4th XI vs Binfield

Naqi's Half-Century Not Enough as Sonning 4th XI Fall to Binfield

Sonning 4th XI's captain Syed Naqi led from the front with a defiant 69, but his side ultimately succumbed to Binfield in their Division 10A clash at home on Saturday. After winning the toss and electing to bat, Sonning posted 146-9 from their allotted 40 overs, a target which Binfield chased down comfortably, reaching 147-1 with more than six overs to spare.

Sonning's innings got off to a poor start when opener Mayank Rawat was bowled by Rakesh Sugumar for just 2 runs. Captain Naqi steadied the ship and anchored the innings with his determined 69, but found little support from his teammates as Ian Goddard tore through the Sonning middle order with a remarkable six-wicket haul.

Arun Raghavendra contributed 14 runs before falling to Aiden Van Der Walt, caught by an unidentified fielder. Joshua Jones (8) and Mike Eaton (8) were the only other batsmen to reach single figures as Goddard's devastating spell yielded figures of 6-12 from his eight overs, including three lbw dismissals.

Binfield's bowling attack demonstrated excellent discipline throughout, with Rakesh Sugumar (1-25), Jaden Slaughter (1-31) and Aiden Van Der Walt (1-30) providing able support to the dominant Goddard. The visitors conceded just 19 extras while maintaining pressure throughout the Sonning innings.

In response, Binfield's chase was built around a solid 55 from opener Aarush Cheeti, who guided his team confidently towards their target. Despite Mike Eaton claiming the only wicket to fall, catching Cheeti off his own bowling, Binfield's batsmen were largely untroubled as they accumulated runs at a steady pace.

Sonning's bowlers toiled diligently with Ali Ansari (0-14 from 5 overs) and Isaac Blakey (0-25 from 7 overs) delivering economical spells, but they couldn't find the necessary breakthroughs to put pressure on the Binfield batting lineup. The visitors scored at a comfortable rate, reaching their target in the 34th over to secure a convincing nine-wicket victory.

The result leaves Sonning with work to do in Division 10A, though captain Naqi's battling performance provides a positive foundation for upcoming fixtures. Binfield, meanwhile, will be particularly pleased with Goddard's exceptional bowling display and Cheeti's assured batting, which proved the difference between the sides on the day.