U17 Scorchers v Binfield Under 17

U17 Scorchers Overhaul Binfield with Six Wickets to Spare at King George's Field

Sonning U17 Scorchers secured a comfortable victory over Binfield in the BYCL Under 17 T20 Blast West fixture on 13 August, chasing down a target of 94 with six wickets in hand and nearly six overs to spare at King George's Field.

Binfield, having won the toss and elected to bat, made a promising start through their opening pair of Joshua Snelling and Charlie Miles. The two put on 38 for the first wicket, with Snelling striking two fours and a six in his 15 from 23 balls before falling bowled to Aashmit Ghosh. Ghosh struck again immediately, removing Shaurya Bagde for a golden duck to leave Binfield 38 for 2 and suddenly under pressure.

Charlie Miles continued to anchor the innings, hitting two sixes in his knock of 19 from 26 deliveries, but Raja Shahroz Khan's introduction proved decisive. Khan bowled Miles to break the resistance at 46 for 3 and then ripped through the middle order, dismissing Taran Kiri (6) and Finn Mitchell (2) in quick succession to finish with impressive figures of 3-27 from his four overs. Captain Jaden Slaughter offered some resistance with 9 from 17 balls before being caught by George Mitchell off the bowling of Christopher Dowse.

The Sonning bowling attack shared the wickets effectively across six bowlers. Jack Durrant was particularly economical, claiming 2-12 from his four overs including the scalps of Monty Mitchell and Aadhav Muthu, the latter caught by George Mitchell who took two catches in the field. Ghosh's figures of 2-13 from four overs, including a maiden, were equally miserly. Binfield were eventually bowled out for 93 from 19.1 overs, with 33 extras — 30 of them wides — inflating the total considerably.

The Scorchers' reply began in emphatic fashion. Opener Abhiveer Rawat and Raja Shahroz Khan constructed a commanding opening partnership of 62, taking the chase well within reach. Rawat was the more aggressive of the two, cracking four boundaries in a fluent 20 from 21 balls before falling lbw to Binfield captain Slaughter.

What followed was a dramatic spell from Slaughter that threatened to turn the match on its head. In a superb display of captaincy by example, he dismissed Rawat, skipper Robert Jones — caught and bowled for a first-ball duck — and Henry Cook, also for nought, to reduce Sonning from 62 for 0 to 62 for 3 in the space of three deliveries. When Khan was trapped lbw shortly after, also to Slaughter, the Scorchers had slipped to 65 for 4 and Slaughter had remarkable figures of 4-10 from his four overs including a maiden.

George Mitchell and Jack Durrant steadied any nerves with a composed unbroken partnership. Mitchell was particularly assured, striking four fours in an unbeaten 17 from just 15 balls, while Durrant contributed a patient 6 not out from 11 deliveries. The pair guided Sonning home to 94 for 4 in 14.1 overs, aided by 34 extras from the Binfield attack. Mitchell's match contribution — two catches in the field and a match-finishing innings with the bat — made him a strong contender for the standout performer on the day.