Strong New Look Oxshott XI defeat Stoke’s Sunday XI

Sunday 23rd April 2017
Friendly
Maori Oxshott 265 for 6 (40 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon 127 for 9 (40 overs)
Maori Oxshott won by 138 runs

Neighbours Stoke and Oxshott met at Steels Lane and in a repeat of last year the home side were giving the majority of their 1st XI a first run out of the season, Stoke’s XI was more geared to a Sunday/2nd XI fixture and the consequences were inevitable.

Nevertheless Stoke were masters of their own downfall as a couple of early missed chances allowed Oxshott to rattle up a lot of runs in the first 25 overs; Goodsell the major beneficiary as a dolly off Toby Tarrant went to ground in the first over, and he would later walk off having completed a century from just 83 balls. The only other strike in this first part of the innings came when Ben Townsend pressured Rose, (28), into a loose shot and Jase Earl made good ground to take the catch.

After Goodsell’s retirement Stoke did well to peg things back; Earl in particular producing an outstanding spell, (6-3-7-3), to collect the wickets of Perry, (34), Schzuber, (22), and Ewart for a duck.

Earl’s wickets surrounded deserved strikes for Thomas Dennis and Moumer Khara. Throw in a good second spell by Townsend who would finish with excellent figures of 7-1-29-1 in comparison to everyone else, (bar Earl who with one final comeback over at the death left him with 7-3-8-3), Stoke walked off in a positive frame of mind, restricting the home side to 265 having stared a much bigger total in the face earlier on.

Hopes that Stoke could make use of the short boundaries and mount a chase never materialised after an excellent tea, though.

Oxshott’s early bowling was as good as its batting; Corbett and Schzeuber gave little away, and the latter castled Malcolm Dickson with just 18 on the board. Andy Berry joined Peter Phipps and the pair doubled the total; but then followed a decent second wave of bowlers who had Stoke five down by the drinks break. Wheeler took out three of them; Berry edging to the keeper standing up, Andy Page, (who kept well), was bowled behind his legs, and Phipps was caught trying to go over the top.

Dennis got a snorter from Cope first up that he did well to jerk his head out of the way of, sadly he touched the rearing delivery to slip; an unjust end to his day after a good spell with the ball and a lot of runs saved in the field.

The bowling was a little lower in quality after drinks allowing Earl and Khara to get some time in the middle; but both were gone by the time 77 runs were on the board; leaving Rod Thomson with the tail. Tarrant pulled a nice four off Hansom before holing out to the same bowler next ball; Townsend gutsed it out before falling to a run-out; and the final pair opted for batting practice, seeing off the last 6.2 overs with an unbroken stand of 25; Thomson compiling a nice 34 not out from 42 balls faced.

History will record this as a sizeable defeat, but it was still an enjoyable day against good friends, and the younger players should take a lot from their contribution.

Next week Stoke currently don’t have a Sunday fixture calendared, but if numbers come forward or those down for Saturday can commit to an extra day to help those who can only play on Sunday, one will be sourced.

Scorecard : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/2917894