1st XI Win at Hampton Wick Royal

Saturday 13th May 2017
Travelbag Surrey Championship Division 4
Hampton Wick Royal 196 for 9 (50 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon 197 for 4 (36 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon won by 6 wickets

An efficient ‘put in, restrict and chase’ mission at Bushy Park saw Stoke’s 1st XI take maximum points and become one of four sides with two wins out of two in the division.

The second over of the match was bowled by new acquisition Shawn Dyson, and he wasted no time in opening his account when he trapped Ahmed leg-before for a single with his very first ball for the Club; then four balls later No.3 I.Tong chipped to Tom Frost in the gully having hit the first two balls he faced for four. 10 for 2.

After these early trades the pace of the game slowed as O’Mahoney and home captain Rashid saw off Toby Tarrant, Dyson and some of first change James O’Gorman’s overs. The fourth bowler in the attack, Ian Hopton, benefited from the pressure applied and picked O’Mahoney up for 24, (just seven scoring shots in 46 balls faced including one off a free-hit), in the 17th over, well caught in the deep by Dyson. 46 for 3.

Again the home side dug in. Rashid and Davies made steady progress, taking the total past the 100-mark. Rashid punished a bad ball if it came his way, but he was locked down by Will Frost and Kane Fullalove who were introduced as a double-change after drinks, and they would both bowl their ten over allocations through in one spell.

The pressure they created for each other brought its rewards. After reaching his fifty, Rashid charged at Frost Jnr, missed and was easily stumped by James Whitmarsh. 110 for 4 was soon 119 for 5 when No.6 Anis hit a Fullalove delivery to Frost Snr at point and departed for just 7.

No.4 Davies was not given the chance to establish any rhythm to his or his team’s batting as Frost Jnr, (10-2-26-1), and Fullalove, (10-0-44-3…but 7-0-19-2 at one point), formed the shape of the match. Each time Davies thought about kicking on he lost a partner. Berry chipped to O’Gorman at mid-wicket, G.Tong edged to Whitmarsh standing up, (both wickets to Fullalove), and the returning Dyson, (9-2-33-3), castled Tughral to leave the hosts on 163 for 8.

An untidy last few overs littered with wides, (24 in all were sent down during the innings), saw Davies and No.10 Janjua lift the total to 196 for 8 at the close of the innings, but it looked below par as the pitch played well. Davies walked off unbeaten on 58 but had taken 88 balls to make the first 44 of them, and he only found the boundary six times. Whitmarsh kept a clean sheet.

After a typically excellent Hampton Wick Royal tea; Jack Raimondo opened with Hopton. Raimondo hit two nice fours before Anis uprooted one of his stumps, and by the end of the tenth over James Trower was also back in the pavilion having mis-cued one off the same bowler to mid-off. It was 32 for 2, most of the runs to Hopton who was solid in defence yet made full use of anything loose.

O’Gorman joined Hopton and the pair moved Stoke to a great position ahead of the drinks break with a stand of 72 in just 14 overs. O’Gorman got an early life and made full use of his reprieve, making a fluent 31 before, for the second week running, he found a curious way to go.

Whitmarsh came in next and carried on the momentum, (initially Hopton struggled for strike although he did pass 50), cracking 31 of his own of 27 balls with four fours and a huge straight six off Tughral. In a real ‘Back to the Future’ moment in 2006, on the same ground, the same batsman, (then a day short of his 13th birthday), planted the same bowler over his head one bounce for four…in a 1st XI League fixture.

Whitmarsh eventually fell to G.Tong, leg-before trying to sweep, but at 148 for 3 with nearly 20 overs left, Stoke were well ahead on all D/L calculations, WASPs and all local opinions, a decent sprinkling of spectators arriving late as the sun eventually came out for good.

Dyson came next and in partnership with Hopton the match was over just 34 balls later. As the urgency to get to the finishing line increased a few chances were offered but none were taken by an unusually butter-fingered fielding unit.

Hopton made the winning hit to take his personal contribution to 86 not out, (98 balls, 13×4, 1×6); Dyson walked off unbeaten on 26 from just 16 having hit three fours and a nice straight six of his own.

Although the defeat was administered with 14 overs to spare, it was nice to see both sides stay back a while afterwards rather than head back to HQ for the last section of what turned out be an exciting 2nd XI game.

Next week one of the four above-mentioned 100% records will go as Stoke travel to Old Hamptonians who have also won their first two.

Scorecard : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/2898731
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Hopton and Dyson v Hampton Wick Royal