Sunday As v Wealdstone Corinthians Friendly XI

Mcloughlin's Magnificent 75 Not Enough as Sunday As Fall to Late Wealdstone Onslaught

Sonning Sunday As posted a competitive 210 for 9 from their 40 overs at King George's Field on 6th July, but Wealdstone Corinthians chased down the target with 4.3 overs to spare, thanks to a devastating unbeaten 39 from Vishal Kumar that swung the contest decisively in the visitors' favour.

After Wealdstone captain Tejas Ved won the toss and elected to field, Sonning skipper Richard Skeil promoted himself to open alongside wicketkeeper Alex Mcloughlin. The pair seized the initiative early, putting on 54 for the first wicket before Skeil fell for a quickfire 30 off 26 balls, his innings laced with seven boundaries, caught by Dharmik Shah off Swaroop Kumar. Mcloughlin continued to anchor the innings with authority, and when Robert Jones joined him, the pair added a further 44 for the second wicket. Jones contributed a brisk 19 off 16 deliveries, including a six, before he too was caught by Shah, this time off Vishal Kumar's bowling.

Mcloughlin's dismissal for a superb 75 off 84 balls, an innings underpinned by 14 fours, triggered a dramatic collapse. Sonning slumped from 135 for 4 to 146 for 8 as Sundeep Shah ripped through the middle order, claiming 3 for 34 from his six overs. Philemon Pon was trapped lbw for a duck, Joseph Dowse was bowled by Gaurav Sharma for 4, and Maurits Butterworth departed first ball, also bowled by Sharma. The hosts appeared to be heading for a below-par total.

It was left to Bubbu Thava and Christopher Dowse to rescue the innings with a crucial ninth-wicket partnership of 56. Dowse counter-attacked with 36 off 30 balls, striking six fours, before being bowled by Ved. Thava remained unbeaten on 25, including two fours and a six, to steer Sonning to a total that gave them something to defend.

Sonning's bowlers made early inroads in the chase, with Butterworth having Pratham Verma caught off his own bowling for 1, leaving Wealdstone 10 for 1. Henry Cook then accounted for opener Dipen Patel, who had made a useful 20, caught behind by Mcloughlin. Christopher Dowse got in on the act by having Abhay Marwaha stumped by Mcloughlin for 9, and Robert Jones trapped Swaroop Kumar lbw for 20 as Wealdstone stuttered to 80 for 4.

The visitors steadied through Andy Naylor, who made 19, and captain Ved, who struck a rapid 20 off just 14 balls before being caught by Mcloughlin off Dowse. At 124 for 6, Sonning held the upper hand. Dharmik Shah then produced a counter-attacking 46 off 41 balls, hitting six fours and a six, rebuilding the innings alongside Vishal Kumar in a match-defining eighth-wicket stand of 63. Shah was eventually trapped lbw by Dowse, who finished with excellent figures of 3 for 48, but the damage had been done.

Vishal Kumar proved unstoppable at the death, smashing an unbeaten 39 off just 16 balls with four fours and three sixes to seal Wealdstone's victory. Sonning's discipline wavered under pressure, with 29 extras conceded, including 11 wides and 8 no-balls, ultimately proving costly in a contest that slipped away in the final overs. Mcloughlin's outstanding all-round contribution — 75 with the bat and three catches behind the stumps — deserved to be on the winning side.