Disappointing weekend sees heavy defeats for Finchampstead CC and Wokingham CC

Finchampstead and Wokingham are still keeping a close eye over their shoulders after big weekend defeats in the Home Counties Premier League.

Finch picked up just a second win of the season last time out, but could not repeat the trick as they went down by six wickets to Premier 1 leaders Aston Rowant.

Meanwhile Wokingham are seventh in Premier 2 after losing for only the second time this year, falling 73 runs short at promotion-chasing Datchet.

Dan Lincoln’s Finchampstead lost the toss and were put in to bat first at Memorial Park but got off to a shocking start, falling to 10-2 when both openers Adam Dewes (7) and Greg Smith (0) departed early.

Darron Augustus did his best with the bat

Dangerman Lincoln was soon also joining them at the pavilion having added 16 to the total and when Ryan Quinn (1) followed, the scoreboard read a worrying 40-4.

Ed Oliver was doing his best to try and rescue the situation, but he lost three partners in quick succession in Simon Bell (8), Josh Lincoln (11) and Zafar Ali (0) as Aston Rowant smelled blood with Finch rattled on 79-7.

Village Cross removed, accidents increase: Has Finchampstead’s Junction become more dangerous?

Chaos at Finchampstead Junction where War Memorial once stood as third crash in a week occurs

However, the hosts finally dug in and brought some respectability to their innings when Darron Augustus joined Oliver at the crease.

They helped push the score along to 147 before Oliver was caught for 47 off a crucial 128-ball stand while Augustus continued up to 55, including eight boundaries, as Finch were bowled out for 182 in the 57th over.

While Finch had at least posted a competitive tally, Aston Rowant have lost just once all season and despite Quinn taking an early wicket, they never looked like squandering the opportunity for another win.

George Reid (79) and Thomas Condon (75) did most of the damage to put the visitors on the brink of victory on 168 before a flurry of wickets gave Finch something to cheer with spinner James Woodford taking two.

But Aston Rowant got across the line to win by six wickets in 38.4 overs.

Seventh-placed Finch picked up six points from the defeat and sit seventh in the table, 32 points clear of the relegation zone ahead of a trip to fellow strugglers Oxford on Saturday.

See last week’s honours board here

Iain Muirden added five wickets to his impressive season tally

Wokingham’s trip to Datchet also ended in defeat.

The Oaks went into the weekend finely poised between looking to push towards the top two and avoiding getting dragged into a relegation battle and they made a good start at the Wally Gage Memorial Ground.

Second-placed Datchet lost both openers early with Iain Muirden and Lewis Sharp claiming one wicket apiece.

Vishal Aeri added 35 to the tally before Jarrett Bobb, recalled to the first team, clean bowled him to leave the scoreboard 81-3.

But a fine partnership from Joseph Thomas and James Morris shaped the innings before the former was caught for 50 off the bowling of Jacob Clark.

Former Finch player Max Stevenson then added 22 to the tally before Muirden struck with Sharp taking his second wicket to bowl Morris for 58.

Muirden then embarked on trying to clean up the tail and he did a fine job, ending with figures of 5-54 as Datchet were dismissed for 244.

The last three weeks have followed a similar pattern for Wokingham, trying to chase down a large total before being forced to settle for a draw.

However this time late batting let them down.

Opener Stuart Hayter fell early for just five before Stuart Parsons and Dan Housego took the score past 50 before Parsons was stumped having scored 28.

Housego and Archie Carter formed a good partnership to reach 100, but Housego was the second victim of Berkshire’s Chris Peploe as he was caught having scored 51.

Carter was then clean bowled for 31 which sparked a remarkable late collapse.

From 130-4, Wokingham crumbled to 171 all out with Michael Bates (43no) the only man to survive with each of the final four batsmen going for ducks off the bowling of Peploe, who ended with impressive figures of 7-70.

Defeat leaves the Oaks seventh, now 40 points off second-placed Datchet and 35 clear of the relegation spots.

Hayter’s charges go to rock-bottom Shipton-under-Wychwood on Saturday.