Saturday 7th September 2019
AJ Fordham Surrey Championship – 2nd XI competition
Stoke D’Abernon 2nd XI 254 for 5 (50 overs)
Old Emanuel 2nd XI 255 for 8 (42.1 overs)
Old Emanuel 2nd XI won by 2 wickets
Whilst the 1st XI were doing the necessary down in Farnham Stoke’s second string were at The Rec and a difficult season ended with them suffering defeat against an Old Emanuel side that did everything necessary to secure the win.
Sunday 1st September 2019
Friendly
Stoke D’Abernon 160 for 8 (40 overs)
Claygate 158 for 7 (40 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon won by 2 runs
You could forgive home supporters for leaving this one early with the opposition 122 for 2 with two well-set batsmen in and a fast outfield; but Stoke’s bowlers and fielders conjured up a narrow win in an exciting match played in a tremendous spirit.
A big win at The Rec put Stoke’s 1st XI in pole position for a fourth successive promotion.
Stoke were asked to bat first but this was not the worst toss to lose as Max Subba Row, who hit the first ball of the match for four, and James Trower set a good platform by adding 67 off the first 10.5 overs. Subba Row reached 40 off 30 balls faced with eight fours before chipping to mid-on.
Trower departed soon after for 29 when he was leg-before to one that kept a little low; but Shawn Dyson and James Corbishley kept the run rate healthy and moved the total past the 100 mark. A slight wobble saw Dyson held at slip for 24, Alastair Curran depart leg-before next ball and Corbishley leg before sweeping to give the visitors a foothold in the game at 122 for 5; but Ian Hopton and Tom Frost put together a decisive partnership of 87 off 90 to regain control.
An under the weather Hopton played patiently whilst the more expansive Frost took full advantage of anything loose; hitting three sixes and three fours as Dorking struggled for a reliable 5th/6th bowler option; those ten overs costing 65. Both batsmen checked out in successive overs for 35 and 55, (from 46), respectively; leaving a highly competent tail the last seven overs to get as many more as possible. Roddy Kelso, (18), Robbie Blackburn, (17), and Jase Earl, (10 not out), all delivered, lifting the total to 261 for 8.
After tea the League’s leading run-scorer Erasmus eased the first ball of the reply through the covers for four; but he was to add just one more boundary to his count before he was well held by Kelso at mid-wicket for 11 off the bowling of Blackburn. Having scored more than a third of his team’s runs this season, the impact of this dismissal on both sides was clearly evident, but there was still work to do.
Blackburn doubled his count when Rogers served up an easy catch to Corbishley at cover; continuing a frenetic start to the innings that saw the board showing 30 for 2 after just 28 balls; that then became 59 for 3 off 69 as Subba Row showed good hands on the line to give Will Frost his first.
Dyson made it 64 for 4 soon after when dismissing Gale leg before; but he was withdrawn from the attack after just three overs as Stoke’s need to get to the 20-over mark to constitute a game gathered some urgency when things got very gloomy and a big black cloud started to make its way towards the ground.
Subba Row was quickly brought into the attack and in addition to rattling through some overs he also found two edges, one of them off the bat of debutant Rory Wade, son of Stoke’s own Steve.
Frost, (10-2-41-2), bowled his allocation right through and collected the seventh wicket to fall with the score on 91; 20 over mark achieved just in time as three balls later the players fled the field.
The delay in play was shorter than expected and with playing conditions meaning no overs were lost the game resumed as normal less than half an hour later, and it took a similar amount of time to end the match. Earl held a return catch to make it eight down; then Subba Row took the last two wickets to finish with career best figures of 5-2-10-4.
Stoke were worthy winners by 157 runs; nine of the ten batsmen who faced a ball made double figure scores, all five bowlers used took wickets and the bowling quintet didn’t include the team’s leading wicket taker who wasn’t asked to bowl. A real team effort.
So Stoke travel to Farnham next weekend on the verge of something very special. Farnham secured their own status in the division with a win over Sanderstead; but whilst they technically now have nothing to play for it must be remembered that their win over Stoke earlier in the season kick-started their upturn in results that saw them survive.
Scorecard : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/3754847
Peter Phipps, (44), Will Patrick, (56), and Alex Clinton, (31), helped Stoke’s 2nd XI up a total to bowl at but the hosts chased the runs down with nearly thirteen overs to spare.
Ben Townsend took an early wicket; Patrick O’Neill bowled ten economical overs conceding just 27; and four late wickets for Clinton, (3.4-0-25-4), offered much hope for the future; but Stoke were not able to break a second wicket partnership of 160 between Patel, (78), and Harris, (75), early enough.
Stoke now need a win over Old Emanuel next week, and results elsewhere to go their way, to avoid finishing bottom of the table for a second successive season.
