceded by rookie keeper James Corbishley.
Stoke’s over-rate was good, the older heads making sure everyone got around between overs quickly; so the chase started in some lovely early evening sun.
Spreeth and Zander opened the batting and gave Stoke the perfect start. Spreeth made use of the fielding restrictions, allowing Zander time to build an innings. On and on the pair went; 46 off 6, 66 off 10 and 78 off 11.5 before Spreeth was forced to retire on 51. He faced 40 balls for his runs and hit eight fours.
Gray kept the run rate healthy; his 13 including back to back fours off Smith, the second one pictured here…
…but he was to fall leg-before to the same bowler for 13 in the 16th over with 18 runs still required.
Stoke could easily have promoted one of the seniors to finish the job but sent Jensen in to join Zander. Clinton was also down to go in next; but he never got the chance as Zander and Jensen knocked off the remaining runs required without further loss; Jensen providing the ‘you are the umpire’ question of the evening when he stroked the winning hit through the covers but had completed the single required to win the game before the ball reached the rope.
Having made his Stoke career best score the previous evening, Zander comfortably improved on that, walking off unbeaten on 40 from 54 balls faced.
The players had a chat in the changing room afterwards but it was far from a hair-dryer. This match was won as a result of the contributions of by the younger players, all bar two nowhere near the “Under 19” age-bracket, and one or two pointers on how the margin of victory could have been much greater were put forward and, (hopefully), taken on board.
East Molesey’s generosity to re-play the T20 Blast encounter rather than claim the win means Stoke are in a great psychological position for when that fixture is replayed.
Stay tuned for details of the revised date and venue.
Scorecard : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/2850702