FINCHAMPSTEAD’S return to Division 1 of the Home Counties Premier League began with a five-wicket loss to Burnham at The Memorial Ground.
Stuck into bat upon losing the toss, the hosts went on to post 205 before last man Max Stevenson was run out on 13 in the 50th over.
This total was reached through the help of Billy Rodgers, who struck a watchful 71 arriving at four, with his score coming in just 81 balls and included seven boundaries.
His work at the crease helped salvage an innings which had fallen into trouble at 40-4.
Dan Lincoln added 21 further down the order, while Suki Kang struck a useful 32-ball 33 down at nine on what was his competitive debut for the club.
Despite the trio keeping the scorers busy, the return posted by the home side proved a little lightweight.
Matt Carter and Max Stevenson would each pick up two wickets in the field, while there was a dismissal for Andy Rishton, too, on what was also his first start.
Carter would strike early as well, bowling out Omer Siddique for a duck.
But through Aftab Khan’s leading knock of 83, however, Burnham would chase down their target inside 42 overs.
Captain Harveer Gandam chipped in with 45 and Mohammad Fazal stuck 33 at the top of the order as Finch were unable to get off to a winning start.
Wokingham Cricket Club
Stuart Hayter played a captain’s innings for a Wokingham side which opened their account in Division 1 of the Thames Valley League with a 25-run success at Marlow.
The opener worked the field with a top score of 69, laying the foundations for his team, which went on to post an all-out total of 203 after 44 overs.
Support for Hayter came via fellow opener Stuart Parsons, who made 22, as Michael Bates put 30 more runs on the board and Jack Fisher’s 20 down at eight helped give the Oaks a competitive figure to defend.
Despite helping the oppositions’ cause by giving them some 33 runs in extras, the away side still managed to get the job done.
And it was through a brilliant effort with the ball from Tom Wood which saw Wokingham to the 20 points.
He was to finish the day with figures of 4-33.
There was a brace of dismissals from the reliable Paul Dewick – with Anthony Clapham doing likewise – while Cameron Spence also make a breakthrough as Marlow were eventually removed for 178 in the 48th over.
Between them, Wood and Clapham would remove Marlow’s most dangerous assets, with the latter claiming the scalp of Jeremy Batty, who was their top scorer on the day with 46.
Wood meanwhile, got rid of Barney Hogg, who played a catch to Parsons when on 45.
