SUNDAY 1ST XI WIN LAST MATCH OF THE SEASON:

Stoke Newington 217-9. Belhus 220-9:

In the final match of the season at North Stifford, Stoke Newington won the toss and elected to bat first.  Opener Ayaz Shah cracked a commanding century (104, including 3 x 6s) from just 74 deliveries, and SN were firmly in the driving seat as they advanced to 139 for 1.  But then spinner Puneet Bal broke their 2nd wicket partnership as he teased out Raj Reetik thanks to a swift stumping by skipper Aftab Mohamed.  Wickets fell regularly thereafter as Puneet collected another 2 wickets and Evie Baldwin also captured 2 wickets taking her tally for the season to 46 as SN closed on 217 for 9 after their allotted 40 overs.

In our run-chase after tea, opener Mahfooz Mazumder fell early which brought Aftab Mohamed to the wicket to join sister Afra Rose.  Together they set about carving a superb 153-run 2nd wicket partnership before Aftab was dismissed for 71, another half-century that crowned a successful season for him.  Afra soon followed having stroked a confident 73, and then at 186 for 3 the odds were still stacked in Belhus's favour.  But in losing their next 6 wickets for 24 runs and finding themselves perched precariously on 210 for 9, the result could have gone either way.  Fortunately, Aariyan Kansagra and Puneet Bal held on gamely and with just 3 balls remaining, Belhus tip-toed home to a 1-wicket victory.

This was a fine, evenly-contested game of cricket enjoyed by both players and spectators alike and brought a pleasing end to the 2026 season.

Pictured:     Aftab and Afra Rose Mohamed