Sunday : P2 L2

Sunday 8th July 2018

After the highs of the previous day both Stoke XIs fell to defeat in the Sunday programme, but credit to everyone for making these games happen given other choices of sport this weekend…

Friendly
Stoke D’Abernon 230 for 7 declared (40 overs)
Bank of England 231 for 7 (34.4 overs)
Bank of England won by 3 wickets

The Sunday XI batted first on a warm afternoon and did their best to post a score despite and atrocious over-rate by the opposition, (apart from five overs from one seamer at the start the remaining overs were sent down by spinners at an overall innings rate of just over 14.5 per hour.) The opposition are a great bunch but they have previous at this and did everything to avoid having to chase a score of 260-270 on a good pitch and lightning outfield.

The chance was also missed to appoint a capable No.3 to give the innings the early oomph it needed, and the slow start that saw just 28 runs from the first 10.1 overs proved costly later on. The Finch brothers, (Chris 20, Stephen 38), pushed the score on nicely. Hamza  Hafeez completed his waiting period to play League Cricket with a fine 85 not out from 62 balls faced. Hafeez received help from Carel Ferreira who struck the ball very well to make 42 not out from 27 balls – the pair added 75 in 8.2 overs to give Stoke something to bowl at.

The opposition needed an opener or two to come off or some indifferent bowling and fielding to make a go of chasing down 230 in what would have been just 38 overs back. They got both as Somerville and Thapan went off at tens before they were separated by Hafeez who ran one across the former, Peter Phipps making a nice catch behind the stumps.

The second wicket fell in the 14th over with 91 on the board when Patel walked across a straight one from Geoff Vinall; but the innings run-rate was still over sixes as the mandatory last 20 overs, (from 6.45pm!), were called.

Thapan holed out in the deep to Ralph Coleman off Rod Thomson for 59, and in the next over Vinall took a nice catch off Paddy Wilson to make it 137 for 4; but the opposition had another League player next in skipper Husain and he helped himself – and got a bit of help from a tiring bowling and fielding unit – to a quick fifty.

Jeremy Connell returned to take three late poles including a nice return catch to drag his figures back to 3 for 45 from 6.4 overs; but No.8 Stokes’ quickfire 22 saw the opposition home with 20 balls to spare.

Scorecard : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/3661786

Surrey Trust League
Stoke D’Abernon 191 for 6 (40 overs)
Horsley & Send 193 for 2 (26 overs)
Horsley & Send won by 8 wickets

“Men against boys” was the verdict of skipper Will Thomson who took a compliant development XI including three Trust League debutants to Horsley & Send only to run into an opposition full of League players.

Batting first many most of the Stoke top order got starts but only the top two scorers, Billy Zander, (39), and the skipper, (35 not out), made it past 30 and Stoke only made it up to 191 for 6 in their allotted 40 overs.

In reply the hosts sent out Sean Hunt to give the innings a quick start. In the game at Stoke he was dismissed early, this time around he went on and smashed an unbeaten 120 from 75 balls; adding 77 for the first wicket with Hafiz, (37), and 28 for the second wicket with Trimming who made just 9. These would be Stoke’s only wickets; both to Thomas Dennis who took 2 for 24. The other young bowlers given their chance did well and kept going on a hot day.

No.4 Stewart was only required to make 17 of the remaining 88 required runs, the winning hit made with 14 overs to spare.

Hopefully the younger players will have learned a lot from watching the senior players in the match construct their innings.

Keep an eye out here for details of next Sunday’s scheduled league match against Byfleet that may be subject to change or a changed start time depending on how things pan out in Russia in the week.

Scorecard : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/3339819