Scorecard : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/3754891
Sunday 25th August 2019
Stoke D’Abernon 162 all out (36.5 overs)
Badgers 116 all out (33.2 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon won by 46 runs
With one or two notable exceptions Stoke’s batsmen were indebted to their bowling unit as they turned and under-par score into a winning one at a sun-soaked Stoke Rec.
Going into the last three matches in the knowledge that winning the last three games would make results elsewhere irrelevant; Stoke’s 1st XI completed the first of them by defending an under-par score at The Rec.
Batting first on winning the toss a healthy run rate throughout the innings was maintained but wickets were lost at regular intervals; only James Corbishley, (30), and Alastair Curran, (39) reaching 30; as the innings needed a few re-boots after spluttering to 89 for 5, then 145 for 7. Tom Frost, (15), Robbie Blackburn, (22), and Jase Earl, (13 not out), made useful lower order runs before the innings closed on exactly 200 in just the 44th over.
After tea Stoke’s bowlers stepped up. Will Frost, (10-3-20-2), took out both openers, Shawn Dyson took his 99th and 100th 1st XI League wickets to make it 61 for 4. No stoke bowler with 100 or more 1st XI wickets in the combined Championship and Fuller’s League era has a better strike rate or average.
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Hassan and Wallbank got the visitors close to half-way mark, but used many overs getting there as Billy Zander returned miserly figures of 10-4-8-1; Wallbank was fifth out to Ian Hopton, needing 57 balls to make just 8 as the asking rate climbed.
In the end Sanderstead fell well short. Hopton doubled his count on the way to figures of 10-2-33-2; Max Subba Row took another wicket in a short spell; Dyson, (9-1-40-3), made it nine down before Blackburn castled the last man to complete a 41 run win. All six bowlers used got into the fourth column.
Three wins from three now becomes two wins from two. Dorking are up next. They can’t catch Stoke having been beaten by Chipstead who secured the title by beating them; but Dulwich, Oxted & Limpsfield and Bank of England are all still in the race for second place having secured wins. The latter two play each other next week whilst Dulwich host Worcester Park.
Scorecard : https://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/3754737
Saturday 24th August 2019
AJ Fordham Surrey Championship – 2nd XI competition
Stoke D’Abernon 2nd XI 177 for 9 (50 overs)
Kempton 2nd XI 178 for 7 (39.4 overs)
Kempton 2nd XI won by 3 wickets
Only a win would do for both sides and it was Kempton who emerged victorious after Stoke ground out a par-ish score on a good track but were unable to get through a competent lower order pair. Victory for Ripley now relegates Stoke to Division 5; and only defeats with zero points for Addiscombe and two wins for Kempton would prevent this from being a pair of Division 5 fixtures next year.
Thursday 22nd August 2019
Weybridge Over 40s 130 for 3 (16 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon Over 40s 130 for 9 (16 overs)
Match Tied
We could have made this up but we’re not, honest! A tie last Tuesday and a tie again yesterday evening at The Rec as the Over 40s ended their 2019 season with another last ball thriller.
The OSCAs recognise the hard work thousands of volunteers across Surrey put into the recreational game. An OSCA nomination is a great way for the Surrey Cricket Foundation to say thank you to your volunteers.
Nominees and nominators were invited to attend an event at the Kia Oval on Sunday 18th August on Day 1 of Surrey’s County Championship fixture against Hampshire, and we had success in two categories; details below with a background to each nomination.
JAMES TROWER – WINNER
Young Volunteer 19-25
James joined the club 15 years ago as an Under 9. He progressed through the colts into senior cricket. He was appointed 1st XI skipper in 2016 at the age of 21, leading the team to three successive promotions from Div 5 to Div 2 in the Surrey Championship. He qualified as a Level 2 coach at the age of 18 and he works tirelessly to ensure that the club has an inclusive environment for all ages, levels and abilities of cricketers. Friday night training now sees senior players supporting coaches in each age group. James leads this through a weekly duty rota for all senior players to support different coaching sessions. He works with the 2s, 3s and Sunday skippers to ensure that colts are given the opportunity to shine in senior cricket and he was instrumental in organising the recent ‘Stoke Smash’, when team managers and 1s players played a 16 over match in front of 100 enthusiastic colts. He is a Club man to the core and is a role model for the younger colts; constantly coming up with new ideas to improve the way things are done, both on and off the field. His positive energy is infectious.
ANDY PAGE – Final 4 Shortlist
Lifetime Achiever
In 22 years as a member of the club, Andy has made an enormous contribution. As skipper of the first eleven for 6 consecutive years, (2004-2009), he led the transformation of the team from ageing middle aged men to a group of former colts aged 14-18. In doing this, he secured promotion with a team of teenagers from the Fuller’s League to the Surrey Championship, establishing the platform for today’s ‘grow your own players’ policy. At the same time, he skippered the Surrey Trust League team, using it as an additional vehicle for colts development. He subsequently managed the Club’s very successful Ladies team for 5 years, the most famous export being Natalie Sciver. In 2013, he joined forces with the chairman to re-design the clubhouse and make it fit-for-purpose for life inthe Surrey Championship. The Chairman led the fund-raising process and as a practicing chartered surveyor, Andy project-managed the £250,000 build in 2015, refusing to charge the Club for his time. Today, he remains on the Committee in charge of facilities and he continues to play 2s, Sunday and midweek cricket. To many members, he is known as the man who modernised the Club.
