Stoke Row Vs. Emmbrook & Bearwood

Date: 18th July, 2009.

Venue: Newlands Lane, Stoke Row.

Toss: Emmbrook & Bearwood won the toss and elected to field.

Result: Stoke Row won by 183 runs.

Pitch: Remarkably placid despite the overnight rain – a very ‘dead’ track that offered little to the bowlers. Many thanks to Peppard’s Martin Evans for the use of both his time and mower after Row’s packed up on the Tuesday.

Weather: As with the preceding week, a real mixture – sun, rain, heat, wind.

Highlights: A Stoke Row record opening stand of 269 between Nick Howell (134*) and Will Macdonald (118*). Howell’s hat trick, allied to Sam Boughton’s (2-13) and Dion Sampson’s (2-32). The blinding one-handed catches by Darren Clark and Sampson. The chanting of Barbershop Quartet Dicky Lunnon, Marcus Lunnon, Josh Browne and Noddy Holder – ‘Give Paddy a bowl’ was perhaps the finest of the songs.

Catering: The single greatest tea I have eaten in 15 years of playing cricket. Stoke Row have something of a reputation for producing top class teas (Marcus Lunnon, Sue Boughton, Sam Fletcher, Pat Ashton etc.), but Suzanne Armstrong’s debut effort boggled the mind. EIGHT different sandwich fillings (including Bacon and Egg, Sausage, Tuna and Sweetcorn, Ham and Mustard) were supplemented by chicken nuggets with a tray of four different sauces (hoy, sweet and sour, BBQ and tomato ketchup). A mix of fruit (including the biggest strawberries this correspondent has ever seen), home made sausage rolls (quite beautiful), and even a TIRAMISU (also a carrot cake and lemon slices – with bowls and spoons!) made this offering inspired. It honestly could have satisfied two games. Unreal, and worthy of a ‘ten out of five’ on the mark card.


Report: Nick Howell and Will Macdonald enjoyed a fabulous and record-setting opening partnership as Stoke Row romped to an emphatic 183 run victory over an under-strength Emmbrook and Bearwood side at Newlands Lane last Saturday. Howell backed this up with the first hat trick in Row’s ten year league history as the Maharajas advanced to sixth in a tightly congested FNG-BCL Premier Division table.

Having won the toss, Emmbrook captain Steve Phipps elected to insert Stoke Row on a wicket that was still drying following the torrential downpour which afflicted much of the county on Friday. However, despite excellent opening spells from youngster Andrew Lazenbury, who shows considerable promise for the coming years, especially if he overcomes his apparent tendency to let his head drop after just one bad delivery, and the more experienced and economical Alan Clacey, saw Howell and Macdonald restrained in the early exchanges. Thus Row stood on 80-0 after 20 overs.

However, in the knowledge that Row’s batting line up possessed both depth and power, the duo were able to accelerate rapidly against the Bearwood change bowlers. Howell was the first to register his second half century of the season, proving particularly effective at putting away anything short on the leg side. With Macdonald striking a succession of divine cover drives, the pair combined to post the first century opening stand of Row’s 2009 season, and then continued to progress with remarkable serenity.

It took until the 31st over for the first chance to be offered as Phipps dropped a Macdonald drive off his own bowling. Two overs later, and just one run shy of a maiden league ton, Howell was shipped at square leg by Paul Dolan – an unfortunate incident that resulted in the fielder being taken to the Royal Berkshire hospital. A worthy mention must be made of both Charlie Macdonald, who drove Dolan to the hospital, and Stoke captain Rich Ashton, who fielded the final seven overs of the innings and very nearly ran out Macdonald!

Following Howell’s lead, and, despite the best efforts of his skipper, Macdonald accelerated in rapid order and, having taken Tim Hamilton for 23 in one over, he reached a first hundred of the season before closing on a stunning unbeaten 118. With Howell reaching 134, Stoke declared on 269-0 after 40 overs, foregoing the opportunity to smash the league record opening partnership in order to ensure they had sufficient time to secure a crucial 35 point victory.

