After the last round of League matches the players made it back to base from various parts of the county to celebrate the end of the League campaign that saw the 1st XI remain in Division 1 after their first ever season at that level; the 2nd XI and newly formed 3rd XI both secured promotion. To complete the senior representation there was also a full programme of Sunday XI and Over 40s fixtures…in short a record number of senior competitive games played this year.
Sunday 3rd October 2021
Friendly
Wraysbury 202-14 (35 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon 198-11 (35 overs)
Wraysbury won by 4 runs
This one will take a bit of explaining but stay with us!
Firstly the thirst to continue the season resulted in an initial pool of 15 players available so an advert was placed. At one point only a Saturday fixture came on to the table, (good job we didn’t have enough as the deluges would have made that a non-starter), but we did get a call for a Sunday fixture from our friends at Wraysbury. Not all 15 were available come team announcement and we were indebted to Chris Finch for coming good, Justin Jones bringing his son along for a senior debut, and then Khalid Harris redirecting after his own wandering side’s match was called off first thing.
Sunday 5th September 2021
Friendly
Kingstonian 196 all out (35.1 overs)
Stoke D’Abernon 176 all out (39.4 overs)
Kingstonian won by 20 runs
Finally some sun. Stoke and Ks played out an enjoyable match on an excellent pitch.
In the field first having lost the toss Stoke picked up early wickets when Arren Sachania threw the stumps down to run out the first, then he made a one-handed grab in the covers to make it 12 for 2. The successful bowler was late call up Sameer Khara.
The third meeting between these sides of the season and with the series standing at one each Kevin Morgan assembled a strong side that played well against an opposition that had ability too.
On a warm evening Stoke were out in the field first and a high octane start saw three wickets fall in the first four overs for 33, two to Carel Ferreira – one courtesy of a good catch at cow by Andy Page – and the other to Geoff Vinall. It was nearly four but Justin Jones was unable to pull off what would have been a sensational catch at deep square.
The home side built a couple of nice partnerships but the run rate didn’t spiral out of control due to good work by Mark Christie and Stephen Finch. Page took the next when Heather swung from the hip once too often.
The fielders then swapped for the second batch of ten overs from the other end that required careful protection of an incredibly short leg-side boundary, (arguable the 30 yard discs may have been further away had they been set out); and Stoke did well. Rod Thomson took a wicket with his first ball – Jones again in the action time clinging on to a worldy in the ‘deep’ that had good hang time. Ralph Coleman took an over to find his range but eventually did and picked up a couple more, one well held by Mark Christie. There was time for Ferreira to chase round the boundary and effect a run out off the penultimate ball; home skipper Roberts scooped the last for two to post a potentially challenging 146 for 8.
Despite the small boundary on one side this would be a tricky target, particularly with “retire at 25” in play; so don’t lose wickets and end up leaving it to the tail was the mission. Mission accomplished.
Until Malcolm Dickson was first out in what would be the final over, the first four Stoke batsmen to leave the field all retired on exactly 25; Jones and Moumer Khara added 50 in 6.1 overs to give the chase the perfect start. Page and Ferreira made full use of the short boundary and made their combined 50 runs from just 27 balls faced; thus allowing Dickson, (24), and Christie to knock it around.
Dickson missed the chance to make the winning hit when he hit a full toss from long-time Stoker Sandy Henderson to square leg; Vinall punched a single from the only ball he would face to leave Christie the honour of finishing the match.
Great fun had by all and – as we do – continued discussions into the night over a few beers. A good workout for many ahead of their important league matches on Saturday.
Scorecard : https://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/4945744
After last week’s Sunday XI match was ended early by the rain the biblical that hit the Stoke Rec on Saturday evening put this one under threat as well, but a combination of Saturday’s mop up, George’s good work and a clear morning meant the ground was fit for play.
With Putney involved in cup action they were on the lookout for two away fixtures and we were able to offer them a solution to one of them, and they made it down by road and rail to play out a good natured fixture.
