Well, what a year at all levels for the Club! As an alternative to our ‘Images from…’ series last year, (which can still be viewed here – http://www.stokecc.co.uk/tag/images-from-2015/), every day we’ll have a look back at the 2016 season.

Here goes:

1 is for 100!
Four centurions this year; Adam De Swardt and Ben Holder made it onto our 100s board, (http://www.stokecc.co.uk/centuries/), for the first time; Andy Page and Alistair McMillan added to their count of tons for the Club.

Ben : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/2629525
Ali : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/2850177
Pagie : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/2804454
Adam : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/2804228

Adam’s late-season effort left him as the 2s leading run-scorer in his first full season for the Club. Add in his wickets and his all-round good blokeness he also won the player vote for the Australia Cup for the best overall contribution to the 2nd XI.

On the 7th May Pagie’s century trended on Twitter. Here is the account of his ton:

@StokeDabernonCC May 7
– Jase has lost the toss but got what he wanted. Stoke 2s to bat at Ripley.
– First ball of the 2s League campaign about to be bowled to Wadey. Pagie at the other end…
– Eventful first, (maiden), over sees Wadey spoon one to square leg who puts it down…
– Pagie runs the first ball he faces through vacant 3rd man for 4 and ends the 2nd over with a 3
– Over 4 starts with a glorious square drive for four by Wadey to get off the mark. Stoke 2s 14-0 (4) Wade 5* Page 9*
– Big four down the leg-side – called byes by home umpire – no doubt about ball #6 though as Wadey is bowled behind his legs for 6. 20-1 (5)
– 26-1 (6) Pagie moves to 14* by cracking one through point for four. Malc drills first ball he faces to fielder along the ground. Good signs.
– 28-1 (8) Page 14* Dickson 2* – Malc off the mark by chipping one over the infield for a couple
– Pagie cracks full toss through the covers for 4. Gets another full-bunger, thins it to the keeper who shells it. 34-1 (10) Page 20* Malc 2*
– Double bowling change sees a few boundaryless overs. 47-1 (15) Page 21* Dickson 7*
– Malc brings up the fifty by running a short ball through the in-field for four. Well judged single ends the 16th. 52-1
– Great 17th yields 12. Straight drive four from Pagie the highlight. Malc runs hard as well. 64-1 Page 30* Dickson 15*
– …and seven off the next to bring up the 50 partnership. 71-1 (18)
– …and ten off the next. 81-1 (19) Page 38* Dickson 24*
– Fifth bowler time and a maiden leaves Stoke’s 2s 82-1 after 21…
– More action. Malc survives a missed stumping. Pagie flashes hard and one flies through the keeper for 4.
– 88-1 (22) Page 43* Dickson 26*
– Sixth bowler strikes in his first over…Malc bowled behind his legs for 26 from one that rolled. 93-2 (24.5) Tom Dennis joins Pagie
– Drinks. 97-2 (25) Page 48* Dennis 1*
– Pagie runs hard to turn a Tom Dennis 2 into a 3 to bring up the 100. More nice shots from TD. 103-2 (27) Page 48* Dennis 7*
– A promising knock from Tom Dennis ends on 13 when he is leg-before to another low one. Pagie completes his half-century. 114-3 (30)
– Adam De Swardt away and hits a nice four then a 3. 31st over goes for 10. Pagie spanks ball one of the 32nd for four. 129-3 Page 57* ADS 9*
– Adam survives a run-out call after Pagie calls him through. Home side gambling by bringing back opener who bowled 7-3-5-1. 138-3 (34)
– Adam picks a slower ball and hits it back over the top for four…but perishes to another one that rolls for 19. 149-4 (36) Page 60*
– Opener Woods now bowled out with 10-3-20-1. Rashid now through 8. 3-29. 158-4 (38) Page 65* Earl 2*
166-4 (40) Page 71* Earl 4*
– Jase sweeps a low full toss over backward square for the first six of the game. 177-4 (42) Page 74* Earl 12*
– Jase skies one and falls to a nice catch on the circle for 14. Batsmen cross and Pagie hits the next for four. 185-5 (44) Page 80* Moumer 0*
– Moumer departs leg-before for a duck. 186-6 (44.4) Page 81* – Carel follows two balls later to another that rolls. 186-7 (45)
– Boundaries for Pagie and Jez in a productive 46th. 198-7 (46) Page 86* Connell 4*
– Almost identical 47th. 209-7 (47) Page 91* Connell 9*
– 220-7 (48) Page 97* Connell 14*
– 223-7 (49) Page on strike batting 98*
– Stoke 2s close on 234-7 (50) Page 103* Connell 21* – 48 scored from the last 5 overs
– Andy Page leads us off after his 103 not out

On the bowling front, probably gone are days when a bowler will take 100 wickets in a season; but there is always an opportunity to pass 100 career wickets. The ever-popular Jase managed this in 2016, his 100th strike coming in a memorable win against Valley End in the Surrey Championship T20 : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/2771956