In reply, a placid wicket ensured that Stoke’s opening spin duo, Macdonald and Dion Sampson, were unable to make any early headway. Indeed, it took the medium pace of Row’s third Select XI star, Sam Boughton, and the willingness of Paddy Hennessy to stand up to the stumps to make the crucial breakthrough – Jason Davies being trapped leg before for 7.

Shortly after, Emmbrook skipper Steve Phipps’ excellent and defiant 40 was ended by the returning Sampson, as the captain was caught well at long on by centurion Howell. Three balls later another contender for catch of the season was taken by Darren Clark, as, running back from short mid wicket, he claimed a one-handed blinder to dismiss the classy Tim Hamilton. This truly reflected the standard of Stoke’s fielding which has steadily but noticeably improved from the early part of May.

With E&B on the ropes it was Howell who hastened the visitors demise. Having struggled to gain a rhythm bowling over the wicket, he switched around and claimed a stunning hat trick over the course of his fifth and sixth overs. First, he cleaned up Andrew Lazenbury with the final ball of the fifth over, before trapping Virona leg before in a manner similar to Kevin Pietersen’s felling by Glen McGrath at Old Trafford during the 2005 Ashes. With the kind of field set not seen at Newlands Lane since the departure of Jonny Clark 3 years ago – 5 slips, a gully, a leg slip and leg gully – Howell then bowled a pacy leg stump Yorker to dismiss Carson and send the tight knit Marharajas into raptures.

An impressive display of obduracy int the face of adversity was given by Stuart Fairhead and Alan Clacey, yet this stand was ended as Boughton dismissed the latter with a delivery which bounced more than expected and looped to gully, where Sampson claimed another magnificent one handed catch. Again, as mentioned earlier, Stoke Row’s fielding has been electric in the past few weeks and is a significant factor in their recent run of positive results.

With a late withdrawal and the unfortunate injury to Dolan meaning Row required just eight wickets, it fell to Clark to claim the last dismissal as Fairhead’s gutsy knock was ended as he inside edged the left arm spinner onto his stumps. Thus Stoke Row claimed 35 points to E&B’s 0.

In other results from week 12 of the fiercely competitive FNG-BCl Premier Division, Grosvenor now head the table for the first time following a 145 run demolition of Pinkneys Green. Having posted another impressive total, 239-6, Grosvenor then dismissed the hosts for just 94, with Mushtaq Ahmed claiming 6-37. It certainly appears that the league leaders have hit their straps at the right time, and they are now undoubtedly favourites to claim a maiden league triumph.

Elsewhere, Swindon NALGO moved up to second on the back of a thrilling one wicket success at Sandhurst. Despite Graham Sanders elegant 82, Sandhurst were only able to notch 179. In reply NALGO reached 182-9 to secure a thrilling and vital win.

The shock of the day occurred at Crown Wood, where a Ravi Godbole-inspired Wood eased to a five wicket win over previous league laders and reigning champions Mortimer West End. Despite Bob Hodson’s 60, Godbole (3-28) and Tim Malik (3-32) restricted MWE to just 126 All Out. With captain Godbole making 40, the hosts claimed a remarkable victory to place West End third and keep Crown dreams of a maiden title alive.

Lastly, Sulhamstead’s miserable run of three straight defeats was ended emphatically as they annihilated Peppard by 9 wickets at the Jack Booth ground. With Paddy Phillips claiming 4-25, Peppard were dismissed for just 89, and, with Tristan Evans continuing his excellent form with 59, the hosts eased to 90-3 from just 21 overs.

All in all the league just gets tighter and tighter, and week 13 will again proved pivotal. Grosvenor host a Sandhurst side who will be disappointed to have suffered a loss and two losing draws from thie past three fixtures, whilst second placed Swindon NALGO will look to gain revenge for their early season defeat to Stoke Row.

In what may prove a tantalising contest, Peppard host a Crown Wood side who have claimed victory in three of their past four games. Lastly, one would expect Mortimer West End to return to winning ways in their clash with Pinkneys Green, whilst Sulhamstead would expect to beat bottom of the table Emmbrook & Bearwood. Alas, and as has been proven so many times before, this league is nothing if not unpredictable.