3rd XI v Littlewick Green 2nd XI

Sonning 3rd XI Demolish Littlewick Green with Dominant All-Round Display

Sonning 3rd XI produced a commanding performance at Waingels College on Saturday, posting an imposing 274 for 8 before bowling Littlewick Green out for just 56 to secure a comprehensive victory in Division 8B of the Thames Valley Cricket League.

Asked to bat first after Littlewick Green won the toss and elected to field, Sonning suffered an early setback when Kyle Dellar-Law was caught by Ayaan Ahmad off Max Williams for a duck with the score on just 2. What followed, however, was a masterclass from opener Aseem Shafi and Henry Cook, who combined for a superb second-wicket partnership of 78. Cook was the more aggressive of the pair, striking nine fours and two sixes in a blistering 52 from 40 balls before Jack Hesom cleaned him up with the score on 80.

Shafi continued to anchor the innings with calm authority, adding 29 with Shamitha Widanapathirana (16 off 17 balls) for the third wicket before the key stand of the innings — a magnificent 106-run partnership with captain Arun Kumar Pera for the fourth wicket. Pera contributed an excellent 44 from 46 deliveries, laced with five boundaries, while Shafi batted with patience and composure throughout his stay at the crease. The opener was eventually dismissed for a well-constructed 78 off 86 balls, caught by Max Williams off Jake Dries, having struck eight fours and provided the backbone of the Sonning innings.

Harrison Lott and Philemon Pon ensured there was no late-innings slowdown, putting on 44 for the sixth wicket. Pon contributed a brisk 21 from 22 balls before Hesom bowled him, while Lott finished unbeaten on 26 off 29 deliveries. Three late wickets in quick succession — Hesom dismissing Sam Taylor and Asad Imam being run out — brought the innings to a close at 274 for 8, though the damage had long since been done. Jack Hesom was the pick of the Littlewick Green bowlers with 3 for 46 from his six overs, while the visitors' discipline suffered throughout, conceding 37 extras including 26 wides.

The reply was never competitive. Asad Imam was simply devastating with the ball, striking in his opening spell to have Robert Smith-Cox trapped lbw for nought with just 3 on the board. Max Williams and captain Jack Hesom offered brief resistance, but Imam dismissed both — Williams caught behind by Harrison Lott for 9, then Hesom caught by Lott again for 5 — to leave Littlewick Green reeling at 23 for 3. When Josh Hoad was bowled first ball in the same over, the visitors had collapsed to 23 for 4 and the contest was effectively over.

Imam continued his rampant spell, removing Ketan Patel for 4 to complete a remarkable five-wicket haul, finishing with the outstanding figures of 5 for 12 from eight overs, including two maidens. Dave Brooks top-scored for the visitors with a defiant 14 off 35 balls, but he was the only batsman to reach double figures before Sam Taylor bowled him to make it 35 for 5.

Taylor proved the perfect foil to Imam, picking up wickets at the other end with impressive economy. He dismissed Ayaan Ahmad (5), Pranshu Patel (7) and Ewan Mustoe (4) to finish with 4 for 11 from 6.4 overs, as the Littlewick Green innings folded for 56 in just 23.4 overs. Between them, Imam and Taylor claimed nine of the nine wickets to fall, conceding a combined 23 runs from their 14.4 overs — a devastating bowling partnership that gave the visitors no opportunity to mount any sort of challenge against a target of 275.