WOKINGHAM Cricket Club preserved their unbeaten start to the new Thames Valley League season after seeing off Division 1 newcomers Windsor by five wickets on Saturday.
It was the visitors who won the toss at Sadlers End and decided to have a bat, but would find themselves in trouble early on as a couple of quick wickets for Cameron Spence and Tom Wood saw two men gone with just five runs on the board.
Kirsten Baumgartner, arriving at three, though, would offer some resistance with a half-century 56 before eventually being removed by Dan Housego, who picked up two wickets on the afternoon.
And with two more for Paul Dewick along with Spence’s leading return of 3-25, Windsor were shot out for 119 in the 38th over.
Although knocking off the required runs, reaching such a moderate target would not prove so straightforward for the Oaks.
Openers Stuart Parsons and Stuart Hayter got the reply off to a steady start, but both soon followed one another back to pavilion having been removed within four runs of each other to leave the scoreboard reading 36-2.
It was soon 56-4 and then 79-5 as Housego (13), Michael Cowdell for a duck and Jake Turner (4) all came and went.
Yet Michael Bates remained at the crease, and it was his unbeaten 59 which eventually saw the hosts home in the 28th over.
Offering support at the opposite end was Jack Fisher. The No.7 would only add four runs to the board, but his contribution was far greater than that, as it was a sixth-wicket stand of 41 with Bates which ensured Wokingham avoided any further setbacks.
Windsor’s Harry Jordan would frustrate the innings with 2-28, but it was never going to stop the opposition picking up another valuable 20 points.
Finchampstead Cricket Club
Finchampstead’s baptism of fire upon their return to Division 1 in the Home Counties League continued away at Banbury, where they were beaten by just 24 runs.
The guests lost the toss and were asked to field, but would start the game well, with an Adam Dewes run out and Matt Carter dismissal pegging Banbury back on 25-2.
The home side’s work between the wickets was something of a concern, as no fewer than four batsmen were ran out – but not that it would matter in the end.
This included captain Lloyd Sabin, although he had played a big part in elevating his side to a competitive total with a hit of 70 when coming in at three.
Kurtis Patterson, meanwhile, would also hurt Finch, scoring an impressive 95-ball 84 to lead the innings and the hosts to a final score of 251-8 after 50 overs.
Captain Dan Marles was the pick of the attack with 2-49.
Patterson was eventually removed by Max Uttley, with wicketkeeper Suki Kang holding on to a catch, but the away side would have work to do in the middle.
Losing openers Adam Dewes and Matt Jones for six and eight respectively did not help the cause, while Marles and Billy Rogers’ efforts to hike up the scoring would end on 21 and 14, leaving the side in a quandary at 68-4.
But Banbury’s total would come under threat thanks to some vital knock from middle order duo Dan Lincoln, who fell just three runs short of a half century, and Andy Rishton.
He helped continue the fight back with a decent return of 41 from 59 deliveries.
The tail would wag too, with Matt Carter making 25 and Max Stevnson 20 as hope within the Finchampstead camp continued to grow as the 200 mark was past.
Such optimism – even if it was to hold out for a draw – however, was extinguished when Craig Hodges was the last man gone for a valiant 18 in the penultimate over, meaning it is successive defeats for the side this season.
Chief destroyer of the innings was John West, who finished with 3-62, while there was also a pair of scalps for Oliver Wright, which included the match-winning wicket of Hodges.
