Sunday 1s v Nomads Friendly XI

Jones and Skeil Star with Centuries as Sonning Chase Down 230 in Style

Sonning Sunday 1s produced a magnificent run chase at King George's Field on 28th June, overhauling Nomads' imposing 229 for 3 declared with six wickets to spare in this entertaining friendly fixture.

Nomads captain Mark Richards won the toss and chose to bat, but his side found themselves in early difficulty at 15 for 2. James Charlton-Perez was the architect of the early damage, removing Thierry Pascal for a duck and then having Vic Kandampully caught by Robert Jones for 9, finishing with excellent figures of 2-16 from his five overs. Gerard Soames battled through the early wobble but could only manage 17 from 48 balls before falling bowled to Jones.

The visitors' innings was transformed by a superb unbeaten century from Pete Dean, who struck 18 fours in his 100 from 88 balls before retiring. Dean shared a crucial third-wicket partnership of 51 with Soames that steadied the ship, and alongside Kyle Bradley, he helped Nomads accelerate through the middle overs. Bradley was impressive in his own right, reaching 55 not out from 64 balls with eight fours and two sixes, while Oliver Newton's blistering cameo of 13 from just five deliveries added late impetus before the declaration. Extras contributed a hefty 35 to the total, with 16 byes proving particularly costly.

The Sonning reply got off to a brisk start thanks to skipper Richard Skeil, who attacked from the outset. Wicketkeeper Neil Jasti fell early, caught off Mark Richards for 4 with the score on 12, but Skeil was undeterred. He found an ideal partner in Robert Jones, and the pair proceeded to dismantle the Nomads attack with a breathtaking second-wicket stand of 135.

Skeil was the more aggressive of the two, racing to 72 from 69 balls with 14 fours before being caught off Arvind Joshi's bowling with the score on 147. His departure brought Daniel Longridge to the crease, and Jones continued his relentless accumulation. The partnership between Jones and Longridge added a further 68 runs, with Jones bringing up a magnificent century — 101 from 102 balls, laced with 15 fours — before retiring not out.

Longridge held the innings together in the closing stages, reaching 36 not out from 37 deliveries with three boundaries. Though Alastair Parkes fell caught off Oliver Newton for 9 and Elliot Gray was run out without scoring to cause a minor flutter at 217 for 4, Sonning were never in serious danger. Christopher Dowse saw the side home alongside Longridge, the winning runs coming in the 40th over.

Nomads' bowlers toiled manfully, with Oliver Newton the pick of the attack, conceding just 35 from his nine overs for one wicket. Taran Shankar bore the brunt of the Sonning onslaught, going for 56 from seven overs, while Vishal Trivedi's 10.3 overs cost 61. The visitors simply had no answer to the quality of Sonning's top-order batting on a day when two centuries — one from each side — made for a memorable afternoon of cricket at King George's Field.