Date: 12th June, 2010.
Venue: Newlands Lane, Stoke Row.
Toss: Crown Wood won the toss and elected to bat.
Result: Stoke Row (8) lost to Crown Wood (35) by 37 runs.
Pitch: Very good. A touch of grass allowed some seam movement, but generally excellent for batting on.
Weather: Pleasantly warm with the occasional patch of cloud cover mixed with glorious sunshine.
Tea: A fine effort from Dion Sampson and Christopher Young that included a wide variety of rolls, pizza, savouries, fruit and ‘junk food’.
Highlights: Ali Malik’s match-winning performance (92 & 3-45), Timi Malik (3-43) and Rob Crook (3-48) also bowled well for Wood. Will Macdonald (3-49) and Darren Clark (3-64) were leading wicket-takers for Row, though Sam Fletcher was arguably the pick of the attack (11-2-28-2). Paddy Hennessy (51) and Fletcher (42) offered resistance.
Quote of the Match: ‘Is it just me, Will, or have you lost a lot of weight?’ Crown Wood captain John Cartledge to opposite number Will Macdonald in the 1st over of the Maharajas innings!
Report: Stoke Row slipped to a last ball defeat against relegation rivals Crown Wood to ensconce themselves firmly in the relegation zone as they suffered a 37 run reverse.
Having won the toss, Crown Wood captain John Cartledge elected to bat first on a fine track at Newlands Lane, and was rewarded with a fine opening partnership of 60 between Thamindu Wedatlike and Gary Sargeant. Although both Dion Sampson and the returning Sam Fletcher bowled well, it was only in the 14th over that Bath University man Fletcher broke the opening sortie, courtesy of a fine catch by Christopher Young at square leg.
This breakthrough enabled Stoke Row to gain a much-needed foothold in the game, and they followed this up with change bowlers Darren Clark and Sam Boughton both grabbing breakthroughs early in their respective spells to leave Wood on 68-3. When a breezy cameo from Dan Cartledge was ended by Clark, who then trapped Timi Malik leg before shortly after, Row had claimed the ascendancy with Crown 100-5.
However, there is perhaps no truer saying than the one which suggests ‘when a side is struggling, small mistakes get mightily punished’. And so it came to pass. A missed stumping from former captain Ashton when Ali Malik was on just 6, coupled with a brace of difficult chance being put down before the batsman reached 30, proved the ultimate difference in the fixture as the number 5 went on a devastating display of hard-hitting.
Though Will Macdonald was able to eke out the batsman who attempted to support Malik, a succession of huge sixes were hit by the man-of-the-match as he smote a crucial 92 until finally falling to a fine catch at deep square leg by Paddy Hennessy off a bouncer from the returning Fletcher. Yet even after he fell, an excellent cameo from Chris Allwright, including a superb straight driven six, pushed Crown Wood to a score of 221-9.
In the knowledge that on the previous weekend Slough 4’s had amassed a ground record 324 on a TVL game against Henley, the Maharajas believed that the score was certainly par but nothing more, although they suffered an early setback as stand-in keeper Allwright took an excellent catch down the leg side to dismiss Macdonald for just 5.
An excellent 56 run second wicket stand between Hennessy and a rejuvenated Rich Armstrong pushed Row to 61, before the latter played a somewhat lazy drive straight to captain Cartledge at cover. Yet this did little to disrupt the Row innings as Fletcher displayed all the class the Newlands Road faithful have come to acknowledge. At drinks Stoke stood at 86-2 after 22 overs, with the game seemingly very much in the balance.
Following the interval, Hennessy reached an excellent maiden Premier League half century but then fell to a slightly indeterminate shot to be caught at long on off the bowling of Ali Malik. Likewise, Fletcher reached an excellent 42 before being caught in the same position to leave Stoke Row 133-4 with 12 overs remaining.
Sam Boughton and Darren Clark began something of a salvage operation, pushing the game to a state of play where the Maharajas required 82 from the last 10 with 6 wickets in hand until the latter unfortunately had to retire hurt having ‘popped’ his shoulder whilst playing a drive. Row 142-6.
What followed was difficult to comprehend for Stoke Row, but compelled Crown Wood to a sensational victory. Firstly the destructive Boughton was caught at short mid wicket off Timi Malik, then Young fell first ball to Rob Crook, Malik cleaned up Ashton and Crook repeated the trick to Sampson to leave Stoke 172-8 as Clark returned to the fold.
Yet more drama was to follow as Ali Malik had Josh Browne groping and stumped in the third from last over, before Clark and Alan May saw Row through to the final over to be bowled by Crook. A single off the first ball by Clark was followed by a sumptuous straight drive from May off the fourth ball. The fifth saw a claim for a catch at gully which was turned down for a bump ball. Alas, Stoke had not escaped the hangman’s noose, and Crook’s majestic quicker ball accounted for May and sent the ‘Woodies’ into delirium having recorded their first victory of what has proved a troubled campaign.
In other results, Mortimer West End continued their relentless march towards a second league title in three years as they disposed of Sandhurst by 4 wickets off the back of Bob Hodson’s (6-39). Sulhamstead remain their nearest, albeit distant, rivals following a 6 wicket triumph over Woodley, aided by James Lattimore’s 79. Woodcote rose up to third following a winning draw over Peppard, with run machine, and renowned cake lover, James Wheeler posting 77, and Steve Henderson 50. Senthil Munisamy made 58 for Peppard. Lastly Harlington remain bottom but gained their first positive result of the season following a winning draw over champions Grosvenor – Amjad Raja hit 72 and Faisal Khan continued his fine form with 52.
Next week sees Mortimer West End come up against a Woodley side who’s three match winning streak was ended last Saturday, whilst Sulhamstead match up against Grosvenor. Third placed Woodcote head to Crown Wood in a game which will have consequences at both ends of the table, whilst Sandhurst will be aiming to end their poor run with a positive result against a Peppard side who have similarly gone off the boil over the past fortnight. Lastly, the bottom two clash as Stoke Row host Harlington in a crucial fixture for both sides.
