Sonning Innings
for ( Overs)
Match Report
Captain lost the toss (Note to self, must choose Tails every time!) and the opposition put us in to bat which was a good thing as we still only had 6 players at that stage. We started 20 mins late due to heavy traffic on the way down from Sonning but eventually we got underway with Ethan’s Dad, Richard offering his services which left Wildthing to do his “Thang”. Progress was slow with an early loss in the opening partnership with only 10 runs on the board, Steve unfortunately playing around a straight one. Gopi came in #3 and made a steady 44 which held up one end for a good 23 overs which in part, as a partnership with Syed (54) again getting over the half century, was valuable runs and steadied the ship. Jagz and Rahul followed after Syed’s final shot/demise collectively blasting a quick 32 between them in their traditional ambivalent style. With Rahul departing inviting Sunny in to stroke a steady 39 including two 6’s. Sunny and the captian had a brief interlude in the middle culminating in 20 (NO) for him, sadly Sunny didn’t stay for the duration which ushered in Richard Lacey, Matt Oxley and Ethan Lacey (0 NO) in succession at the crease for 217 for 8 after the 40 overs. NB I felt this was a little low on that track which had little for the bowlers to be honest and 240 would have been a better target. Now in the field, with Ethan ball in hand in his 1st over to their opener Hutton, he didn’t quite pick up Ethan’s 2nd delivery and half spooned it to mid off where Lacey (Senior) was waiting to gobble up the catch whilst on the move. A great Senior/Junior partnership offsetting our opening early batting loss. Ethan went on to take 3 for 27 over two spells the later 2 wickets during a difficult period in the game as the opposition had woken and where chasing hard. Up to that point we kept the run rate down with some solid fielding on a quick outfield adding 25 extras to the days play but at 20 overs the home side looked dead as they were sub 100 for 3 at this stage. Jagz had been up to his usual antics after Sunny passed him the ball also with a wicket on his 2nd ball of his opening over. He bowled through for 4 for 20 of 8 (2 Mdns) again a solid display that kept the middle order in check for most of the day with an additional wicket from Gopi again 1 for 30 of 8. The captain though asked for the team to keep on their toes as all it would take was a strong batsman to come in down the order and the game could turn around quickly. However, it seemed like it was going to be all over early doors, yet wait, their #8 batsman came in and the vision of that “game changer” started to turn into a reality. He whipped up an astonishing 60 in short order with a short boundary to the north of the ground at the car park end receiving it fair share of errant deliveries. The atmosphere was palpable and “Oohs and Ahhs” from the ensembled Sonning support (Oxleys, Wildings, Flemings + Rufus) and the incumbent support for the home side could be heard across the ground as the tension mounted. We had been in the ascendance all day and the match was now set for a showdown finish. That nagging feeling from earlier had started to really develop although Ethan’s 2nd spell from the non-car park end, generated 2 wickets preventing any sustained partnerships especially with the “Ethan Ball” (Yorker) dismissing their middle order who had been instrumental in their recovery thus far. So the scene was set, we needed a bowling change and after a some cajoling from Jagz I elected to bowl the last 2 overs from the car park end with their star batsman (wind behind and downhill) at the crease (gulp), so with 3 overs to go they needed 35 to steal the match. Some loose bowling and a few sixes and the tables would undoubtedly turn. We needed to keep them under 12 an over and with some aggressive striking the home side were certainly up for the challenge. The captain bowled his 1st over (loosener) and was carted for 12 which didn’t bode well, again Ethan from the other end faired slightly better so at the over change for the last 6 balls it was all there in the balance, this was going to be mighty close. I bowled at his legs to stop him driving the ball at the short car park boundary over long on/off which shipped a boundary but not the 6 we didn’t want, so taking a leaf from Ethan’s book it had to be an attempted yorker on leg stump, it was pretty much there to be honest as he played across the line, it bowled him and he was gone (for 70, phew!!!!) and with a few balls left to bowl, finally it was all over with them 8 runs short. A great all round effort and if all games were that close we would have our own Internet TV Cricket series for certain.
