U13 Scorchers v Didcot U13 B

Sivaram's Explosive 30 and Clinical Bowling Display Seal Scorchers Victory

Sonning U13 Scorchers posted 108 for 8 from their 16 overs before bowling Didcot out for 76 at Knowl Hill, securing a comfortable 32-run victory in the U13 League Pool 6 fixture on 12 May.

After Didcot captain Leo Ward won the toss and inserted Sonning, the home side made a steady start through Tejus Maddi and Charlie Bright, who put on 22 for the opening wicket. Maddi struck a confident 10 from 13 balls before being caught by wicketkeeper Elliot Smith off Samar Wadhwa, while Bright contributed a useful 15 featuring two fours before falling bowled to Japji Kaur. Frederick Parkes added 6, but it was the arrival of Saurav Sivaram at number four that transformed the innings.

Sivaram played the standout knock of the match, blazing 30 from just 24 deliveries with four fours and a six. His aggressive strokeplay kept the scoreboard ticking even as wickets tumbled at the other end. Josh Worthington proved Didcot's most effective bowler, claiming 2 for 7 from his two overs, while Ishi Gummadelli was miserly with 2 for 3 from two overs including a maiden. A middle-order collapse saw Sonning slide from 44 for 2 to 52 for 8 as captain Jamie Dollinger, Henry Bright, Oliver Barker, Advay Sood, and Vihaan Bangera all departed cheaply.

Sivaram retired not out with the score on 52 for 8, and it fell to Elijah Patel to rebuild. The number ten batsman delivered admirably, compiling an unbeaten 18 from 21 balls. A generous helping of 28 extras — including 18 wides and 8 no-balls — supplemented the total, with Rayyan Imran's final over conceding 21 runs to push Sonning past the 100 mark.

Didcot's reply began positively, with Smith (12 off 10 balls) and Ryan Olivier (18 off 15) racing to 26 for the first wicket. Sivaram, continuing his fine all-round match, broke through by catching Smith off his own bowling. Ishi Gummadelli then combined with Olivier to add 21 for the second wicket, keeping Didcot firmly in contention at 47 for 1. Gummadelli hit 15 from 12 balls, laced with three boundaries, before Henry Bright bowled him to shift the momentum.

The dismissal of Olivier, bowled by Tejus Maddi for 18, triggered a dramatic collapse. From 49 for 2, Didcot lost six wickets for just 10 runs as the Sonning bowling attack tightened its grip. Vihaan Bangera was the pick of the bowlers, taking 2 for 8 from two overs, including the scalps of Ward and Ralph Tallick. Frederick Parkes delivered a devastating late spell, finishing with remarkable figures of 2 for 1 from 1.1 overs including a maiden as he cleaned up Rayyan Imran to claim the ninth wicket. Daniel Moseley chipped in with 1 for 4, while captain Dollinger contributed in the field with a sharp run out of Wadhwa.

Didcot's lower order managed to add a few runs through Tallick's brisk 7, but the required rate had long since spiralled beyond reach. The visitors finished on 76 for 9 from 14.1 overs, well short of the target. It was a commanding team performance from the Scorchers, with nine bowlers used and wickets shared across five of them, demonstrating the depth of Jamie Dollinger's squad at this early stage of the season.