1st XI vs Harpsden

Laban-Jeffries and Zahid Demolish Harpsden as Sonning Cruise to Victory

Sonning 1st XI produced a dominant bowling display to secure a comprehensive victory against Harpsden in their Division 2B league fixture. After posting a respectable 221 for 8 in their allocated 52 overs, Sonning's bowlers ripped through the Harpsden batting lineup, dismissing them for just 88 runs in 25.1 overs.

Having won the toss and elected to bat, Sonning's innings was built around solid contributions from Peter Higginbottom (37) and captain Peter Dean (28). The pair provided a stable platform before Mohammed Zahid (9) and Duncan Parr (17) kept the scoreboard ticking. Dion Laban-Jeffries added valuable late-order runs with a well-constructed 25, helping Sonning push beyond the 200-mark.

Stefan Franklin was the pick of the Harpsden bowling attack, claiming 2 for 39 from his nine overs, while Zac Jones maintained good control with figures of 1 for 51 from 15 overs. Matt Stanley and Tom Dawson offered support but went wicketless as Sonning accumulated steadily throughout their innings.

In reply, Harpsden never looked comfortable against Sonning's disciplined bowling unit. Adam Birkett provided the only real resistance with 30 runs at the top of the order, but the home side collapsed spectacularly once he was trapped lbw by Mohammed Zahid.

The star performers with the ball for Sonning were Dion Laban-Jeffries, who claimed outstanding figures of 5 for 21 from seven overs, and Mohammed Zahid, who picked up 4 for 17 in 6.1 overs. Their combined efforts accounted for nine of the ten Harpsden wickets, with Ramish Ahmed (1 for 31) claiming the other.

Michael Longridge (0 for 5 from 4 overs) and Peter Higginbottom (0 for 3 from 2 overs) maintained exceptional economy rates, applying constant pressure to the Harpsden batsmen. Peter Dean was sharp behind the stumps, taking two catches, while Peter Higginbottom was equally impressive in the field with two catches of his own.

The 133-run victory sees Sonning continue their strong form in the Thames Valley Cricket League, further solidifying their position in Division 2B as they demonstrated their all-round capabilities with both bat and ball.