Stephen Finch won the toss and chose to bat. With the unknown quantity of the opposition he also chose to keep it real and sent out Alistair McMillan and Moumer Khara. Good job that he did as opening bowler Asokan found conditions to his liking and the pair used all their skill to see off most of his seven over allocation; Khara falling in the sixth of them for 20 with the total on 34, and moments later with the addition of a rare wide, (from him), Rob Butler shouldered arms only to hear the death rattle.
McMillan and Mihin Sugeeswarran ground it out and aided by a generous helping of extras from the other bowlers, (the extra balls yielded many runs), the pair batted beyond drinks, adding 93 at better than a run-a-ball.
On hearing it was a 35 over contest and not a 40:40 at the drinks break McMillan raced to 50. One milestone reached but he checked out on 55, a few runs short of 14000 career beans.
Sugeeswarran followed soon after for a nicely constructed 31; but Carel Ferreira, (13 from 13), and Rod Thomson, (20 from 16), found the change bowling to their liking and Stoke were soon to pass what was considered to be a par score.
Their dismissals allowed for short knocks from Tim Edwards and Finch; Stoke closed on 184 for 6, a total reached with 32 extras.
After the opposition loaded up with food and drink from the bar they took strike needing a fast start to get ahead of the rate. Andy Butler and Ralph Coleman denied them this, the latter jagging one through opener Dolleymore as he looked to drive one on the up. Butler Snr battled a neck injury to help push up the asking rate.
Change bowlers Arman Zaheen and Sugeeswarran carried on the good work, and should be pleased with their contributions with the bar of soap like ball they had to work with. After seeing two chances go to ground Zaheen did get something for his efforts after drinks; and as the asking rate climbed further, so did the rate at which wickets fell.
Thomson took two, the second of which followed a run out effected by Khara; after that the captain took over and save for a solitary strike by Butler Jnr in the only over he would bowl, he carved through the lower order and the tail.
Having snicked off the opposition’s probable last hope – a great catch standing up by Ferreira – he then held a juggling return catch at the umpteenth attempt to end No.3 Qayyum’s long vigil, (innings top score of 45), and he would end the match with two in two, 10 & 11 castled to complete a 65 run win; his figures of 6.4-0-24-4 were his best return since August 2004 when he took 5 for 40 in a tied game against Long Ditton : https://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/349828
It may be a week or so before he gets to deliver that hat-trick ball, but assuming others are around to replace him next weekend another fixture will be sourced.
Scorecard : https://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/4949461
If you look at this scorecard in the future it could come across as a pretty straightforward restrict and chase mission, but Stoke worked hard for this one on a very hot afternoon.
In the field first having lost the toss Andy Butler and Jack Thomson did some good work with the new ball, opener Doherty taking the aggressive option where possible on a sluggish surface and large outfield that made boundary hitting difficult.
First change Arman Zaheen ended an opening stand of 50 when Andy Butler yelled loudest and took a good catch on the circle, then Ralph Coleman got one through Doherty, (38), to slow the scoring.
Mihin Sugeeswarran and captain Stephen Finch maintained the pressure, the former picked up a deserved wicket that preceded two more for the returning Thomson who bowled better than his final figures of 8-0-41-2. 100 for 5 at the 29 over mark, and it was 116 for 6 soon after when Alistair McMillan had a leg before decision answered in the affirmative.
A seventh wicket partnership of 42 between Puttock and former Stoke player Gary Mason, (a two appearance career in 2007 where scored 78 and 67), threatened to post an above par score. Rob Butler picked them both up, bowled for 49 and caught at the wicket by Neil Douglas respectively; and after his brother returned to the attack, bowled two good death overs and was unlucky to not get anything for his efforts; Stephen Finch took a catch in the covers off the last ball of the innings to give Butler Jnr figures of 3 for 28 from just four overs.
So 168 to win; make a solid start, don’t fall behind the rate and preserve wickets would be the best way to go about this.