Thanks to Drew for the images of JT, (between between Gus Atkinson and Stuart Meaker); and Pagie who was always going to struggle to win because of his age and tenure, (the winner has 62 years’ service to one club under his belt), but our sources say he was incredibly touched and quite emotional. It was a big deal for his family who were also in attendance!
Details of other categories and awards can be found here : https://twitter.com/SurreyCricketFd
We were pleased to have a call from our friends at Chessington in response to our advert; a couple of our Saturday 2nd XI matches have resulted in last over finishes in recent times and the Sunday sides served up another.
Firstly a massive thanks to Hoppy for getting a pitch playable when the overnight deluge put the game in doubt. The start time was put back to 2.30pm but an efficient opposition were out there ready to start ten minutes early to make use of the very bowler friendly conditions.
Moumer Khara and Malcolm Dickson were leg before ahead the official start time; and soon after Deepak Malhotra became Stuart Jnr’s third wicket when he was bowled having looked good for his 17. Geoff Vinall knocked his new bat in with a four and a six before falling to an excellent catch at cover.
With Stoke being in a bit of a hole at 44 for 4 Rod Thomson toughed it out and found some support from Rob Butler who made it to 13 before being given out by his brother. The remaining ball of the over saw Stephen Finch lift the bowler back over his head for four, but sadly this would be his only scoring shot as he was unable to keep down a square cut in the next. Aarav Malhotra didn’t find the alien batting conditions to his liking and chipped a pie to the keeper as the opposition opened things up; and at 98 for 7 Stoke needed a few more which with some sociable game management the opposition kindly obliged.
Thomson continued to grind it out; and Andy Butler connected with a few. The former checked out for a gritty 27; the latter swotted a few more fours as he ran out of partners, being last out for 21 off the first ball of the last over delivered by the returning Stuart Jnr who finished with the match’s best figures of 6.1-1-16-4.
139 all out. Four an over on the pitch was something to bowl at, but Stoke had to bowl well.
Having missed out the previous day Aarav Malhotra quickly made his point, maintaining a great line to a left-hand/right-hand opening combination. At the other end the captain sprayed it like an unguarded hose but got the first wicket when he surprised the batsmen – and himself – with a full and straight one having started with two wides and followed it up with three long hops. Not a great tone to set and Geoff Vinall was quickly on.
Vinall bowled one side of the wicket and got one through No.3’s defensive prod; Malhotra Jnr the got a wicket he fully deserved in the last over he was permitted to bowl by age when the other opener was adjudged leg before by his teammate. Replacement bowler Andy Butler took out No.4 with a full delivery and Stoke were into it 30-40-ish for 4.
With so many bowlers in the side spells were kept short and the buy in from all the bowlers to this approach was much appreciated. The caveat was if any bowler looked like running through the order they could stay on; Khara threatened to do this at every turn, running the ball across the batsmen, and how the No.5 Tharumanayagam didn’t edge one into keeper Kevin Morgan’s gloves will forever remain a mystery. Morgan did another great job behind the timbers.
No.6 Newson did fall to that combination, but Tharumanayagam was going well and was moving Chessington ever nearer the finishing line.
Rob Butler took two in two to get Stoke back into it, but Tharumanayagam’s plan to get a boundary an over with the asking rate pushing fives was clear to see and he was generally successful; when not he was given a little extra help with a number of wides and no-balls – 43 extras would ultimately come back to hurt Stoke.
Khara, (7-1-19-1), made way for the return of Malhotra Jnr and we also discovered we had a player who could keep calm under pressure at the death as well. Having created two chances to remove Tharumanayagam that went begging, he then got his man for 36 with a straight one that kept low.
With 20 needed off the last four overs or two wickets to get things still could have gone either way. Butler Jnr, (7-1-30-3), castled No.10 but the over contained more extras. The No.11 was better than a No.11 – possibly listed there having done so well with the ball earlier – so there was still work to do.
Vinall came back for the penultimate over and dotted things down; Malhotra Jnr had just four to play with going into the last and did everything he could off the first four balls before the fifth was squirted through the covers to close out an absorbing contest.
Well done to everyone for making this game happen, and to Jo to another excellent tea. It was also nice to see George and Olli Nunn pop in to catch up with everyone having joined the ranks last weekend.
There is more cricket at Stoke on Thursday as the Over 40s have a return match against Weybridge after last week’s tie. Please make every effort to get down, cheer the team on and have a beer or two.
As for next weekend, get your availabilities in and we’ll source another home fixture.
Scorecard : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/4076586
