Tag Archives: Ben Townsend

Sunday Round Up : Three matches!

Sunday 28th July 2019

Excellent availability, and most importantly received early in the week, allowed us to source two great fixtures…and in the end we played three matches! An early call could be made to secure a fixture at our friends from Sutton, and later in the week Thames Ditton binned off their original opposition when an advert for a game at the Rec was placed; technically a re-match but none of the Stoke XI that played at Giggs Hill Green a few weeks ago were in Duncan Elder’s side.

Home Friendly – Match 1
Thames Ditton 91 all out (18.2 overs)

Stoke D’Abernon 92 for 4 (13 overs) Read more





1st XI beaten by the Weather / 2nd XI beaten by Kingstonian

Saturday 27th July 2019
AJ Fordham Surrey Championship
Stoke D’Abernon v Chipstead Coulsdon & Walcountians
Match abandoned without a ball bowled

The Rec was unable to beat the overnight deluge and an early call was made to call off the 3rd v 1st contest between Stoke and Chipstead. The visitors retain a 39 point gap from Stoke; and at the time of going to press there was no news of results for 2nd placed Bank of England or others with an eye on the promotion places, notably Dorking and Dulwich. Read more

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. Read more

2nd XI Draw at Old Emanuel

Saturday 6th July 2019
AJ Fordham Surrey Championship – 2nd XI competition
Stoke D’Abernon 2nd XI 267 for 8 (55 overs)
Old Emanuel 2nd XI 223 for 8 (50 overs)
Match Drawn – ‘Winning Draw’ to Old Emanuel 2nd XI

Stoke’s 2nd XI were left to settle for a losing draw after posting a good total on a benign pitch at Blagdons. To have the opposition eight down after their fast start to the chase was a credit to their stickability. Read more

Sunday Cricket : Two Wins. One run feast, one feast of insanity

Sunday 30th June 2019
Famine to feast again on the availability front and we had numbers to play two Sunday fixtures this weekend, thus avoiding the difficult decision of having to tell a handful of people that they had no game. Plans were hastily changed when the original opposition called an hour after the second fixture was booked to say they couldn’t raise a side; but we found a replacement opposition well known to us selected the sides accordingly.

To say the afternoon was a success was an understatement…

Home Friendly
Stoke D’Abernon 211 for 7 (40 overs)
Hampton Hill 97 all out (29.3 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon won by 114 runs

President Finch looked after matters at HQ and got first use of the pitch used for the previous day’s league match. It still played well and encouraged the batsmen to do the same.

Malcolm Dickson and Alistair McMillan opened the batting, (for the first time this season – a feature on these two will come on a slow news day), but both were gone with 28 on the board.

This provided an early opportunity for Thomas Dennis to get some valuable time in the middle, and he didn’t disappoint, making 54. He lost Neil Foster, (27), along the way; but the run rate remained healthy as the captain continued his great form with 51; Richard Harris chipped in with an unbeaten 30 and others unselfishly gave away their wickets in the pursuit of quick runs. Stoke closed on 211 for 7.

In reply the opposition, who had advertised themselves as weak when the fixture was agreed, never really got going and fell away to 97 all out; but this was as much a credit to the Stoke bowling and fielding. The first five bowlers used all took wickets; Carel Ferreira, (2 for 8), McMillan, (2 for 20), and Rod Thomson, (5-3-9-1), shared the first five.

Chris Finch returned from injury and collected his second best ever bowling figures in his 404th appearance when taking 3 for 11 in four overs. Dennis effected a run out and Rory Harris completed the win by castling No.11. Thanks to Carel for sourcing Louis Lecornu to complete the XI – he was afforded three overs towards the end to make sure everyone had a chance to contribute.

A great afternoon’s work…but this was merely the entrée…

Scorecard : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/4063539

Away Friendly Read more





Great Effort by the Sunday XI

Sunday 23rd June 2019
Friendly
Chiswick 229 for 7 (40 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon 213 for 7 (40 overs)
Chiswick won by 16 runs

After Saturday’s League games attention turned to the friendly side of the programme and after a nice chat Chiswick were chosen from those who answered our advert looking for a weaker opposition; we pitched at that level after a couple of defeats last week and a few senior heads away this.