Alistair McMillan and Arren Sachania set the perfect platform; ticking off the runs over by over. McMillan had a couple of lives, notably one that saw a return chance one end the opening bowler’s afternoon, although he would continue as a fielder and the ball followed him for the next hour or so.
After reaching a partnership of 56 by the mid-point of the 16th over McMillan went through the gears and it was 91 for no loss in the 22nd before he was stumped for 59.
No.3 Thomson played nicely to take the total to 140 before he was one of three consolation wickets for Skidmore, the the ninth bowler used; Thomson was bowled trying to nudge a 12th run, Neil Douglas was unfortunate to fall to a return catch, and Rick Mustill, in his first appearance since September 2017 – great to see him back on the field – was bowled off just about everything.
There was time for Rob Butler to make the winning hit, but Sachania walked off to the greatest applause; having made his maiden half century the day before he improved on his personal best, finishing unbeaten on 57, an innings of great patience that saw just three fours as the home side did everything to prevent boundaries.
A highly welcoming opposition then put on a BBQ for everyone, and pretty much everyone stayed back to talk through the afternoon’s events. It’s been a while since a Stoke side has visited this venue, hopefully the wait to return will not be as long.
Scorecard : https://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/4942277
A second defeat in as many days to the same club but credit to both sides for staying out to finish this one as the rain came in in the closing overs.
Stoke fielded first this time. Rod Thomson struck first when Stiff, the only survivor from the previous day on the visitors’ side, missed a full one and was sent packing by a young volunteer umpire. Geoff Vinall then added another to his count when Evans dragged on.
Moumer Khara and Mark Christie shared the next four overs, each taking a wicket; and with Cronje retiring at 25, (he would return later to strike a decisive blow), Stoke suddenly had the middle and lower order lined up.
This presented opportunities with the ball for Martin Bednall and Reino Kusel. Both were a little short of bowling in the middle and Vaughan, (19), and Harp, (retired on 28), got the board moving again.
Stephen Finch and debutant Euan Briggs then had their two over spells, the latter taking a great catch off the former.
Ralph Coleman and Andy Page, (swapping the gloves at the 9 over change-around – yep we thought the board was an over too many and this bore out in the scorebook when doing the copying up), took 3 for 15 between them, six of them from the returning Cronje’s bat in the 19th and final over.
Stoke started their reply in the gathering gloom. Moumer Khara ended a long duckless run stretching back to August 2018 when he was castled in the first over; but Bednall and Kusel knocked off a big chunk of the runs they conceded with the ball at a good rate before they were bowled and smartly stumped respectively.
Page and Christie found the going a little harder as the peristent drizzle started to turn into something a little more permanent, limiting foot movement and running. Page made it to 25 – including his 50th career six – before retiring; Christie chipped a return catch to bring Vinall and Thomson together.
Boundaries dried up, (the outfield and the track didn’t making batting and boundary hitting difficult), but they kept the board moving at a rate that set up a tense finish. Both were lost to run outs, Thomson nobly stepping out when Briggs called for an unlikely bye and both were having a talk about it at the keeper’s end; Briggs then set about trying to get as many of the last 32 needed off the last 20 balls. He got the team close.
Finch was unlucky to cream several shots straight to fielders, but Briggs took it down to the last over before being the third player to be run out. He enjoyed his evening and earlier had shown good agility in the field.
So captain Kevin Morgan and Coleman were left to get seven off the last two balls, or six to tie. Knowing Page was due to come back the latter had an effective free hit to make the latter a possible option, but fluffed his lines and connected with a straight ball that he would normally miss, the required boundary was saved and the last ball could only be toe-ended to the same fielder for a single.
So a first defeat in a while for the Over 40s squad but everyone got a chance, had fun, and a nice few quid went into the till. Thanks to those who came to support, notably Will Grainger who kindly umpired the second innings.
Counting 3rd XI and Sunday friendlies the series is now tied at 2-2. Decider, surely? Stay tuned for details of anything we can arrange.
