Sonning Innings

for ( Overs)

Batsmen		Runs	Balls	4s	6s	SR
Ali Driver	Out	18
Naqash Tahir	Not Out	45
Fred Travers	Out	8
Steve Banning	Not Out	28
Dave Allen	DNB
Jamie Travers	DNB
Keith Denyer	DNB
Mark Anderson	DNB
Dan Medhurst	DNB
Waqas Tahir	DNB
Phil Wilding	DNB
Extras

Bowling	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets	Economy
Steve Banning	5.0	1	19	1	3.80
Jamie Travers	2.4	0	4	0	1.50
Mark Anderson	14.0	3	23	4	1.64
Dan Medhurst	5.0	1	17	0	3.40
Waqas Tahir	15.0	4	30	5	2.00
Phil Wilding	3.2	1	11	0	3.30
Extras

Fielder	Catches	Run Outs	Stumpings
Naqash Tahir	1	0	0
Fred Travers	1	0	0
Steve Banning	1	0	0
Mark Anderson	1	0	0

Match Report

July 28 v Hawley – Away. Won by 8 wickets

A sunny day greeted us at Pound Lane as we assembled for our departure to Blackwater near Camberley. Only a couple of the team had previously played at Hawley, and knew the route, so the intention was to travel in strict convoy formation thus ensuring we either all got there or we all got lost! Banjo and the Thing followed usual practice going under their own steam and were no doubt already ensconced in a favoured watering-hole near the ground. Meanwhile, the regimented approach to our travel arrangements had fallen apart at the very first junction! A busy A4 at the Pound Lane roundabout resulted in our three vehicles decoupling, and so each set off on their own meandering route towards Camberley! Fortunately, all three arrived in good time, as had Banjo and the Thing, who was by now already warming up for the rigorous drinking regimen of the tour to Cardiff the following week.

Two players were making their debut for the 3rd XI, twins, Naqas and Waqas Tahir. Whilst not identical, their similarity was enough to confuse the skipper throughout this game, and indeed the season, culminating in an amusing mix-up in the last match! More of that later!

With the wicket expected to play low and slow, which it did, Hawley were asked to bat first, and almost immediately Waqas made a breakthrough, trapping one of their openers lbw for a duck. At the other end Thing was his tidy self, bowling a probing line and length. However, whilst chasing down [yes, you read it right!] the ball just inside the boundary rope, he turned his ankle, and had to retire to the bar changing-room! This was not before he had bowled one delivery of his fourth over, which the skipper completed. In tandem with Waqas, I, and then Dan Medhurst, continued to bowl a searching line and length, but without success, and they passed 50 without too much difficulty. Clearly, a change of pace was called for, and Anners (4-23) duly obliged with his first delivery! Playing too early, the Hawley’s number 3 offered a simple return catch for 28, which turned out to be their top score – apart from 35 extras!. In the next over, Waqas (5-30 off 15), who had been plugging away for 8 overs without reward, took two wickets with successive balls and thereafter wickets fell at regular intervals. Some lusty blows by their number nine batsman lifted their total to 120.

Returning to the pavilion for tea, we were greeted by Thing, who, in the absence of any ice, had strapped two cans of lager to his sore ankle to reduce the swelling, while consuming the other four! This put us in good humour for our run- chase. Ali and Naqas opened, and the former was soon into his stride, creaming a couple of fours past deep gully, and after just four overs we had reached 20. The rate of scoring slowed over the next few overs but both batsman looked comfortable. Ali then appeared to play around a straight one, and was bowled for 18. Freddie immediately made his intentions clear [perhaps under the instructions of his father intent on maintaining our run of 6 o’clock finishes!] by crashing two fours. Unfortunately he was then run out, responding to a call for a single which was never there. Banjo joined Naqas, and was again soon into his stride. Both he and Naqas were finding the boundary regularly, and any thought of a mid-innings wobble was quickly dismissed. A beautifully struck aerial four by Naqas through the covers took our total past 100 and brought up the 50 partnership.

Meanwhile, Thing had persuaded the tea-lady to open the bar early as he had consumed all of his medication. With the runs and beer flowing freely, the sun setting in the early evening sky, Thing, supported by Dave, was singing passable Barmy Army renditions, which echoed around the ground! Not surprisingly, the home team’s determination and enthusiasm waned quickly in the face of this barracking, and a barrage of boundaries from the blades of Naqas (45*) and Banjo (28*) sealed victory with a flourish.

With other results going our way, we were now fourth in the league, just behind Twyford but some way adrift of Welford Park in third place.