4th XI vs Binfield

Sonning 4th XI Fall Short in Tight Chase Against Binfield

Sonning 4th XI suffered a narrow defeat at Claires Court Junior School on Saturday, falling 19 runs short in their pursuit of Binfield's 159-8 in their Thames Valley Cricket League Division 10A encounter.

After winning the toss and electing to field, Sonning's captain Kabir Dave led an impressive bowling performance, returning figures of 8-3-15-1. Isaac Blakey was the pick of the bowlers with 2-34, including the key wicket of Binfield captain James Bennett for a duck.

The home side's innings was built around several useful contributions rather than a standout performance. Zubair Ahmed anchored the top order with a patient 27 from 67 balls before falling to a run out, while Chris Bullett provided late acceleration with an unbeaten 28 from just 22 deliveries, including two sixes. Harry Jones also contributed a brisk 25 that featured three boundaries and a maximum.

Chasing 160 for victory, Sonning's reply began cautiously with David McLoughlin showing resilience at the top of the order. His innings of 33 from 71 deliveries provided a platform, but regular wickets kept Binfield in control. When McLoughlin finally departed at 73-4, Sonning needed to rebuild.

Kyle Dellar-Law (32 from 47 balls) and captain Kabir Dave (36 from 40) led the visitors' fightback with a determined middle-order partnership. Dave's innings featured four boundaries as he attempted to keep Sonning in touch with the required rate, but his dismissal at 140-10 signalled the end of Sonning's challenge.

Binfield's bowling attack shared the wickets, with Tony Smith proving most effective with 3-27 from his seven overs. Sugumar Daivasigamani was economical, conceding just 15 runs from his eight overs while claiming two wickets, including Paul Towner for a five-ball duck.

Despite the defeat, Sonning can take encouragement from their bowling performance and Dave's fighting innings as they collected eight bonus points – three for batting and five for bowling – in a competitive encounter against their local rivals.