Scorecard : https://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/4917694
The dreaded call from George on the morning of the originally scheduled match led to another plea for emergency fixture and as luck would have it Whitely Village saw it, advised that their opposition called off first thing and they were able to host.
So the next instalment of the Stoke/Whiteley Village super series, (24 hours later sees the re-match in the Over 40s format), saw Stephen Finch win the toss and have a bat on an uncovered green pitch that was always going to be tough.
Just how tough was emphasised by the scoreboard; 11 for 4 after 8.2 overs was not the start envisaged; but Narayan Kirthivasan, (44), and Will Grainger, (34), add 82, both making their highest scores in their hitherto short Stoke careers.
Sadly Grainger was lost to the second run out of the innings when well set, and the end of Kirthivasan’s knock with less than 100 on the board meant Stoke needed the lower order and the tail to step up.
Chris Finch found some form and made 32 before falling to a return skied catch from Gaikwad who started bowling off spin and switched to slow left arm. He would finish with 3 for 13, (second best analyses of the innings after Connolly took 4 for 35), as Stoke didn’t get to use their last ten deliveries.
Hard to assess if 149 was par at the break but good bowling would certainly make it a a tough chase as conditions had barely improved.
That was how it proved as Geoff Vinall tore through the top order to register career best figures of 8-1-13-4. Mihin Sugeeswarran bowled excellently at the other end; and when Stephen Finch added one to his career count it was 26 for 5 after 15 overs. End of part one.
The next hour or so then contained one of the most remarkable innings you would ever see and please don’t read any of the next bit as sour grapes. Gaikwad, a player far too good for a fixture of this standard and to be fair to the home skipper he held him back in the order as much as he could, hit the ball pretty much wherever and whenever he wanted; picking up the required runs per over pretty much on his own; but also blatantly turning down obvious runs to retain the strike. You had to feel for his partner, a player not without ability, who was denied the chance to bat with any rhythm.
Gaikwad hit fourteen fours and a six to the short boundary, and would go on to score 115 of the 137 runs scored whilst he was at the crease, the partnership of 121 for the 6th wicket saw his partner afforded the opportunity to score just 15 of them.
Sugeeswarran returned and picked up a much deserved wicket with the last ball of his allocation, but the winning hit came moments later.
Gaikwad’s knock represented 76.67% of his team’s total. To put things in context Viv Richards’ 189 not out against England in 1984 – https://youtu.be/BgE-CLUwFy4 – was ‘only’ 69.48% of the West Indies total that day; and only five of the centuries on Stoke’s 100s board have been over 70% of a total, nothing higher than 75.76% when Don Weller made 150 not out in a total of 198 for 3 in 1950.
Weather permitting more discussion is likely when many of the players involved today go again 24 hours later in the Over 40s format. Nice bloke that he was we hope Gaikwad is too young!
Scorecard : https://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/4847792
The first ever Over 40s fixture between the clubs saw ten man Stoke see out an eleven run victory just before the heavens opened.
Batting first having lost the toss Jase Earl made 17 off 13 including three boundaries, (that were hard to find with a lush outfield), to get the board moving, whilst Fraser Slater had a look at the bowlers, all having two over spells.
Stephen Finch fell to one of the most nonchalant catches on the boundary you will ever see; but Slater and Kevin Morgan took the total past the fifty mark before Slater’s mandatory retirement having reached 26, accelerating nicely to check out at better than a run a ball.
Horribly short of time in the middle due to his own generosity in ensuring those bat – or even play – ahead of him most weeks, Morgan reached double-figures. He lost one new partner in Neil Douglas, then another when Geoff Vinall was run out off the first ball that he faced; paving the way for this week’s engine room of Justin Jones, Harry Nawaz and Mark Christie. After Morgan was lost to a stumping Jones ran hard in the absence of boundaries; sadly this affected Nawaz’s sugar levels and he sat down after a promising start to his innings to increase his chances of helping the bowling effort.
