2nd XI v Slough 4th XI

McLoughlin's Unbeaten 70 Anchors Sonning 2nd XI to Comfortable Chase at Slough

Sonning 2nd XI secured a convincing six-wicket victory away at Slough in Division 5B, chasing down 188 with more than five overs to spare thanks to a masterful unbeaten 70 from wicketkeeper Alex McLoughlin, who batted through the innings to steer his side home.

Captain Duncan Parr won the toss and elected to field at Slough's 2nd Ground, a decision that was vindicated by a disciplined bowling display. Ghulam Abbas and John Rimmer opened proceedings, with Abbas striking early to remove Ali Baig for 11, caught with the score on 28. Rimmer then bowled Haris Shahzad for 19 to leave Slough 35 for 2, and the hosts were under immediate pressure.

Sumant Pande and Ankur Dalal steadied the ship with a 39-run partnership for the third wicket, Pande striking four boundaries in his 24 before Abbas had him trapped lbw. Shenul Widanapathirana then made an important double intervention, removing both Dalal for 17 and Armaan Mohammed for 7 as Slough stumbled to 92 for 6. Parr was equally effective at the other end, his tidy nine overs yielding four maidens and just 24 runs, with the wickets of Parashurama Raykar and Raghav Sharma.

Slough captain Sohaib Pirzada launched a spirited rearguard, arriving at the crease with his side in dire straits at 92 for 6. He found an able partner in Muhammad Sohail Zafar, and the pair added 69 for the eighth wicket to drag Slough towards respectability. Pirzada was aggressive from the outset, striking seven fours and a six in a well-crafted 53 from 55 balls, while Sohail Zafar contributed a patient 30 from 51 deliveries. Hatib Khan eventually broke the stand, catching Pirzada off his own bowling via a smart take from McLoughlin behind the stumps, and then dismissed Sohail Zafar to wrap up the innings for 187 in 43.2 overs.

The Sonning reply began briskly as Sid Anilkumar cracked three fours in a rapid 16 from 16 balls before falling caught to Pirzada's bowling with the score on 33. McLoughlin, promoted to open, was already looking composed at the other end. He and Dan Anderson then constructed the innings' defining partnership, adding 60 for the second wicket. Anderson accumulated steadily, hitting five fours in his 28 from 63 balls before being stumped by Armaan Mohammed off Nitesh Seth with the total on 93.

Raoul Harding's brief stay yielded just 6 before Seth bowled him, but McLoughlin found another willing partner in Robert Jones. The pair put on 59 for the fourth wicket, Jones playing fluently for his 29 from 41 balls, including four boundaries. Jones was eventually bowled by Jaspreet Singh with the score on 164, but by then the target was well within reach. Zain Haider joined McLoughlin and the pair knocked off the remaining runs without further alarm.

McLoughlin's innings was the backbone of the chase — his 70 not out from 100 balls featured seven fours and, crucially, he was at the crease from start to finish, involved in partnerships of 33, 60, 12 and 59 with his four batting partners. The bowling attack deserved equal credit, with all five bowlers claiming exactly two wickets apiece, a remarkably even contribution that restricted Slough despite Pirzada's counter-attack. The 33 extras conceded by Slough's bowlers, including 23 wides, further eased Sonning's path as Parr's side collected a full 22 league points from an accomplished all-round display.