2nd XI Match Report
The 2’s lost the toss and were asked to bat by Horley 2s on a parched Cutteslowe deck. Ben (31) and Sarosh (50) got us off to a spritely start scoring 70 off the first 10 overs, before a middle order wobble brought Usman (72) and Ajay (54) to the crease to consolidate and then up the run rate, which Samir (38*) continued to accelerate over the line to post 302 for 7. The Horley reply was short lived as Kunal (a remarkable 6 for 3) and Samir (3 for 46) left just one wicket for Ajay who administered the last rights to bowl Horley out for 58 in 18.2 overs and keep in the hunt for the Division 5B title chase.
Report by CB
4th XI Match Report
At Kennington, the 4s won a good toss to lose and decided to bowl first as clouds rolled in. Watlington 2s openers rather tucked into our bowlers and at 45-0 off 7 overs things were looking ominous. Enter Sam P (32-5 off 8) and his bewildering arsenal of variations. He snared the scalps of four Sajad Khan relatives (including a superb return catch he took inches off the ground diving forward full length) and claimed a well deserved 5-fer, with the visitor’s innings pegged back at 90-6 off 16. Youngsters Will T (18-1 off 6) and debutant Hugo dP (17-0 off 4) bowled with great control, but it took the guile and experience of Norm R (0-2 off 0.2) just two balls to bag the last two wickets and end some stiff lower order resistance.
Set 155 to win, we soon found ourselves in a spot of bother at 19-2 off 7. Opener Marc L (27) proceeded serenely to the game’s top score before being trapped lbw. Slipping ever further behind the required rate it took a freakish 19th over that went for 20 runs to get us back into the driving seat. Skipper Phil L (26) departed soon after, setting the stage for a 45-run game-changing partnership between 13-year old Danny R (17) and 12-year old Hugo dP (26*) to take the game deep. With 31 runs still required for victory, Yusuf R (19*) strode out to the middle, stoically survived ever more desperate appeals for lbws, and smashed the winning runs with 11 balls remaining, to claim a tight win by 3 wickets.
Big shout out to Stuart R for scoring the first innings, Ramesh P for umpiring, and all the hungry wolves that supported the team with their availability this week!
Report by PL.