Sonning Innings

for ( Overs)

Batsmen		Runs	Balls	4s	6s	SR
Ali Driver	Out	8
Fred Travers	Out	11
Bubbu Thava	Out	1
Steve Banning	Out	3
Jamie Travers	Out	4
Neil Forrest	Out	5
Dave Allen	Not Out	16
Dan Medhurst	Out	0
Mark Anderson	Not Out	17
Don Wilmott	DNB
Phil Wilding	DNB
Extras

Bowling	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets	Economy
Dan Medhurst	7.0	0	34	1	4.86
Mark Anderson	5.0	1	13	3	2.60
Don Wilmott	11.5	3	30	5	2.54
Extras

Fielder	Catches	Run Outs	Stumpings
Steve Banning	1	0	0
Jamie Travers	2	0	0
Mark Anderson	1	0	0
Phil Wilding	0	1	0

Match Report

June 2 v. Goring – Away. Won by 3 wickets

This roller-coaster of a game made one positively giddy! Put in, Goring were 0-1 after Don’s second delivery, which nipped back through the gate to dismiss their skipper for a duck. In marched their number three, who was sporting a Real Madrid football shirt and black trainers……well, if he didn’t look the part he certainly put bat to ball with a resounding crack, and quickly raced to 10, a good effort on an incredibly slow outfield, before Don trapped him lbw. Goring continued to go after our bowling for the next half-hour, and at 63 for 4 looked set to post a challenging total. However Don, again displaying excellent fitness, bowled throughout to take 5-30, Anners took three more, and Goring were dismissed for 79 in only 24 overs.

The league rules dictate that we had to bat for 18 overs before tea; almost enough to sew up a win! After missing last week’s encounter, Ali was restored to the opener’s slot and, in partnership with Freddie, all started smoothly. With few alarms and good running between the wickets, we were 13-0 after 5 overs. The atmosphere, already made volatile by their skipper’s attacking field-setting and a lot of noise from their fielders, was cranked up by the fall of Ali’s wicket, and made more intense as 17 for 1 became 22 for 3, and 47 for 5 by tea.

We then lost another two wickets for only four runs, and all seemed lost! The home team had their tails up and their opening bowlers were firing on all cylinders. At this point it is worth reflecting on the position. Thing was padded up, not a reassuring sight, and although Don, our next man in, was looking remarkably calm, he had not batted since last season and we still required another 31. Whilst I have never under-estimated Anners’ potential as a batsman – a quick glance at the Sonning Wisden (Trout’s amazing website) shows how few opportunities he’s had in recent seasons - his only innings this season had been a first-baller at Twyford and he certainly wasn’t in the most positive frame of mind as he went out to join Dave. Dave was looking every inch a brochure boy, having been “Maliked� (a term coined by Dave himself to describe somebody who’s been lured to Malik Cricket Sports in Slough and had their wallet relieved of its contents – legally!): he had not set foot on a cricket pitch for eighteen years and had bought the complete caboodle, from socks to bat, to cricket bag etc, etc.! Indeed, he was knocking his bat in with a few lobbed deliveries immediately before the game!

So, there I was on the boundary, wondering how we had got ourselves into this mess. After racing to victory the previous week by 7 wickets, scoring over 200 for the loss of only three wickets in the game before that, here we were staring at certain defeat chasing 80.

Mark and Dave were initially cautious, watching every ball as if it were their last, head still, playing down the line, and it was this patience and resulting stalemate which led to a crucial bowling change. Their skipper decided to bring himself on and Anners, sensing an opportunity to attack, advanced down the wicket and punched his second delivery past mid- on for four. This alleviated some of the tension and was immediately followed by two wides. Next over, Dave picked up two off a top edge, struck the next delivery firmly for two more, followed by a well-run three. The following few overs yielded further runs before Anners pulled a four past square-leg and lifted a six over mid-wicket to bring us home. Easy!