4th XI vs Staines and Laleham

Staines Fall Short in Seven-Run Defeat

Staines came up just short in a tightly-contested friendly match against Sonning at Berkshire County Sports Club, falling seven runs short of their target. After winning the toss and electing to bat, Sonning posted a competitive 174 all out before Staines and Laleham responded with 167-9 from their full allocation of 40 overs.

Syed Naqi was the standout performer for Sonning, striking a fluent 56 from just 51 deliveries, including ten boundaries. Captain Charles Astwood provided solid support with a well-constructed 40, the pair sharing a crucial 109-run partnership for the second wicket after James Travers fell early without scoring.

The innings took a dramatic turn when Joe J ripped through Sonning's middle order, claiming an impressive 5-18 from his five overs. Matthew Dawes offered late resistance with a valuable 32, adding important partnerships with Joshua Jones and Sunit Bansode to help Sonning reach 174 before being dismissed in the 34th over.

Staines and Laleham's chase began disastrously as Syed Adnan removed Tom Crump with the score still on zero, before Alex B was run out without troubling the scorers. At 13-4, the visitors appeared to be heading for defeat until Sai S, hitting 60 from 78 balls with ten boundaries.

Sai S found crucial support from Peter P (19) as the pair added 51 for the sixth wicket, gradually turning the match in Staines and Laleham's favor. Despite Syed Naqi's economical 2-8 from five overs and disciplined bowling from James Travers (1-20 from seven), the visitors continued to chip away at the target.

The match remained in the balance until the final overs, with Ameya A providing the finishing touches with an unbeaten 21 from 23 balls, guiding Staines and Laleham to 167-9 from their 40 overs. Sonning's bowlers maintained their discipline throughout, with five of their nine bowlers claiming wickets, but ultimately fell short by the narrowest of margins.

The result reflected a competitive encounter between two evenly matched sides, with Sonning's strong batting performance countered by Joe J's five-wicket haul.