Sunday 1s v Pinkneys Green Sunday XI

Sonning Sunday 1s Undone by Pinkneys Green's Batting Depth at King George's Field

Pinkneys Green won the toss and elected to bat on a sunny afternoon at King George's Field, and their top order made the most of first use of the wicket, posting an imposing 225 for 3 from their allotted 35 overs before bowling Sonning out for 109 to claim a comprehensive victory in this Sunday friendly.

The visitors' innings was built on a commanding opening partnership of 104 between James Hemmings and Sheyan Patel. Hemmings compiled a patient half-century from 69 balls, picking off four boundaries before retiring on 50, while Patel was altogether more aggressive, striking six fours and four sixes in a blistering 67 from 66 deliveries. Kishan Akula eventually broke the stand, bowling Patel, but the damage had already been done with the scoreboard reading well past three figures.

Any hopes Sonning had of applying the brakes were quickly dashed by Gaurav Verma, who plundered 50 from just 35 balls, crashing nine fours in a dazzling display of stroke-play. Verma and the incoming batters pushed the score along at pace, with Fareed Qureshi adding a rapid 19 from 12 balls before Neil Jasti bowled him. Waqas Tahir removed Louis Taphouse for a duck to claim the third wicket, but at 225 for 3, Pinkneys Green had set a daunting target.

Isaac Jenner was the pick of the Sonning bowlers in terms of economy, returning 1-21 from his seven overs with a maiden, while Akula's seven overs yielded 1-35. The remaining bowlers found it tough going on a flat surface, with nine bowlers used in total as captain Richard Skeil searched in vain for breakthroughs.

The Sonning reply began disastrously when Skeil was caught off Brijesh Lath without scoring in the fourth over, bringing Neil Jasti to the crease. Waqas Tahir offered brief resistance, hitting one four in his 6 before being caught by Sam Ruddle off Sheyan Patel, and when Piyanshu Desai was bowled by Lath for a duck, Sonning were teetering at 22 for 3.

Jasti stood firm amid the carnage, putting together a crucial 46-run partnership with Bharat Rathod for the fourth wicket. Rathod contributed 10 from 24 balls with two fours before being trapped lbw by Christopher Heyes, who proved the most dangerous of the Pinkneys Green attack. Heyes finished with outstanding figures of 3-25 from seven overs, including a maiden, dismissing Rathod, Shreyas Koppole — caught by Hemmings for nought — and eventually the resolute Jasti himself.

Jasti's dismissal for 58, bowled by Heyes with the score on 95, effectively ended the contest. His knock of seven fours from 64 balls was a lone hand of quality in an otherwise fragile batting card. Three wickets fell at 95 as the innings crumbled, with Fareed Qureshi claiming 2-2 from three miserly overs. Daniel Bailey was left stranded on 8 not out as Sonning were bowled out for 109 in 27.4 overs, falling 116 runs short of their target.