U13 Scorchers v Henley Under 13 Leopards

Scorchers Fall Just Short as Henley Chase Down 134 at Shiplake

Sonning U13 Scorchers posted a competitive 134 for 9 from their 20 overs in this BYCL Under 13 Blast North West league fixture at Shiplake College, but Henley's Under 13 Leopards overhauled the target with an over to spare, reaching 135 for 3 in 19 overs after winning the toss and electing to field.

The Scorchers' innings began shakily after being inserted, with opener Izaan Baloch bowled by Harry Ellison for 4 off just three balls and wicketkeeper Oliver Barker caught by Fynn Ellison off the same bowler for 1, leaving Sonning 13 for 2. Tejus Maddi fell shortly after for 2, bowled by Archie Thomas, and at 16 for 3 the visitors were in considerable difficulty on a ground where they needed a strong platform.

Saurav Sivaram and Jamie Dollinger rescued the innings with a crucial 55-run partnership for the fourth wicket that transformed the complexion of the match. Sivaram, batting at number three, anchored proceedings with a composed unbeaten 36 from 34 balls, striking five fours and a six. Dollinger was even more destructive, blazing an unbeaten 43 from 28 deliveries, finding the boundary six times and clearing it once in an innings that gave the Scorchers genuine momentum.

The middle order, however, could not sustain the pressure. Captain Namit Desai was bowled first ball by Alastair Taylor, and a cluster of wickets between the sixth and ninth saw the Scorchers slip from 71 for 4 to 88 for 7. Elijah Patel contributed 4 before being caught, Dhruv Reddy Kantigari was bowled by Alex Jewell for a duck, and Heet Panchal was run out without scoring. Lower-order contributions from Utkarsh Sinha (13 off 18 balls, including three fours) and Aarib Ansari (10 off 13 balls) added valuable late runs, with their eighth-wicket stand of 21 helping the Scorchers push past 130.

Henley's reply began with an early breakthrough when Elijah Patel had Alex Jewell caught by Baloch for 1 with the score on 7. That, though, proved to be as good as it got for the Scorchers' bowling attack. Matthew Bollinghaus (28 off 25 balls) and Aadi Bhatt (19 off 25) combined to steady the Henley innings before both retired not out. A sharp run out by Oliver Barker accounted for Fynn Ellison for a duck at 61 for 2, but the home side never truly faltered.

Seb Lavers proved the most damaging of Henley's batsmen, striking 30 off 23 balls with four boundaries before retiring not out. Jamie Dollinger claimed the scalp of Wilfred Oseman, bowling him for 5 at 86 for 3, but Toby Barlow then took charge with an unbeaten 23 off 16 balls, hitting three fours to steer Henley home. Captain Jaxson Mackinnon contributed a brisk 6 not out as the Leopards completed the chase with composure.

Captain Namit Desai was the pick of the Sonning bowlers with his tidy 3-0-10-0 spell, while Aarib Ansari conceded just 3 runs from his solitary over. Elsewhere, however, the Scorchers struggled to contain the Henley batting lineup, with 16 wides and 2 no-balls adding to their difficulties. Despite the defeat, Sonning collected 6 bonus points — 5 for batting and 1 for bowling — with the individual performances of Dollinger and Sivaram providing clear positives to build upon.