The line ups were very different from the last time the teams met back in June with each side only fielding 4 players from that match. This time Sunbury had a young side with 5 players from their U17’s whereas Galer had to call out the “old guard” with rare outings for David Loft and Ali Raja.

Galer won the toss and decided to bat.

A 4 from Ashwin Bhat in the 1st over before Ashwin (4) was caught at mid-off by Jack Greaves off the bowling of U17 Neral Gunawardena (5-2-14-1). Score 6-1 after 4 overs.
The sticky surface didn’t let Ali Raja and David Loft get going and we had only scored 11 runs from the 1st 9 overs, including a tight spell from Sunbury’s wily old campaigner Justin Grainger (3-2-4-0). Ali & Lofty then began to build some momentum with 37 runs coming from the next 7 overs as Ali hit 2 fours in the 10th over and the pair then matched each other run for run; and you couldn’t question their fitness as they ran 2’s, 3’s and even an all run 4 before Ali (17) was bowled by U17 Subhan Ramzan to see the Llamas at 48-2 in the 17th over.

Skipper Galer joined Lofty and the healthy run rate continued as the score went from 49 after 17 overs to 102 after 27 with Galer (24) playing some powerful straight drives before he got a nick to be caught behind by Robbie Hughes off the bowling of Nishant Madan whose speedy spinners were delivered at seamer pace off a 2 pace run up. Score 103-3 after 28th overs.

Lofty reached his 50 in the 30th over but it was Sunbury’s turn to work their way back into the game as, with the score on 122 in the 34th over, Hutch (4) came down the wicket to be stumped by Robbie Hughes off the bowling of U17 leg spinner Pratyush Ramesh.

Lofty’s fine innings came to an end in the 37th over when with the score on 139 and his own score on 77 he was caught at backward point to give U17 Subhan Ramaz his 2nd wicket (10-1-42-2). Fraser McGuinness then fell lbw to give fellow U17 Pratyush Ramesh his 2nd wicket (10-0-51-2) and the Llamas were pegged back to 139-6 with just 10 overs of the 48 left.

It was now the turn of the Priory youngsters to take the stage as U16 Jacob McLoughlin and U17 Will Hodgson took to their task with each hitting 2 fours before Will (17) was caught when his edge bounced off the keeper to be caught at slip by Justin Grainger for Nishant Madan’s 2nd wicket (10-2-35-2)

The Llama innings then fell away as Toby Briggs (2) was bowled by (another) U17 Chirag Dasghose who then caught Mobeen Tahir (4) at extra cover off (another) U17 Aaryan Pillai (7-0-30-1) to leave the Llamas at 180-9. Jacob McLoughlin (16) was last out to give U17 Chirag Dasghose his 2nd wicket (2.1-0-5-2) with the Llamas all out for 182 with 5 balls left.
The Sunbury U17’s accounted for 8 of the Llama wickets.

With the Llamas a little under par (200 would be more challenging) the Llamas made an early breakthrough when in the 4th over and the score on 4, Toby Briggs had Ali Khan (1) lbw.

Hutch almost got the 2nd wicket in the 8th over when he bowled U17 Subhan Ramzan but a front foot no-ball saved the youngster. Hutch saw Ashwin put a chance down but in the same over (the 10th) Hutch did get a wicket (9-0-47-1) when Toby took a shape chance at slip to get opener Arunan Sunthareeswaran out for 5 to see Sunbury 33-2. It was Hutch in the action again when he took an amazing catch running backwards and sideways and every other way to dismiss keeper Robbie Hughes for 2 off the bowling of Ollie Simms. The Llamas were in the game with Sunbury 48-3 in the 16th over.

With Jack Greaves scoring plenty of boundaries and the score at 93 in the 26th over, U17 Subhan Pratyush, having patiently got to 47, played across the line and Ollie Simms hit the stumps to get his 2nd wicket and the 4th to fall. In the 30th over it was Ollie again when he got his 3rd wicket (10-2-28-3) when Lofty caught Aaryan Pillai (3). The game was ebbing towards the Llamas with Sunbury now 103-5 in the 30th over with Mobeen keeping things quiet (10-3-24-0) and with the Llamas fielding being well led by Fraser McGuinness having a day without the keeper’s gloves.

There were 18 overs and 5 wickets left with 80 to win; who is your money on ?
U17 Chirag Dasghose joined Jack Greaves and the balance of the game went back towards Sunbury as the pair moved the score onto 141 in the 40th over when they lost their 6th wicket when Ashwin Bhat standing up to Galer took a brilliant stumping to dismiss Chirag Dasghose for 17. Advantage Llamas (?) particularly when Sunbury’s hard hitting Captain Justin Grainger (2) was run out with an excellent piece of fielding from Jacob McLoughlin.
145-7 in the 41st over soon became 145-8 in the same over when returning Toby Briggs (9.3-1-36-3) had Pratyush Ramesh lbw for a duck.

There were 7 overs and 2 wickets left with 38 to win; who is your money on ?
Jack Greaves passed his 50 and was still scoring boundaries when with the score on 167 in the 45th over he hit Toby to deep cow where Lofty safely took the catch.

There were 3 overs and 1 wicket left with 16 to win; who is your money on ?
Any hopes the Llamas had of gaining their 1st win since the 29th June firstly diminished as 10 runs came from the 46th over to see Sunbury almost home at 179-9 and then disappeared as Sunbury’s last pair saw them to a win at 183-9 with 9 balls remaining.
It was another game where too few runs have given our bowlers too much to do; nonetheless it was a good game of cricket with Lofty’s 77 runs taking the honours for the Llamas.

The Llamas are in 5th place mid table and with availability for the week ahead looking awful once again...will the Llamas slip down further?