Hard week for Stoke teams

TWO massive scores from Sinjun- grammarians' batters set Stoke D'Abernon's first team on the path to a 138-run defeat in Saturday's Surrey Championship Division Two fixture.

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It was another tough day for the Stoke first XI who now need a couple of wins, and quickly, to avoid being cast adrift from the rest.

After Stoke won the toss and elected to field, Jared Southgate made an early breakthrough but consistent partnerships involving Sohail Meo (99 off 101), Sherbaz Bhandara, Hammad Malik and Umair Riaz (101no off 59), saw Stoke face a daunting chase of 323.

Southgate ended with two wickets; Toby Tarrant took his 298th and 299th career poles and there was one each for Declan Ritchie and Ian Hopton.

Southgate and skipper Max Subba Row made a bright start to the reply with an opening stand of 65; but every time Stoke made a dent in the target they seemed to lose a wicket.