The First team travelled to Buckingham Town last weekend. On a dry and warm morning, the hosts captain Jack Parish won the toss and decided to bat first.

The First Team bowled and fielded very well as they maintained pressure on Buckingham Town who found it difficult to keep the score board moving. The early spell of 10 overs Simon Stanway for 18 runs kept a tight lid on the runs with the wicket of opening batsman Leigh Tomlinson.

The economical bowling was sustained by all the bowlers, with the pick of the bowlers being Andy Harris who took his best figures of the summer as he claimed 5-35 from nine overs as Buckingham Town posted 191-8 from their 50 overs.

The early loss of David Burnell, followed by Michael Payne created an initial scare but Woodland was looking very strong at the other end as he has done all season. Charlie Macdonell was next to depart followed quickly by Steve Clark.

Woodland continued to steady proceedings in partnership with the Gumbs boys as the First Team closed in on its target. A collapse saw the First Team fall to 166-8 with Woodland still there on 88 not out. Wicket-Keeper Chloe Hill kept Woodland company as he reached a quite brilliant hundred as the pair added the 26 runs to give the First Team a third successive win.

TWO’S LOSE DESPITE NICK’S KNOCK

The Second Team slumped to a second successive defeat, as Ickenham reached a target of just 175 with more than twelve overs to spare. Tom Weymes bowled well again, to reduce top placed Ickenham to 85-4 but there was no more success as Steve Gibson and Scott Wilsher completed an unbroken fifth wicket stand of 91. The bowlers were unable apply any lasting pressure as no maidens were bowled.

After last week’s report which bemoaned the loss of early wickets, things did not improve with the score at 29-3 in the eighth over. So who would come to the rescue this week? It was James Hawkes the previous week with 67 but he wasn’t playing. The week before that it was Adam Partner with 144, but he was out for 16. So, would there be no rescue this week? Well there was and it came from the most surprising quarter.

With 11 league runs all season, Nick Grant strode to the wicket with the score on 105-9. Surely the end of the innings was near. But he hit his fourth ball through the leg side for four and three balls later straight drove to the boundary. Eight scored and his highest league total in the northern hemisphere achieved. His lofted straight drive fell just short of a maximum but any disappointment was short lived as he smashed a six into the advertising hoardings in front of the tennis courts. Grant was finally run out for 39 but not until he and Lawrence Snookes had added an unlikely 69 for the last wicket.

The Second Team remain in third place but with only one game remaining are just 21 points ahead of Maidenhead & Bray in ninth place (but a massive 113 points behind Eversley who are second). So, one point is needed (achieved by scoring 75 runs or taking one wicket) at Amersham next week to guarantee second division cricket next season.

BATER’S BOYS RECORD CRUCIAL WIN

This match took on a greater significance as the winners would be clear of the relegation battle with ONE game still to go.
Chalfont St Peter won the toss and elected to bowl in decent weather conditions.

The Third Team were pinned back by the young Yousif Khan who showed great control and dismissed the opening pair and then set about Matt Bowyer and Ali Partner leaving the Third Team in a tricky position at 54-4. Nick Wale and Chris Curry started rebuilding with Curry out for a quick fire 37 with the score on 104 with 20 overs left.

Nick Wale was joined by Mark Bater and the pair enjoyed an 82 run partnership in quick time and Nick was dismissed for an entertaining 89, leaving Dave Crane to capitalise on some poor bowling at the death with a rapid 27. The Third Team finished with a total of 260 in their 45 overs.

Chalfont St Peter’s batting looked fragile at best and the opening bowlers of Curry and Partner dismissing the top four quickly. This meant the spin partnership of Harry Grinham (2-32) and Sanjoy Bassi (3-29) could tease the batsman, and by the 24th over Ian Ridley was bought into the attack swung one through the gate to ensure an emphatic win for the Third Team.

FOURS DEFEATED BUT NOT BEATEN

The Fours visited Picturesque Wooburn Narkovians for their final away game of the season. Captain Andy Grout lost the toss as he has done for most the season and the hosts decided to bat.

Ben Bezani bowling an excellent length struck early and Chris Powell picked up three wickets ably assisted by some top catches in the field. Captain Grout bowled a tight spell and kept the pressure on the hosts and with five overs to go they were set on 161-5.

Wooburn tried to hit out at the end but a team hatrick including a superb direct hit from Matt Cave kept them to 195-9 off their 45 overs. The Fourth Team always felt the total was gettable and Gemma Marriott with a classy 26 and Nick Wake with 31 assisted by a lot of wides got Tring to 74-1 from the opening 20 overs.

Wooburn tightened things up with some accurate bowling but just as Dick Highton was starting to cut loose he was given out LBW and suddenly we slipped to 120-5 off 33 overs. Grout came out to join Bezani and shades of Stoke Green were looking possible when Bezani blasted a quick 15 but three wickets in an over put a stop to that. Grout and Natalie Gurnett added 30 but Tring ended up 19 short on 176-9.