2nd XI vs Crowthorne & Crown Wood

Sonning Second XI Struggle as Parhar's Four-Wicket Haul Sets Up Crowthorne Victory

Sonning 2nd XI suffered a comprehensive seven-wicket defeat against Crowthorne & Crown Wood in their Division 5B encounter at St Sebastian's Playing Field on Saturday. After being put in to bat, Sonning were dismissed for just 83 runs before the hosts comfortably chased down the target with more than 19 overs to spare.

On a challenging surface, Sonning's batsmen found themselves in early trouble against a disciplined Crowthorne bowling attack. Captain Robert Mosley departed for a duck, while opener Duncan Parr managed just 9 before being run out following good work in the field by Ravi Godbole. Dan Anderson showed some resistance with 13 from 50 deliveries, but wickets fell at regular intervals around him.

The standout performance with the ball came from Kabir Parhar, who claimed 4-20 from his nine overs, while Oliver Taylor made a crucial impact, taking 3-9 in just 2.3 overs to help clean up the Sonning tail. Jeff Cluett delivered a masterclass in control, conceding just 10 runs from his nine overs while claiming the wicket of Ankit Sharma.

Zain Haider provided the only real batting highlight for Sonning, striking 24 from 35 balls including two fours and the match's only six. His 23-run partnership with Jameel Ahamed (12) for the sixth wicket was the visitors' highest of the innings, but once both were dismissed, Sonning's resistance crumbled as they were bowled out in the 36th over.

In reply, Crowthorne & Crown Wood suffered an early setback when Joe Davies was bowled by Aadil Khan for just 1. John Rimmer then struck to remove Will Avrili for 11, giving Sonning a glimmer of hope with the score at 38-2. However, Daniel Cartledge anchored the chase with a composed 33 from 85 deliveries, including five boundaries.

Ethan Towner claimed the third wicket for Sonning when Cartledge was caught by wicketkeeper Ankit Sharma with the hosts on 69, but it proved too little too late. Ant Avrili (13 not out) and Matthew Childs (13 not out) saw Crowthorne home without further alarm, Childs accelerating the finish with a four and a six in his brief nine-ball cameo.

Despite the defeat, Sonning's bowlers showed commendable discipline, with Aadil Khan (1-14 from five overs) and John Rimmer (1-23 from seven) the pick of the attack. The visitors will take two bowling bonus points from the match but remain frustrated by their batting collapse on what appeared to be a challenging but not unplayable surface.