Tough start to Home Counties life for Falkland Cricket Club

Falkland Cricket Club had a tough start to life in the Home Counties Cricket League.

Their first game back in Division Two saw them travel to Wokingham, freshly relegated from the tier above.

The hosts won the toss and elected to bat, hoping to put the newcomers under pressure.

It was a promising start for Falkland’s bowlers, as Ben Armstrong and Mark Otley both took early wickets.

They couldn’t dismiss opener Michael Cowdell however, who hit 57 to get his side up and running before Elliot Seddon dismissed him.

Wokingham’s middle-order batsmen arrived with the chance to build on Cowdell’s good work, and they proved to be a stern test for Falkland’s bowling attack.

Shaan Khan hit a skilful 84 from 91 deliveries, while Imran Malik smashed his way to 96 from a hundred balls.

They were dismissed by Seddon and Otley respectively, but the damage seemed to have been done.

Nabeel Janed’s 24 and Sulaiman Javed’s 35 were useful late totals in their own right, helping to push the host to 364-7 at the end of fifty overs.

Falkland couldn't have asked for a sterner test to start life in the division above.

Captain James Bird and fellow opener Brandon Gilmour faced the task of kicking off their side’s response.

Gilmour’s effort fell flat, as he hit just eight from nine balls before being caught early on.

Bird fared slightly better, hitting seven fours on his way to 29.

He was joined by wicket-keeper Ben Piper, who managed a quartet of fours on his way to 17.

That was as much as Falkland’s top order could manage however, as they were reduced to 62-3.

Teenage batsman Seb Chapman arrived at four and seemed to stem the flow with some more patient batting.

He lasted 26 balls but was dismissed for just eight runs.

Wokingham’s bowlers were in full flow, and made short work of Kiwi all-rounder Seddon, who went for five runs.

Chris Baker stepped in late with 34 from 69, which proved to be Falkland’s best performance of the day.

He hit six fours, but it was too little too late as Wokingham finished off the tail enders to leave Falkland 137 all-out.

A 227 run loss was a less than ideal start for the local side, but they were fully aware of the challenges of going up a division.

They sit second from bottom, having taken five points thanks to their efforts with the ball.

This Saturday they’ll be in more familiar surroundings, as they host Chesham in their first home game of the season.