U11 Sabres v Boyne Hill Under 11

Sabres Fall Short as Boyne Hill Claim Victory at Home

Sonning U11 Sabres travelled to Boyne Hill Cricket Ground on 29 July for a BYCL Under 11 T16 Pairs league fixture, and despite winning the toss and electing to field first, captain Divik Gupta's side were unable to contain the hosts, who posted 116 for 3 from their 20 overs before restricting Sonning to 80 for 4 in reply.

Boyne Hill's batting was built on contributions throughout the order, with captain Ali Ali leading from the front, striking 13 off 17 balls including a boundary at the top of the innings. Maxin Max provided the most fluent knock of the home side's innings, hitting 10 off just 8 deliveries with a four, though he was dismissed once during his stay. Stanley Stenley also chipped in with 8, while Sahib Sahib matched that total from deeper in the order. A significant factor was the volume of extras conceded by the Sabres, with 44 runs gifted to the home side — including 27 wides — which ultimately inflated the target beyond reach.

The pick of the Sonning bowling came from Nelisha Widanapathirana, who returned figures of 1 for 5 from two economical overs, providing the control that was lacking elsewhere. Anay Patel was equally impressive in his solitary over, conceding just 4 runs while claiming a wicket. Eleanor Hatchett-Walker also bowled tidily, giving away only 5 runs from her over without conceding a wide or no-ball.

At the other end of the scale, the Sabres struggled with their accuracy at times. Matyas Sheppard's two overs went for 19, including 8 wides, while Thomas Waite conceded 17 from his two-over spell. Isaac Hutchinson and Divik Gupta each bowled four no-balls in their respective spells, contributing to the considerable extras tally that bolstered Boyne Hill's total.

Chasing 117 to win, the Sabres found run-scoring difficult against a disciplined home attack. Smmy Sammy set the tone early with outstanding figures of 1 for 1 from two overs, including a maiden — a remarkable spell at any level. Alexander Hatchett-Walker top-scored for Sonning with 8 off 12 balls, striking the only boundary of the top order's efforts, while Matyas Sheppard provided a late flourish with 7 off 11 balls including a four.

Arun Kumar Chirunamala battled hard for his 6 off 23 balls but was dismissed once, and Isaac Hutchinson managed 4 off 17 deliveries before also losing his wicket. Thomas Waite endured a frustrating time at the crease, unable to score from his 7 balls, while captain Divik Gupta was dismissed for 3 off 14 balls. The Sabres did benefit from 41 extras — with Boyne Hill conceding 24 wides and 14 no-balls — but it was not enough to bridge the gap.

Nelisha Widanapathirana contributed 4 off 13 balls and Anay Patel added 4 from 10 deliveries as the lower order tried to push the score along, but the required rate had climbed too steeply. The Sabres ultimately finished on 80 for 4, falling 36 runs short of the target as Boyne Hill claimed a comfortable victory and the full 20 league points.