Saturday 4th August 2018
Travelbag Surrey Championship Division 3 – 2nd XI Competition
Sanderstead 2nd XI 241 for 8 (50 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon 2nd XI 181 all out (43.1 overs)
Sanderstead 2nd XI won by 60 runs
Stoke’s Division 3 status is now on the respirator after losing their way when well set in pursuit of Sanderstead’s slightly above par total of 241 for 8.
Fielding first Stoke put in a committed effort on another warm afternoon though, and created chances at regular intervals. Mike Enslin and Ben Townsend bowled with a lot of heart but found early wickets hard to come by. An opening stand of 87 was finally broken by Jase Earl who pinned Ranger lbw for 55; Duncan Elder locked things down at the other end and was rewarded for his accuracy when Udall dragged on for 28.
Patrick O’Neill, (7-1-26-1), and Alex Clinton struck either side of the first drinks break – good catches by Jack Raimondo and Earl papered over a few cracks in the catching department – as Stoke chipped away at Sanderstead’s order. Clinton, Earl, (9-3-20-3), and Enslin, (1 for 47), added to their counts as the overs started to run out and at 215 for 8 a couple of quick wickets would have left Stoke chasing a par score. Sadly a few runs were leaked at the death leading to a victory target of 242.
After tea Will Thomson, (who kept well and conceded just one bye), and Andy Berry got Stoke off to a flier; adding 64 in 11 overs before Berry was yorked by Robinson for 27. Robinson, (10-0-34-1 in one spell), ran in hard. He was one of a pair of change bowlers who did well to slow things down; the other was Kuckreja who ran one across Thomas Dennis and then picked up Thomson’s wicket for 46, although this owed to a great one handed grab by Ranger behind the stumps when more often than not the ball would have flown to the boundary. 89 for 3.
Clinton and Earl kept Stoke in the hunt with a nice partnership of 52; but the match swung decisively in Sanderstead’s favour as the second drinks break approached and the fifth and sixth bowlers were brought into the attack. Visiting captain Key found Clinton’s edge for 22, then with no addition to the score Earl, who looked little troubled as he reached 28, was adjudged leg before sweeping. An offer to recall the batsman was not forthcoming.
With the asking rate climbing Raimondo and Andy Page fell trying to move things on; O’Neill was leg before and Enslin holed out. Six wickets had fallen for 18 runs, four of them to Key who returned the match’s best figures of 7-1-18-4.
Elder clubbed another 18 in a final act of defiance before Harris, (7.1-1-37-3), ended the match with the best part of seven overs to go, Stoke 60 runs short and now in dire need of help from elsewhere. They need to help themselves first, though, with victory at Streatham & Marlborough next weekend.
Scorecard : https://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/3303339
