4th XI vs Newbury

Astwood's Half-Century Not Enough as Nimbalkar Leads Newbury to Victory

Captain Charles Astwood's aggressive fifty proved insufficient as Sonning 4th XI fell to defeat against Newbury 3rd XI in their Division 10A league fixture. Despite posting a competitive 210, Sonning couldn't contain Newbury's batsmen who chased down the target with eight wickets in hand.

After winning the toss and electing to field, Newbury's decision appeared questionable as Astwood punished the bowling attack with a quickfire 59 off just 51 deliveries, including ten boundaries and a six. The Sonning skipper dominated the early proceedings, featuring in a 68-run second-wicket partnership with David McLoughlin.

McLoughlin provided valuable support with a patient 48 from 67 balls, helping stabilize the innings after Matthew Clift departed early for 7. The middle order contributed steadily with Matthew Dawes adding a useful 31, though Sonning lost wickets at regular intervals, preventing them from building a truly imposing total.

Newbury's bowling attack shared the wickets, with Kapil Jagdishwala, Nick Kaxe, and Avilash Jena each claiming two victims. Jena proved particularly effective at the death, finishing with impressive figures of 2-6 from 3.2 overs as Sonning were dismissed for 210 in the 38th over.

Chasing 211 for victory, Newbury suffered an early setback when James Worsley was caught for just 4 off Isaac Blakey's bowling. However, captain Sachin Nimbalkar took control with a masterful unbeaten 75 from 114 deliveries, anchoring the innings with 13 boundaries. His 95-run partnership with Nick Kaxe (41) laid the foundation for a comfortable chase.

When Matthew Dawes removed Kaxe with the score at 99, Newbury might have felt some pressure, but Jayaprakash Pammula extinguished any Sonning hopes with a commanding 63 not out from just 60 balls. His fluent innings, featuring 12 boundaries, accelerated the chase as he and Nimbalkar shared an unbroken partnership of 113 to guide Newbury home with five overs to spare.

Sonning's bowling attack struggled to make inroads, with Blakey (1-26 from 6 overs) and Dawes (1-26 from 5 overs) the only successful bowlers. Despite Pete Titus's economical spell of 0-33 from his eight overs, Sonning couldn't apply sufficient pressure as Newbury reached their target in the 35th over, claiming a comprehensive victory in this Division 10A encounter.