After a week which contained substantial rainfall, Stoke Row somehow managed to take to the field against Pinkneys Green in their FNG-BCL Premier Division clash at Newlands Lane. Although the pitch was exceedingly damp to start with, the positive nature of both sides ensured that the game began, albeit a half hour later than usual at 2.00 p.m.
A potentially vital toss was won by Pinkneys’ stand-in captain Steve Greene, who unsurprisingly elected to bowl first. Despite missing regular opening bowlers Chris Anderson and Rizwan Tariq, the unavailability of Stoke’s Will Macdonald and Sam Fletcher meant that a reasonably even tussle should have ensued. However, the returning left-armer Damian Atherton, on season debut, altered this perception. A ball which swang late ensured that Richard Ashton’s travails continue, and the caught and bowled dismissal of Nowell beggared belief – Atherton made 15 yards in his follow through, towards mid-wicket, before snaffling a chance one-handed just inches from the ground. Such a display proves the quality of the FNG Premier League is as high as many local leagues. With Khan dismissing Vickers after a promising start, which hints at further runs in subsequent weeks, Row’s top order had again been blown away in quick order. The Maharajas languished on 15-3.
Yet in the face of adversity certain figures prosper. Whilst Stoke Row possesses undoubtedly the youngest side in the league, they do also possess talent and tactical awareness. The partnership between Sam Boughton, who improves with every game, and Paddy Hennessy, who looked extraordinarily good when one considers he has played just two innings in an injury-hit season, was application and consideration personified. With the outfield being of a length highly untypical of Row, the pair were forced to run many ‘twos’, but they played with a great serenity and gradually pushed the score along in the face of some accurate bowling from Pinkneys Green.
The breakthrough eventually came when Hennessy’s excellent rearguard innings of 24 was ended by a fine catch in the gully by Max Husseyn. At drinks Stoke Row were 61-4. However, in recent weeks George Baker has grown in stature as a batsman, and his arrival heralded a quick shift in momentum. Striking the ball cleanly, his blitzkrieg innings of 48 turned the game on it’s head, and, following a short rain delay which shortened the game to a potential 42 overs per side, Row looked comfortable on 120-4.
As has all too often been the case this seaon, though, Stoke suffered a collapse. On this occasion, the absence of four first team regulars (Pinkneys’ were missing six to even things out) may be seen as the root of the problem, rather than the inexplicable innings played by more senior players earlier in the season. The double wicket over produced by the returning Khan, whereby Baker and Dion Sampson had their stumps upended, shifted the balance of the game back in Green’s favour.
However, Boughton remained unflappable. Though Toby Fenn, Marcus Lunnon and Nick Windsor were all dismissed in rapid order, the twenty-one year old remained unfazed. Upping the tempo from a sensibly slow start, he proceeded to attack with true gusto, smashing four huge sixes to register another half-century and go beyond the milestone. With the field set back, many batsmen might consider taking two runs, but Boughton, with a certain ‘Napier-esque’ style, simply smashed the ball twenty-five yards over the boundary. When a batsman does that, any praise fails to do justice to the ability shown. Words must, however, be used, and, all that can be said, is that Boughton’s 70 not out, finally ended with a direct hit run out of number eleven Del Bateman by Greene, was as good an innings as seen recently at ‘The Rec’.
With Stoke aware of Pinkneys’ explosive batting nature (they had rattled up 207 in just 31 overs in the corresponding fixture), captain Ashton elected to take the old ball on a pitch which was still ‘holding’ for the medium pace of Baker, and turning and ‘spitting’ somewhat for the spin of Sampson. Sadly what would undoubtedly have evolved into an excellent game of cricket was ended after just 5.5 overs of Green’s innings, with the score 17-0.
In short, this game could again have proved to be the kind of FNG-BCL Premier Division ‘classic’ that Stoke Row have enjoyed in their maiden foray in the top division. With all teams, bar possibly the top two of Mortimer West End and Swindon NALGO, very evenly balanced, it has made for a great adventure. The Maharajas sit in fourth, and face a critical game against Shinfield next Saturday.
Next weekend’s visitors to Newlands Lane recorded a crucial and comprehensive victory over a Woodcote side deprived of key men Wheeler, Mayo and Gordon last week to haul themselves out of the relegation zone. Row will have to be particularly aware of Zahier Ahmed who took 4-6. In the other two games played in the Division, Sandhurst bounced back to form with a maximum points winning draw over Peppard in a game reduced to 41 overs per side, whilst Mortimer went top again, by just a solitary point, after Tom Prinn once again inspired West End to a 4 wicket win.
All in all, the FNG-BCL Premier Division now appears set for a fascinating two-horse race for the title between Swindon and Mortimer, whilst the other eight sides are so tightly matched that they will all still be looking over their proverbial shoulders so as to avoid a relegation scrap during August. Indeed, Swindon and Mortimer will also be looking to avoid any ‘freak results’ to a lesser side which could interrupt their potentially title-deciding and ‘winner-takes-all’ clash in five weeks time. With the league the way it is this year, however, one would not be surprised if many shocks continue to happen.
