U13 Sabres v East Woodhay Under 13

Sabres Fall Short as East Woodhay Chase Down 95 with Ease at Knowl Hill

Sonning U13 Sabres suffered a disappointing defeat at home to East Woodhay in the BYCL Under 13 Challenge (Tier 1) West on 6th July, as the visitors chased down a target of 95 with seven wickets in hand and more than eight overs to spare.

Having been inserted after East Woodhay won the toss and elected to field, the Sabres were given a flying start by Izaan Baloch, who batted with real intent at the top of the order. Baloch struck five fours in a brisk 30 from just 22 balls before retiring not out, setting the platform for what appeared to be a competitive total. Alongside him, Utkarsh Sinha anchored the innings with a patient 25 from 46 deliveries, including three boundaries, and the pair put on an excellent opening partnership of 61 runs that gave Sonning early momentum.

The partnership's end, however, triggered a dramatic collapse. Anay Patel contributed a brief cameo of 5 before being caught by Henry Helinski off Isaac Smith, and Dhruv Reddy Kantigari followed for just 1, also falling to Smith, as the score slipped from 61 for nought to 63 for two. Vinudi Jayawardana Weerasinghe battled through 17 balls for 2 before being bowled by Fin Edminson, and when Sinha was finally caught off Ted Slatter at 82 for four, the innings was in freefall.

The middle and lower order offered little resistance. Captain Divik Gupta was caught off Joshua Hill for a duck, Ali Shah lasted just two balls before also being caught off Slatter, and Samuel Edwards was bowled by Hill first ball. Aiden Angell was run out without scoring, and the Sabres limped to 94 for eight from their 20 overs. Ted Slatter was the pick of the East Woodhay attack with figures of 2-3 from two overs, including a maiden, while captain Hill matched him with 2-3 from his own two-over spell. A total of 30 extras — including 16 wides and six no-balls — flattered the Sonning total somewhat.

East Woodhay's reply was emphatic. Fin Edminson was devastating at the top of the order, smashing 30 from just 12 balls, an innings laced with five fours and a six. He retired not out having put on 21 for the first wicket with Thomas Barratt and a further 20 for the second wicket with Jasper Cox. Dhruv Reddy Kantigari provided the Sabres with an early breakthrough when Barratt was caught behind by Anay Patel for 1, but the visitors barely blinked.

Izaan Baloch added a wicket to his earlier batting heroics when he bowled Cox for 11, and Abhinav Surisetty trapped Oliver West lbw for 6, but these dismissals were mere interruptions. Captain Joshua Hill anchored the chase with an assured unbeaten 28 from 22 balls, striking five fours as he and West put on 32 for the third wicket. Ted Slatter chipped in with an unbeaten 4 as East Woodhay reached 95 for three in just 11.3 overs.

For the Sabres, the bowling figures reflected the difficulty of defending a modest total. Dhruv Reddy Kantigari was the most economical of the Sonning bowlers with 1-6 from his two overs, while Divik Gupta's tidy spell of 0-10 offered some control. However, Vinudi Jayawardana Weerasinghe's two overs cost 23 runs, and Abhinav Surisetty conceded 18 from 1.3 overs despite claiming a wicket. The Sabres will rue a batting collapse that saw them lose eight wickets for just 33 runs after that promising opening stand, ultimately leaving them with a total that was never enough against a strong East Woodhay line-up.