Trust League defeat at Old Ruts

Sunday 7th August 2016
Surrey Trust League
Old Rutlishians 280 for 8 (40 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon 158 for 9 (40 overs)
Old Rutlishians won by 122 runs

Match Report by Will Thomson…

Our penultimate Trust League fixture of the season saw a youthful Stoke side run into a well-drilled, more experienced Old Ruts side. Whilst the 122 run loss did show that Stoke still have work to do to compete with some of the bigger clubs, we perhaps deserved more having toiled in the field on a hot day after been asked to bowl first.

Ben Holder and Ed Ashwell opened the bowling, both with exceptional control that saw the score merely 22 for 1 off 7 on a very good batting track with a lightning outfield. Holder, (8-0-29-2), bowled his allocation straight through, however after Ashwell tired, the other end became the source of many runs for Old Ruts.

Initially the new skipper, Thomson, tried to push the ball through, however he came across two very useful batsman in the shape of E. Moore-Admadzie and C.Nelson – the latter having an uncanny resemblance to former-AFC Wimbledon striker Adebayo Akinfenwa.

Jack Townsend was thrown the ball and bowled accurately at first, but it became clear with the success Holder was still having at the other end that spin was the way forward. Having started with a field that ex-Kiwi skipper Brendon McCullum might have been proud of, by this stage it was certainly becoming more of a Cook-esque field.

Old Ruts had accelerated well after leaving the score after 20 overs at drinks 128 for 2, however the next fifteen overs brought some control back to Stoke, with Gluckman, (8-0-40-1), and Spreeth, (8-0-51-1), bowling tightly, but were slightly unlucky with catches going down and the ball racing through the outfield.

Townsend came back and bowled well at the end removing Moore-Admadzie for a well-worked 76. His figures of 8-0-57-1 did not represent how well he bowled as he was unlucky with buzzers flying off the opposition for runs on several occasions.

Stoke were still confident with Old Ruts 202-5 after 34, however the remaining overs saw the ball flying to the fence regularly which perhaps put the match out of our reach. Extras can clearly be identified as one area to work on as we conceded 49 over the course of the innings.

We regrouped at tea and set out with the mind-set that the 280 would always be a difficult chase but with the batsman that we had it was not impossible. Ollie John and Ben Holder put on a very good partnership initially bringing up the 50 partnership in the 13th over, however Holder soon departed for 27 having been run out and was soon followed by Curran, then John for 18.

A good 4th wicket partnership between Alex Clinton and Nico Spreeth saw the score 83 for 3 at drinks, both hitting some shots that were very easy on the eye. Unfortunately Clinton was bowled going for a big shot with the required rate shooting up and Gluckman soon followed.

Michael Dolman came to the crease and somehow burgled 15 runs including a top-edged 6 that was taken by the wind. Ashwell and Jimmy Dolman followed but failed to really trouble the scorer despite both their enthusiasm about chasing 160 off the last 10.

With the score 141 for 9, Townsend, (career best 15 not out), and Thomson, (14 not out), oversaw a good 10th wicket partnership where the former enjoyed his time in the middle and saw it as good practice should he ever be required to block out at the end of a League game. We finished out 158 for 9 well short of our target.

We go again next week with our final Trust League fixture requiring a win over Worcester Park and other results to go our way to go through.

Scorecard : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/2629523