DAN MARLES, Dan Lincoln and Jandre Coetzee all notched half centuries for a Finchampstead side which thrashed reigning Home Counties Premier League Division 1 champions High Wycombe by 76 runs.
The club’s remarkable return to the top flight continued at London Road, where a seventh win in eight games was secured after the visiting side posted a formidable score of 318 all out and then defended it through a share of six wickets for JJ Dewes and Jandre Coetzee.
Captain Marles spoke prior to the fixture about the need for the top order batsmen to step it up in the wake of the previous weekend’s draw with Banbury – a result which ended Finches’ six-game winning streak – and a spell of and some inconsistent scoring.
And although opening pair Andrew House and Andrew Rishton went for a combined 20 runs, all of which the former ran up, the skipper would have had few complaints from what was an accomplished session with the bat, with solid contributions made throughout the order.
It was Marles who won the toss and elected to bat, and he was soon at the crease after Rishton was removed without troubling the scoring, caught by David Cranfield-Thompson to give Cameron Parsons a wicket.
The Wycombe bowler also snared House to leave the guests on 21-2.
Replacements Marles and Matt Jones, however, not only rebuilt the innings with a third-wicket stand of 58, but provided Finchampstead with the platform to go on and take control of the contest.
The stand was broken when Jones was gone for a watchful 38, but Marles remained and would form another vital partnership with Dan Lincoln, who provided 74 of the 81 runs the pair made for the fifth wicket.
The No.6 blasted the side into the ascendancy via a 39-ball top knock which included 13 boundaries, eight of which were maximums.
Marles eventually fell on 58, and while his return was a hard-earned one, coming from 123 deliveries, he more than made his presence felt in the middle.
Coetzee, fresh from knocks of 43 and 51 in the past two matches, though, carried on the captain’s good work.
With Matt Carter for company at the opposite end, the scoring would accelerate once more.
Overseas star Coetzee remained in good nick and would produce a season’s-best of 59, while Carter was also scoring at a pulsating rate, with the No.9 adding 42 via a 22-ball cameo.
While a punishing time for the hosts, Adam Dobb did manage to leave the field with five wickets, which included the scalps of Marles, Lincoln and Carter – although these did come at the expensive cost of 144 runs from a 22-over spell with the ball.
High Wycombe would need similar stands or something truly sensational if they were to topple their target.
Opener Gavin Baker (72) and the 55 made by Alan Duncan in the lower order prolonged the chase, but it was one which was to end in with disappointment in the 53rd over.
James Benning (32) and David Cranfield-Thompson (37) also chipped away at the required runs, but Finch always had the upper hand.
The bowling attack was at its destructive best once again.
Two early breakthroughs for Carter (2-17) and another for Coetzee had the home side in trouble on 28-3.
Runs began to be picked up in the middle order, but so were the wickets, with Coetzee and Dewes, who would have figures of 3-40 and 3-103 respectively come the end of play, helping slam the door shut on the response, which has now fallen to 190-8.
This was improved greatly by Duncan’s 55, but Marles was to have the final say, taking his wicket and that of last man Uzair Amjaid to secure another vital win for Finchampstead.
With six games remaining, the Memorial Ground side lead the way from Henley and Banbury, but only six points separate the sides in what is looking to be a survival of the fittest, while a High Wycombe side 27 points back in fourth cannot be ruled out of the title race just yet.
Up next for Finchampstead is the visit of mid-table Tring Park on Saturday.
Wokingham Cricket Club
STUART PARSONS’ leading knock of 82 could not stop Wokingham having to settle for the lesser share of the spoils following a draw with lowly Kew which ended a run of three wins on the spin
Electing to bat upon winning the toss at Sadler’s End proved to be a good call by the Surrey side, who went on to post a competitive 246-8 during an innings built around Will Shaw’s 67.
Kamran Younas also scored well and would celebrate a half-century 54, with Andrew Lewin further strengthening the total through a hit of 41.
Wokingham’s Paul Dewick did his best to put the brakes on the opposition through an attack-leading 4-70, but the home side had work to do.
Hayter made inroads with the bat, as did captain Stuart Hayter, who agonisingly fell a run short of a 50, and Dan Housego. He added another 45 to some recent impressive returns with the bat.
Despite the trio’s best efforts, the Oaks’ response was ring-fenced by Younas and Charlie Weeks, whose 4-51 and 3-47 respectively helped restrict the opposition restricted to 219-9 from 48 overs.
Wokingham picked up just nine points from the game.
With leaders Stoke Green and second-placed Chesham both securing wins, the side now find themselves 27 points behind the promotion places.
This Saturday’s home game with Chesham, therefore, is of huge significance at the top of the Thames Valley Cricket League Division 1 table.
