4th XI vs Kidmore End

Popplewell Century Powers Sonning 4th XI to Impressive Run Chase Victory

Sonning 4th XI successfully chased down a formidable target of 272 with eight wickets in hand against Kidmore End in their Division 10A league fixture on Saturday. A century from Hugo Popplewell and a near-miss ton from captain David McLoughlin formed the backbone of an emphatic victory at home.

After winning the toss, Sonning captain McLoughlin elected to field first, a decision that initially looked questionable as Kidmore End's opener George Batty dominated proceedings. Batty constructed a magnificent 109, anchoring his team's innings and forming productive partnerships with several teammates, particularly Arnav Sapkota who contributed 47.

Kidmore End's middle order maintained the momentum with Aditya Gundluri (22), captain Amit Gupta (21), and Prasanna Kirubakaran (29) all making useful contributions. The visitors eventually posted a challenging 271-5 from their allotted 40 overs, with Luke Davies (14*) and Will Nassau-Lake (1*) remaining unbeaten at the close.

Sonning's bowling attack struggled to contain the Kidmore End batsmen on a flat track. Joel Varghese, Matthew Dawes, and Mayank Rawat managed to claim one wicket each, while two run-outs helped restrict the visitors from posting an even larger total. The home side's fielding proved crucial with multiple catches and two well-executed run-outs.

Facing a daunting target, Sonning's openers Popplewell and McLoughlin responded brilliantly, forging a substantial first-wicket partnership that laid the foundation for victory. Popplewell reached a superb century before falling to Will Nassau-Lake, caught by Atharv Gupta, while McLoughlin was dismissed just four runs short of his hundred, caught by George Malaperiman off Aditya Gundluri's bowling.

With the hard work done by the openers, Joel Varghese (23*) and Paul Towner (14*) comfortably guided Sonning home with nearly five overs to spare. The hosts reached their target in 35.1 overs, finishing on 272-2 and claiming a comprehensive victory.

Kidmore End's bowlers toiled without much success, with Nassau-Lake and Gundluri being the only ones to make breakthroughs. The visitors' cause wasn't helped by the 39 extras they conceded, including 18 wides and 9 no-balls, which eased Sonning's chase considerably.