1st XI vs Hurst

Malik's Fifty and Late Rally Not Enough as Sonning Draw with Hurst

Sonning 1st XI came away with a draw in their Division 2B league fixture against Hurst on Saturday, after an evenly contested match saw both sides walk away with a share of the points. Having won the toss and elected to bat, Sonning posted 224-7 from their 52 overs before restricting Hurst to 213-8 in reply.

Captain Peter Dean led from the front for Sonning with a patient 46 from 92 deliveries, building the foundation with useful partnerships throughout the top order. Dean shared a 61-run stand with wicketkeeper Muhammad Qaisar (36), before becoming the victim of a run out with the score at 126-6, leaving Sonning in a precarious position.

Bobby Malik proved to be the catalyst for Sonning's recovery, striking a powerful 51 not out from just 51 balls, including three sixes and five fours. His aggressive innings, coupled with Dion Laban-Jeffries' quickfire 32 not out from 28 deliveries, propelled Sonning to a competitive total. The pair's unbroken eighth-wicket partnership added valuable late runs as Sonning accelerated in the closing overs.

Hurst's Phil Higgs was the standout bowler for the home side, claiming impressive figures of 4-33 from his 15 overs, including six maidens, while captain Lewis Smith chipped in with 1-42 from his 13-over spell.

In response, Hurst opener James Watt anchored their innings with a determined 79 from 111 balls, featuring 11 boundaries. After Smith fell early for just 4, Watt found good support from Max Carroll, who struck an aggressive 46 from 38 deliveries in a crucial 80-run second-wicket partnership that gave Hurst a solid platform.

Bobby Malik backed up his batting heroics with a disciplined bowling performance, returning figures of 3-43 from his full allocation of 15 overs. Peter Higginbottom (2-60) and Michael Longridge (2-37) provided valuable support as Sonning continued to take wickets at regular intervals, preventing Hurst from establishing momentum in the latter stages.

Despite losing eight wickets, Hurst's lower order, led by James Roxburgh-Smith (14 not out) and Nick Reynolds (5 not out), showed resilience in the final overs as they finished just 12 runs short of Sonning's total. Both teams showed good application in a match that highlighted the competitive nature of Division 2B cricket, with Sonning securing 14 bonus points to Hurst's 8 in a well-contested draw.