When the first few members of the opposition arrived, all seemed to be set up nicely, then things took a curious turn when the remainder – and majority – were from their Trust League team that contained Middlesex county players and one who had played for Surrey 2nd XI last year. Apparently the Trust game was called off and a chunk of the side originally selected was stood down.

So another ‘League’ game took place and Stoke managed their bowling resources accordingly. Geoff Vinall and Mashood Naeem bowled tidily until opener Sykes took sixteen from one over. Imran joined in the fun and at 57-0 Ben Townsend was given the call. His first was driven nicely for four by Ahmed but the next saw the off-stump bent back. With No.3 Redfern uncomfortable with Townsend’s pace, Stoke went back into friendly mode having made their point. Rory Harris got more overs into him and for the second day running should be pleased with his contribution.

Paddy Wilson was on the field for the first time this season and settled into a nice rhythm. Sykes had reached 65 but couldn’t resist charging at him and was duly stumped by by Rod Thomson who did a great job behind the timbers at short notice.

Redfern departed soon after when he was given caught at the wicket off Andy Butler by his teammate, but the bowlers and fielders stuck to their task and kept the run-rate in check despite Eyre relieving sone of his boredom with some boundaries. The result was a second wicket for Wilson, (8-0-41-2), and a first of two in a comeback spell for Naeem who castled Gandhi.

The total reached 200 when Naeem, (8-1-40-2), picked up the wicket of Eyre, (67 with 14 fours), to a well judged catch by Townsend; Wilson’s extended spell meaning debutant Rob Butler, (brother of), only got the chance to bowl at the death; but he did well having had no cricket since last year and snicked off the visiting captain – and probably their best player if a nice straight six was anything to go by – off the last ball of the innings.

To restrict the opposition to 229 for 7 on a good pitch was a great a effort.

With no volunteers to open with Malcolm Dickson, Ralph Coleman suited up and the chase commenced after Jo delivered tasty supplies. Dickson cashed in on anything loose; and with Coleman nudging the ball around a tidy opening stand of 55 at close on 5 per over formed a nice platform; ended when Coleman was unable to miss the man at mid-wicket.

Stoke fell a little behind the rate after that and lost three more wickets before drinks. Dickson’s knock of 44 with nine fours ended when he was caught by, effectively, a substitute fielder, (we were happy for the opposition to use all twelve players they brought…but ‘sub’ didn’t get a chance to bat or bowl – thanks for coming); Saud Ahmed was given leg before and Thomson was bowled.

Townsend and Rob Butler rebuilt things with a nice stand of 41, and this was enough for the opposition to press the panic button a little early and continue to keep League bowlers on. Townsend had constructed a nice 28 before being caught trying to go over the top; this then left Vinall with the uncomfortable prospect of facing the aforementioned Surrey 2s bowler who took exception to being hit for back to back fours and reverted to his traditional run up that more or less started from the sight screen.

All the Stoke players dealt with this far better than the keeper did, and having failed to bowl little if anything on the stumps his afternoon ended after just three overs; although his replacement – another Middlesex academy bowler – was more than decent for a social Sunday game.

Rob Butler played very nicely for his 29 before holing out looking for a sixth boundary. Vinall followed for 11 soon after when one kept a little low and went through his ‘defences’ and the the game was in danger of petering out as more Trust League standard bowling was deployed.

With Stoke more or less needing snookers, finally the match broke out into something more like what was agreed midweek; Andy Butler, (36 not out with a six and five fours), and Wilson, (18 not out with three fours and a five courtesy of overthrows from the Surrey 2s guy), put together an entertaining unbroken partnership of 60 to close the innings on 213 for 7; sixteen short but in many respects it felt like a win and the collective sense of pride in how we played the hand we were dealt could not be understated.

Next week normal Sunday service should be resumed when Old Ashfordians come to The Rec. If numbers are good, (possible with schools breaking), we will source an additional fixture.

Scorecard : https://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/4061812