Jones retired on 27 – useful middle time ahead of Saturday – Mark Christie and Ralph Coleman took 13 runs off the last seven balls to give Stoke a total to defend.
After the quick change around Vinall, Christie and Earl bowled well without luck; but the hosts were in a good place with the half-century posted by the end of the ninth over.
However Stoke got a foothold and more as both openers retired, No.3 Pierce was bowled by Nawaz then Finch began one of the most eventful 40-45 minute periods of his illustrious career when he held two catches off his own bowling, then castled a third to finish with figures of 4-0-15-3, his best return since the 10th June 2007. But that wasn’t all.
Ralph Coleman bought himself a wicket in a short spell, but with fewer runs to play with than normal and a extra gap or two to cover due to being a fielder light, Earl was recalled and he delivered two more good overs, the last bringing him two deserved wickets; Christie doing well under the high ball for one, the other bending back No.10s’s middle stump. Final figures of 4-0-15-2 was a good workout.
In the persistent drizzle that arrived for the last few overs, Vinall found the new zip in an already excellent pitch to his liking and he closed the game out; the final nail being a weird – we won’t say comedy – run out when a difficult chance to Finch didn’t go to hand at mid-off, the return didn’t go towards either set of stumps and Jones ran from deep mid-wicket to return the ball from deep square leg to keeper Douglas to complete a run out as the batsmen tried to get home for an all run four!
So Stoke had to deviate from their normal 2-3 overs per bowler strategy to get this one done, but needs must sometimes. Nevertheless everyone still contributed and had fun, and the post match discussions with welcoming hosts were conducted as the rain became harder. The return fixture in a couple of weeks is much anticipated, but next on the agenda is a trip to Leatherhead next week.
Scorecard : https://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/4917691
Stoke should take much credit from this performance despite defeat.
In the field first having lost the toss 1st XI all-rounder Hood, and Patel, added 45 for the first wicket in quick time despite the best efforts of Andy Butler who showed great control and deserved more than his final figures suggested.
Stoke were indebted to late call up Aydin Huseyin, playing his first game since 2018, who spun out five of seven quick wickets taken, (the first three leg before, the other two to good catches by Will Grainger behind the timbers), at a personal cost of just 20 runs; Moumer Khara who picked up a wicket courtesy of a great catch in the gully by Stephen Finch, and Jack Thomson who was unlucky to run into a form batsman.
Said form batsman was one other than former Ireland and British Isles centre Rob Henderson, (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Henderson), a seriously nice bloke in addition to a seriously good player. Thirteen fours and five sixes, he raised his bat for his century whilst roughly 130 runs were scored in total after he walked in.
He was eventually eighth out for 110, bowled by Max Bednall who had collected a wicket earlier in his spell by way of a catch from Chris Finch. Ralph Coleman yorked the last man and Stoke were relieved to have got things done in the 36th over on a hot afternoon.
After the re-start Thames Ditton came hard, opening bat Hood was also a slippery opening bowler. Parkinson pushed it through at the other end as well, and the game moved at pace with Khara, (16 off just 6), Neil Paryani, and then Alistair McMillan, (18), were all back in the pavilion with 43 on the board at the end of just the 7th over.
Huseyin invested time getting himself in and played nicely before being bowled behind his legs by Jones for 24. Stephen Finch continued his good form with a nicely constructed 31; sadly no-on apart from his brother who made 11, made it to double-figures afterwards, it well away quite quickly and Stoke were all out in the 31st over, chief beneficiary was Gill who took 5 for 13.
A chance to discuss the game and pursue some stories from the aforementioned Lion were anticipated, but after the Stoke players had wheeled the covers on for George who produced another excellent pitch, they returned to find the opposition had cleared off. Had both innings gone the distance everyone would still have been on site. Something we said?
We go again next week in North Holmwood where we have received an invite from Old Dorkinians CC.
Scorecard : https://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/4924933
