U13 Sharks v Littlewick Green Under 13

Sharks Fall Short as Littlewick Green Chase Down 130 with Overs to Spare

Sonning U13 Sharks posted 129 all out after being asked to bat first by Littlewick Green, but it proved insufficient as the hosts reached their target in just 17.5 overs, losing only four wickets in a friendly fixture on 29 June.

Inserted into bat after Littlewick Green won the toss, the Sharks endured a difficult start. Saurav Sivaram departed for just 1, caught by captain Harry Warren off his own bowling, before Monty Roberts struck twice in quick succession. Henry Verrier Jones fell caught for 7, having struck the only boundary of the top order's contribution, and Ishan Jithendriya was bowled for 1, leaving Sonning wobbling at 21 for 3.

Namit Desai's arrival at the crease steadied the innings significantly. The number four batsman played the innings of the day for Sonning, compiling 21 from 27 balls with three fours and an impressive six. Together with Henry Bright, who ground out 9 from 26 deliveries, the pair rebuilt through a crucial fourth-wicket partnership worth 59 runs that took the score from 21 to 80. The stand was broken when captain Charlie Bright fell cheaply for 1, caught by Roberts off Ewan Mustoe, and Desai was subsequently run out to end his valuable knock.

Elijah Patel provided useful late resistance, finishing unbeaten on 7 from 18 balls, while cameos from Jamie Dollinger (6 off 4), Finn Reid (8 off 10) and Suvir Jaryal (5 off 3) pushed the total past the 120 mark. A generous 59 extras — including 27 wides and 19 byes — significantly inflated the Sharks' final tally. Warren was the pick of the Littlewick Green attack, claiming 3 for 16 from his three overs, while Roberts returned tidy figures of 2 for 7 from two overs.

The Sharks made an encouraging start with the ball as Suvir Jaryal bowled an excellent opening spell, conceding just 3 runs from 1.4 overs with a maiden and the key wicket of Ewan Mustoe, bowled for 9. Elijah Patel then removed Toby Dudderidge, bowled for 10, to reduce Littlewick Green to 38 for 2, giving Sonning a glimmer of hope.

However, Leo Samuel-Gibbon and Harry Warren extinguished any prospect of a Sharks victory with a commanding third-wicket stand worth 67 runs. Samuel-Gibbon was the more aggressive of the pair, smashing 34 from just 22 balls with two fours and three sixes before retiring not out. Warren was equally destructive, striking 30 from 27 deliveries — including three fours and two sixes — before also retiring. Their partnership effectively settled the contest, taking Littlewick Green from 38 for 2 to well within sight of the target.

Jamie Dollinger and Henry Bright each claimed a wicket in the latter stages, Dollinger bowling Hugo Allies for 5 and Bright having Maxi Feiler caught by Sibikumar Muthukumaran for a duck. Monty Roberts, however, guided the hosts home with an unbeaten 8, as Littlewick Green reached 131 for 4 with more than two overs remaining. While the Sharks will be disappointed with the result, Desai's composed batting and Jaryal's disciplined opening spell offered genuine positives from a testing afternoon away from home.