Match Reports 2011

17th April  1st XI v Radlett (Friendly) by Adam Stanier

Sunbury Won the toss and elected to bat on a used wicket at Radlett. 2010 stalwart Max Hall was removed very early on, which bought the new arrival Trevor Keen to the crease for the first time in England. Keen began solidly and spent some needed time settle in to English conditions. Keen was comfortably assisted by the fluent Spencer who scored 37 inside 10 overs. Sean Ventham, Adam Stanier and MCC Young Cricketer Stuart Poynter added some momentum toward the middle and later stage of the innings, which left Sunbury with a respectable score of 178 in their allotted 40 overs.

Radlett began slowly due to a tight spell by Matt Nichols. However, it was the spinners who really took full advantage of very dusty conditions. Todd, Keen and Page shared the early wickets. It was the skill and finesse of Sunbury colt Haroom Aslam which caught the attention of the supporters, as Aslam finished with figures of 4 - 20 from his allocated 8 overs. Skipper Adam Stanier commented "Aslam showed great maturity and bowled with an excellent line. He has potential to be a useful 1st team player this year". Radlett's lower order provided some big hits to get close to Sunbury's total in the final overs, but tight spells from Todd and Aslam forced Radeltt 18 short on the day.

In summary it was a solid start to the pre season and the cobwebs seemed well blown out. There could be great things to come from this young prosperous and efficient group of players.

1st May  1st XI v Wycombe House (Conference Cup 1st Round) by Olly Roland-Jones

Sunbury progressed to the second round of the Conference Cup with little difficulty, overpowering a disappointingly weak Wycombe House on Sunday 1st May. Max Hall starred with the bat, finishing unbeaten on 112 and carrying his bat through the Sunbury innings.

Sunbury's total of 253 owed much to Hall's contribution, and was given its foundations by a fine opening partnership between Hall and Darren London, who played some fine shots over the offside in reaching his half century. Punchy cameos from Justin Granger and Olly Roland-Jones, helped Sunbury towards the 200 mark, before Shane White and Sean Ventham reminded of their ability to clear the boundary, all the while Hall compiling quietly. Hall reached his century in the final over of the innings and then bludgeoned two consecutive sixes to leave the home side utterly deflated at the mid-innings break.

Matthew Todd took the new ball with Justin Granger, and although it was Todd who immediately looked the more threatening, it was Granger who took the opening wicket, the batsman playing all round a full, straight ball. Todd finished with 3-17 from his 9 overs to blow away the remainder of the top order and Chris Page rolled back the years, keeping things tight and picking up a couple of wickets. Some spirited hitting from the last pair provided some entertainment and some massive sixes, though they were aided by a short leg side boundary, and more crucially some poor Sunbury fielding, with a number of regulation chances shelled. Wycombe House finished on 153 a.o and Sunbury won by 100 runs.

7th May  1st XI v Reigate Priory (Surrey Championship) by Olly Roland-Jones

Middlesex, Ireland and Sunbury star Paul Stirling put in a stellar performance with bat and ball as Sunbury opened their 2011 campaign in fine style, with a resounding 114 run victory over reigning champions Reigate Priory.

Winning the toss and batting, Sunbury started positively with Stirling making his intentions clear from the word go, carving boundaries through and over the offside in the third over, while John Maunders, who comparatively was more sedate, was still looking to be positive, hitting one memorable drive past the returning Aaron Pope, who missed 2010 through injury. While even the best batsman often take time to move through the gears, Stirling went straight for the KERS button, launching a withering assault on the Priory bowlers which rendered the fielders as spectators for much of his innings and including one huge six, hit with a straight bat over extra cover - the first of several lost balls. It was somewhat of a surprise when Maunders managed to hit a Simon King full toss to deep mid-wicket to depart for 20, and with the score on 98-2 with barely ten overs passed, Stirling departed for 68 made from 28 balls when he tried one shot too many off Toby Briggs, the pick of the Reigate bowling with 4-52.

Adam London and Oliver Roland-Jones were able to build on such a fantastic start, accumulating and running hard during their partnership of 112, with both batters passing 50. Although Roland-Jones was stumped for 64, Gavin Spencer maintained the momentum of the innings, rotating the strike well with London, while still picking up the occasional boundary. With a century in sight, London was LBW to Briggs for 78, and though no other batsman made a significant contribution, Spencer did the bulk of the scoring to take Sunbury past 300, reaching his own half-century in the process; the innings closed on 321-8.

Chasing such a score always requires a positive approach and a good start and Reigate achieved both; Macdonald and Perkins both playing positively, before Macdonald fell to the economical Adam Stanier, who bowled his ten overs straight through, finishing with 1-38. Justin Granger snared the key wicket of Murtagh and although Foster played a fine hand, Reigate were always behind the eight ball, particularly on a pitch that was offering generous turn - keeping Sunbury's three spinners interested through the middle overs. When Foster was dimissed for 88- another to fall to the dreaded full-toss - to give Stirling his third wicket, Reigate were 200-8. There was still time for George Pearce to pick up his first wicket at this level and for Maunders to throw down the stumps from mid-off, the icing on the cake after a superb fielding display.