U11 Sabres v Finchampstead Under 11 Falcons

Green's Explosive Knock Drives Sabres to Victory Over Finchampstead

Sonning U11 Sabres secured a convincing win at King George's Field on 1 June, chasing down Finchampstead's total of 94 with 15 runs to spare in this BYCL Under 11 Challenge (Tier 1) fixture. Alexander Green was the star of the show, blazing an unbeaten 25 off just 13 balls to propel the Sabres past the target in emphatic fashion.

Finchampstead won the toss and elected to bat, with captain Nathan Black providing the backbone of their innings. Black struck three fours in a fluent 16 off 12 deliveries, while Digby Willoughby contributed a brisk 13 off 12 balls. Rufus Young added useful late impetus with 14 off 15 balls, and Orry Young chipped in with 8 off 9, but the visitors struggled to build sustained momentum against disciplined Sonning bowling.

The Sabres' attack shared the wickets impressively, with four different bowlers claiming a scalp apiece. Alexander Green was the pick of the bunch, returning outstanding figures of 1-6 from three overs, including a maiden. Alexander Hatchett-Walker matched his economy, taking 1-6 from two overs with a maiden of his own. Ridith Kandadi (1-14 from three overs) and Harry Waite (1-8 from two overs) also struck, while Arthur Teed bowled a tidy spell of 0-9 from two overs with a maiden, helping to restrict the visitors to 94-7 from their 16 overs.

Sonning's reply began solidly as Ridith Kandadi carried his good form with the ball into his batting, top-scoring among the early order with 16 off 15 balls, including two fours. Captain Lewis Towner kept things ticking with a composed 13 off 13 deliveries, finding the boundary twice, while Hatchett-Walker played a valuable hand of 12 off 11 balls.

The middle order wobbled slightly, with Sonning losing five wickets across the innings, but the Sabres always had enough contributors to keep the scoreboard moving. Ranbir Setia (3), Niko Jordinson (3) and Harry Waite (4) all occupied the crease and rotated the strike during tighter periods.

The match was effectively settled when Green strode to the crease at number seven and unleashed a remarkable display of clean hitting. His 25 not out featured five fours — nearly half of Sonning's boundary count — and came at a strike rate well above 190. Arthur Teed provided steady support at the other end with an unbeaten 6 off 11 balls as the pair guided the Sabres home without further loss.

Sonning finished on 109-5 from their 16 overs, earning a full 20 league points. It was a comprehensive all-round display from the Sabres, with contributions across the squad and a match-winning cameo from Green that the Finchampstead bowlers simply had no answer to.