Overnight and early morning rain delayed play at Banbury Cricket Club. Having won the toss, Shelvin Gumbs decided to take to the field giving the home side first use of the wicket in what had become a 37 over match due to a late start caused by the weather.

Our bowlers bowled a decent line which meant Banbury got off to slow start, however with wickets in hand was able push their tally to 191-3 from their allotted overs.

Our opening partnership of AJ Woodland and Gumbs got off to a steady start before losing Gumbs on 17. Woodland continued to hold up one end but consistently lost partners at the other end with only Charlie Macdonell (20) showing some resistance to stay around.

Once Woodland fell for 38, at the back end of our innings, Mohamad Choudhry playing in his first match of the season batted well with Andy Harris scoring 17 and 19 respectively as we were restricted 129-9 from our 37 overs.

Next weeks’ match will be home against Slough in the first of the ‘timed match’ format with an earlier start time of 11am. Our badly out of form batters will be looking to spend some much needed time at the crease as we move to this longer match format.

SECONDS UNDONE BY MARLOW SKIPPER

The Second Team were beaten by eight wickets due to the Marlow captain Imran Nawaz's matching winning performance of 125 not out and and four wickets with the ball.

Following rain the previous day and on the morning of the game the start was delayed by 35 minutes and the match reduced to 45 overs a side.

Toby Wastling won the toss and decided to bat. After the loss of an early wicket, Matt Bowyer and Ant McCormack put on 57 together. Bowyer played an array of shots. He was gifted with a free hit for his first ball, which he slapped through wide mid wicket for four. He found the boundary on six further occasions the most pleasing being the on drive and the cut forward of point. McCormack proceeded more steadily, but when a short ball sat up in front of him, he was on to it in a flash and smashed it to the boundary.

Both were out four short of a half century, but there was time for a run a ball 36 from Richard Ambrose and 30 from 31 balls from Toby Wastling which ensured a score in excess of 200 and maximum batting points.

Following success for Nick Grant in his second over, our bowling lacked the firepower needed to take wickets. The only further joy was when both batsman found themselves in the same half of the pitch, leaving Bowyer the straightforward task of delivering the ball into James Hawkes’ gloves for him to knock the bails off.

Jake Seagrave bowled well and pegged the scoring rate back. But with Imran Nawaz scoring his 125 from 119 balls supported by a solid 36 from Graeme Paskins, victory for Marlow came with nearly seven overs to spare.

Maidenhead and Bray, Amersham and Kew who were previously in fourth, fifth and sixth places all lost, so the Second Team remain in third.

BATER'S BOYS BATTER BURNHAM

The Third Team made it successive wins as an impressive all-round team display led to a six wicket win at Burnham last Saturday. Mark Bater won the toss and after a brief consultation asked Burnham to bat on an overcast and chilly afternoon. Our left arm seamers, Ed Pike and Tom Powell-Williams took the new ball and it was the latter who picked up the first wicket, clean bowling Faris Ali for nought.

Burnham’s opening bat Khurram Saba played very positively and was particularly strong through the legside against our young opening bowlers. Bater introduced experienced seamer Ian Ridley and he immediately was into the wickets having Ammar Anis well caught at fly slip by Sanjoy Bassi.

Wickets proved difficult to come by for our Third Team despite good spells from Ridley and off spinner Sanjoy Bassi. Both Khurram Saba and Samir Chaudhrey batted well for Burnham bringing up half centuries, with Chaudhrey in particular living a charmed life as he scored the majority of his runs through third man. With Saba looking set for a hundred, he was deceived in the flight by Bassi and dismissed LBW for a well made 85.

With an end open, the Third Team sensed the chance to make inroads into the Burnham middle order. Toby Seagrave, held back to bowl at the death picked up 3-39 from seven overs as our hosts finished on 265-8 off their 45 overs, a total which was perhaps 50 runs short of a par total.

The total looked a long way away when we slipped to 13-2 after openers Robbie Grout and Josh Camm were both dismissed by excellent deliveries from opening bowler Asif Khan. Wicket-keeper Dan Tidey and the experienced Benn Kempster rebuilt the innings. With the ball doing plenty when the pair came to the wicket, they saw off the new ball and then got the innings going with intelligent running between the wickets and some brutal hitting all round the ground.

After seeing the new ball off the pair put on 161 in only 19 overs with Tidey and Kempster scoring magnificent half centuries. Tidey struck seven fours and two sixes as he scored a magnificent 73 which was his second half century of the summer and first for the third team. Kempster was especially brutal and he struck some magnificent shots through the offside as he raced to his first half century of the summer.

With victory looking on the cards, Tidey (73) and Sanjoy Bassi (1) were dismissed with 70 odd runs required for victory. Out of form batsman James Wheeler joined Kempster at the crease as they steered the Third Team to victory.

The undoubted star of the day was club captain Benn Kempster who finished on a magnificent 145 not out. An innings which included 12 fours and six sixes. His total of 145 was a career best and his first ton since scoring his last on his 21st birthday.

FOURS BEATEN BY LEAGUE LEADERS

Top of the table and unbeaten Chennies and Latimer were the visitors this week for the Fourth Team this week. Andy Grout won the toss and put our visitors into bat. Their openers put on 107 and got them off to a great start and were restricted by a good bowling and fielding performance as they were held to 218-8 off their 45 overs.

Highlights in the field were an excellent diving catch by the returning Nick Wale while our young attack of Finn Wade, Ben Bezani and Harry Grinham all showed great promise and were unlucky not to take more wickets.

The Fourth Team had hoped to give it a go but an accurate bowling attack meant they never really got going. Jim Turner top scored with 39 but we collapsed from 65-2 to 90 all out.

It was good to have a couple of beers with some of their players afterwards and we look forward to the return game. It was always going to be a tough season after promotion but we are Tring Park and will always give it our best shot.