Sunday XI win at Chipstead

Sunday 2nd August 2020
Friendly
Chipstead Coulsdon & Walcountians 181 for 5 (40 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon 183 for 6 (36.1 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon won by 4 wickets

Not quite enough numbers for two Sunday games this week, confirmed when a few guys were needed for Saturday, but we secured an excellent fixture and sent a nicely balanced XI to Chipstead with one debutant and a couple more making their first appearances after a longer than anticipated hibernation.

Will Thomson took charge and did a great job other than losing the toss and committing the side to a fielding stint on a warm afternoon, but the team did well.

Andy Butler put in one of his best performances in Stoke uniform; maintaining a fullish length and running the ball across the openers several times. Brother Rob got good overs into his legs at the other end and struck first when Parmenter chipped to square leg and Reino Kusel showed good hands on his first appearance. Kusel’s day nearly got better when the very first ball he bowled created a difficult slip chance that didn’t go to hand.

The run rate barely ticked over two per over in the first hour, the pressure told and Chipstead were four down for 46 when opener Howard – who toughed it out against the Butlers – hit Ralph Coleman’s second ball tamely to mid-off; then Paddy Wilson took a brace, castling Boosey and picking up J.Whittenbury when the captain moved from behind the timbers to claim a dismissal rather than risk a caught & bowled going to ground.

Vinnie Peters was given a turn with the ball next. He was ring-rusty in his three over spell but did pick up the wicket of Farrington who was held at the wicket after the ball hit just about everything on the way through.

67 for 5 and some game management needed, here.

A total of nine bowlers were used; and the next pair batted the remainder of the innings, putting a unbroken partnership of 114 together to close the innings at 181 for 5. Home skipper Lane made the most of a tight stumping call early in his knock to make 74, Kriess made 38; maybe the pair could have gone harder earlier with a League batsman next in and ending up having severe pad rash. He would bowl, though.

So 182 in 40 overs is one of those mid-ranking scores you either stroll on a good pitch or make a dog’s dinner of. Stoke got a great start when Justin Jones and Moumer Khara set up camp at their respective ends and smashed 50 in the first seven overs before Jones, (28), fended a surprise bouncer to the cordon.

Khara, (27), departed soon after to a catch by the same fielder, (60 for 2), but this fast start allowed Rod Thomson and Kevin Morgan the chance to play themselves in. By the 16th over the total reached 74 where Morgan’s progress was cut short courtesy of a leg-before decision.

This brought son in to bat with father and a partnership of 77 either side of drinks put Stoke in a position of dominance as the home side, possibly a bowler short on reflection, struggled to find an answer. A big playing area lends to lots of gaps and Thomson Jnr reached his half-century with a nice sweep to add to his eleven fours.

The father/son century partnership was do-able with enough runs left to chase; but the pair were separated with the total on 151 when son was bowled for 52. Father continued to accumulate runs at the effective rate and made his highest score since the day England won the World Cup, checking out on 35. 157 for 5.

A bit of work still to do and a few unknown quantities in the rest of the order led to a few butterflies. Peters hit a nice four but was out soon after; however Stoke had the luxury of Rob Butler lower down the order than normal and he became the perfect finisher; swotting three into the trees, but as they were inside the boundary he only got four for each shot.

Kusel hit one nice four to take Stoke to the brink, and in a bit of an anti-climax, the winning runs came from a fast fall fired down the leg-side that beat the keeper and a diving fine leg to go for four byes.

An excellent afternoon and thanks to Chipstead for offering us the fixture and preparing an excellent pitch.

We have a few games to map sides for this and next Thursday; plus another full weekend programme. Get your availabilities in ASAP, please as it’s going to be a job working everything out!

Scorecard : https://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/4133384