DAN MARLES admits it is “crazy” to think Finchampstead are now only six points away from sealing the Home Counties Premier League Division 1 title.
Finches moved a step closer to their goal with a comfortable 108-run win over struggling Reading on Saturday which, coupled with defeat for second placed Banbury put Marles’ men within touching distance as Adam Dewes hit a century.
Skipper Marles will again sit out this weekend’s clash against Slough at The Memorial Ground with a shoulder injury but is hoping to witness his young charges pick up the top prize for the first time since 2001.
“It is crazy,” he told The Wokingham Paper.
“I said at the start of the year let’s try to finish mid-table and that was the plan for the first six or seven weeks.
“Then obviously when you keep winning each game you start thinking a bit more and it’s just surreal.
“Henley was a massive game two weeks ago that we won and then Reading this week.
“It’s just kept going and hasn’t stopped and I don’t expect it to stop to be honest.
“I think we’ll do the job on Saturday, get six points and then go and enjoy ourselves on the last day.”
Reading put Finch in to bat first and got an early breakthrough to dismiss Andy Rishton for 11.
But the visitors powered along from there thanks in no small part to an inspired knock from Adam Dewes, who ended 102 not out off 126 balls.
Billy Rogers (33) was the second wicket to fall before Matt Jones went for 14 to leave Finch 107-3.
Dan Lincoln added 39 to the score before some destructive power hitting from Jandre
Coetzee, 63 off 41 balls with 10 boundaries, saw him close alongside Dewes to take the score to 280-4.
In truth, that never looked like a total which would be chased down.
Coetzee got the immediate breakthrough, dismissing Pavendeep Chima for a duck to cue a flurry of early wickets.
Rajeesh Singh (5) went also off the bowling of Coetzee and the South African quickly picked up his third to remove Asim Zaka for a duck.
Reading were in disarray at 9-3 but Firaz Amjad (16) started to show some fight before Coetzee struck again.
The wickets just kept tumbling with Reading slipping to 66-8 with JJ Dewes also getting in on the action, closing with figures of 3-44.
But the hosts did at least make Finch work for the final couple of wickets, climbing up to 172 before being bowled out in the 41st over with Jack Beaven (61) top scoring only for Coetzee to eventually claim his fifth wicket.
Not even needing to win against Slough to secure the title, Marles admits this week has felt different in preparation for Saturday.
“It’s a strange one because we’ve never been in this situation,” said the captain.
“Last year against Datchet (on the final day) we had to win the game to win the league, which is probably easier to prepare for.
“We’re just going to approach it the same way as the last 10 games that we’ve won.
“We are going to try and win a game of cricket and if we play anywhere near our ability we’re going to pick up six points anyway.
“We don’t look at any game differently, we’ve tried to win every game of cricket we’ve played this year, we haven’t looked to draw or anything like that.”
Marles, who is set to miss the rest of the season through injury, has been forced into two changes from last week’s team with Max Stevenson and Andy House promoted from the 2s in place of the unavailable Craig Hodges and JJ Dewes.
FINCHAMPSTEAD XI v Slough: Jones (c), Kang (wk), Carter, Coetzee, A. Dewes, Uttley, Rishton, Stevenson, House, Lincoln, Rogers.
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