Sunday As vs Chiswick

Longridge's Five-Wicket Haul Not Enough as Sonning Draw with Chiswick

Daniel Longridge's excellent bowling figures of 5-34 were the highlight for Sonning Sunday As as they secured a hard-fought draw against Chiswick at Riverside Drive Sports Ground on August 15th. Chasing Chiswick's total of 185-9, Sonning finished just short on 176-6 after their allotted 35 overs.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, Chiswick's opening pair of Glayson Baptiste (28) and Edward Sykes (31) built a solid foundation. However, Longridge's devastating spell triggered a middle-order collapse that saw Chiswick slump to 60-4, with Steve Brookes and Joe Brookes both dismissed without scoring.

Chiswick captain Tom Mason provided crucial resistance with an unbeaten 54, helping his side recover to a competitive 185-9 from their 36 overs. Longridge was the standout bowler with his five-wicket haul, while Joel Cripps, Michael Longridge, Toby Fitton, and Alex Mcloughlin each claimed one wicket. The Sonning bowling attack maintained good discipline, with three bowlers delivering maiden overs.

Sonning's chase began shakily as they lost both openers cheaply, with Louis Dean bowled by Norman Dugdale for 11 and Richard Skeil caught for just 2. William Hibberdine steadied the innings with a solid 28 before young Finlay Griffith took control with an impressive 65, the highest individual score of the match.

With the required run rate climbing, Alex Mcloughlin (11) and Michael Longridge (9) fell trying to accelerate, leaving Toby Fitton (17 not out) and captain Isaac Blakey (4 not out) to navigate the closing overs. Despite their efforts, Sonning fell nine runs short of victory, closing on 176-6.

Chiswick's bowling was led by Norman Dugdale, who claimed 2-34, while Will Clarke (1-19) and Tom Dyson (1-9) delivered economical spells. Dyson was particularly miserly, conceding just nine runs from his six overs while maintaining two maidens.

The result leaves both teams satisfied with their performances in this friendly encounter, with Sonning's young lineup showing promising resilience in a challenging run chase while Chiswick demonstrated depth in their batting under pressure from Longridge's exceptional bowling.