A devastating pair of spells from Stoke Row spin bowlers Will Macdonald and Dion Sampson saw the Maharajas race to an emphatic seven-wicket triumph over visitors a somewhat depleted Shinfield at Newlands Lane on Saturday. Having dismissed Shinfield for just 90, Row then chased down their target in just 15.3 overs.
On a glorious July afternoon, Shinfield stand-in captain Zafier Akram elected to bat first on what turned out to be a very sluggish batting track, reminiscent of the kind produced by Bristol during their halycon one-day performances in the early part of the decade.
Such a pitch proved highly beneficial to a Stoke side deprived of opening bowlers Phillips and Fenn, and also hamstrung by the continual shoulder problems which afflict Sam Boughton, who remains unfit to bowl. In the absence of these three fine seamers, the responsibility of early containment fell upon the shoulders of medium pace bowlers George Baker and Marcus Lunnon. With 'league's best wicket-keeper' Titch Vickers standing up to the stumps from the off, and with Stoke's fielding suffocating the batsman, runs were hard to come by in the initial exchanges.
Further progress arrived for Stoke with Lunnon striking twice; firstly Gaylor was trapped L.B.W. to a ball which swung late, before the solid Austen was bowled by a similar delivery. However, Aust remained unbowed at the opposite end, and Mohammad Ilyas looked in fine touch following his arrival with the score at 27-2. A fine drive through cover, followed by a huge six off Baker, saw an increase in the tempo of the Shinfield innings, and the subsequent introduction of Sampson and Macdonald.
With the pitch encouraging a significant amount of turn, especially for Macdonald, Row were optimistic that these bowlers would be their main attacking weapons, but could not have envisaged their astonishing success. At 55-2, Ilyas played a fine slog-sweep, but, extremely unfortunately for the dangerous batsman, Baker did not have to move an inch to take a fine catch on the deep square-leg boundary.
From here, a procession ensued; Imran and Peffers were clean bowled by Macdonald, who also had Akram caught, whilst a stunning catch from Sam Fletcher accounted for Aust off the bowling of Sampson. With Vickers taking a fine catch off a Zafier Akram under-edge, Shinfield had crashed to 67-8.
A fighting rearguard was played by the experienced Lawrence Heaton-Wright and the more youthful Jack Gaylor, and the fifteen year-old certainly showed enough promise to suggest that he has a bright future in the FNG-BCL. However, despite this obduracy, the final denouement of the innings was not too long in coming as firstly Stockings took a juggled catch at mid-off, before Richard Ashton took a more serene slip catch. Thus Sampson concluded with the best figures of July so far (5-26), whilst Macdonald was no less impressive in recording 3-17 from 11 excellent overs.
After their shocking top-order collapses over the past two weeks, Row realised that nothing could be taken for granted in their pursuit of victory. However, the new-look opening partnership of Macdonald and Fletcher looked to be positive and looked in complete control until an unplayable delivery from Zafier Akram accounted for Fletcher, who had earlier hit the shot of the day with the most immaculate of cover drives any spectator is likely to see. The quick dismissal of Nowell, though, left Row 32-2, and on proverbial tenterhooks.
Fortunately for the home side, Macdonald was in imperious touch, and, joined by Boughton, the pair pushed the score to 76 before the latter received a superb delivery from Ilyas. Yet Stoke Row were not to be detterred, and Vickers closed the game out in style with a fine flick for four past square leg. Macdonald's superb performance culminated with his innings unbeaten on 43.
Thus Stoke Row's maiden Premier Division season continues to exceed their wildest expectations, and they stay in fourth place. In other FNG-BCL Premier Division games, Mortimer's ability to win tight games ensured that they remain top after a thrilling one-wicket win over Peppard, for whom Paul Vines again shone with bat and ball. Nearest challengers Swindon NALGO dropped a further six points off their rivals after failing to dismiss Woodcote, whilst Pinkneys Green remained in third after Jagsit Dhillon's unbeaten 92 saw them to a four wicket triumph over Sandhurst. Lastly, a Ravi Godbole inspired Crown Wood moved off the bottom of the table with a resounding 104 run victory over their replacements at the foot of the table, Embrook & Bearwood.
