Sunday XI back to Winning Ways

Sunday 21st July 2019
Friendly
Stoke D’Abernon 206 for 6 (40 overs)
Wonersh 117 all out (29.2 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon won by 89 runs

Stoke’s Sunday XI were back to winning ways after last week’s narrow defeat. Wonersh were the successful applicants in response to our advert and they brought a friendly bunch of guys plus an umpire and scorer.

With self-confessed concerns of their depth pre-game discussions led to an indication that Stoke would bat first; Ralph Coleman did his usual and won the toss when it didn’t matter and Malcolm Dickson and Alistair McMillan took strike on a sluggish pitch still feeling the after effects of the recent rain and a game played on it the previous day.

An opening stand of 40 set a nice platform; Dickson, (21 from 38), yorking himself when trying to up the rate. McMillan played nicely for his 31 from 56, taking him to 13500 runs for the Club, before he was caught at the wicket with the total on 76 in the 18th over. Incredibly this would be the last wicket to fall for another seventeen overs.

Ben Townsend was in at No.3 as we continue to apply his obvious batting talent into top order match situations; at the other end Coleman gave himself a game at No.4 given the bowling numbers in the side making it unlikely that he would give himself a go with the ball.

The result was a partnership of 100 from 104 balls; many of them in singles as Coleman’s solitary boundary early doors led to the field being pushed back to restrict the scoring.

Townsend was initially watchful as he got himself in; but worked out his scoring areas, ran hard and went through the gears to complete a chanceless maiden half-century in senior cricket. He faced 75 balls for his runs and managed to find the rope on six occasions, no mean feat as there was little other than keeper and bowler in the circle as the overs ticked over.

Coleman checked out on 39 from 47, (his highest ever score at the Rec exactly 28 years to the day he made his first appearance for the Club), before a few quick wickets were then lost in the closing overs.

Ironically Townsend’s most ferocious shot managed to stick in an outstretched paw at mid-wicket; Rob Butler was bowled unselfishly trying to boost the total; Will Thomson was more successful, clubbing 21 from 11 with the innings’ only six before being bowled off the last ball of the innings with 206 on the board.

After anther awesome Jo tea Stoke initially found wickets as hard to come by as their opponents did. An opening stand of 54 was the result although Geoff Vinall restricted the scoring; and Andy Butler bowled some good deliveries as he continued to feel his way back into cricket.

Vinall took the first when Foster was castled for 18; Duncan Elder produced a seed to make it 60 for 2 when Miller, (34), had his off stump bent back. Vinall, (8-2-20-2), completed his spell with a wicket maiden when McMillan moved well to catch Ward at mid-off.

Other bowlers were given their chance and all did well. Elder, (6-2-22-1), was replaced by Ed Ashwell just after drinks; but by this time the fourth wicket had already fallen when Rob Butler tailed one through Mare’s defences.

Ashwell, (3-0-5-2), was back to his dangerous best; two shatterings of the stumps sandwiched a suicidal run out completed by Vinall in the covers; and it all started to end a bit quickly so Butler Jnr and Ashwell’s spells ended earlier than planned to give McMillan and Rod Thomson a bowl.

Each took a wicket to close the match; McMillan finding a happy purchaser of one of his pies, Thomson Snr doing the rest at gully; then the match ended with a “st Son b Father” as Will T completed a good weekend behind the timbers to secure an 89 run victory in front of a decent crowd who came to watch. The fielding display was good, save for a five run increment to the visitors’ total when the ball hit the helmet.

With no Sunday fixture on the 4th August due to the cycling event, next weekend provides the only opportunity to get a game in for a while, so get your availabilities in and we’ll try and get a couple of games on to satisfy the demand.

Scorecard : https://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/4070081