Home Counties Premier League: Wokingham 1st XI (213/9) beat Finchampstead 1st XI (210 all out) by one wicket
WOKINGHAM began their Home Counties Premier league season with a arrow one wicket victory over local rivals Finchampstead.
The cricket season finally returned having been disrupted by covid-19 with a local derby taking place in the first round of fixtures of the season.
Finchampstead won the toss and elected to bat first and they made a good start as opening batsmen Gergory Smith and Stuart Parsons built a good platform of 45 runs.
Max Uttley took the first wicket which triggered a superb bowling spell as the Oaks took three wickets for just three runs to leave Finch on 45-3.
Finch’s innings was looking in danger of ending early. That was until Josh Lincoln took to the crease. He smashed a huge innings as he recorded 91 runs in just 49 balls before he was eventually bowled out by Callum Creighton.
Chris Peploe bowled brilliantly for the hosts as he took four wickets with Finch ending their innings on 210.
Wokingham set about their task of reaching the Finch total in a positive start as the opening pair of Mac Keast and Michael Bates reached a partnership of 60 runs before the first wicket fell.
Bates was bowled by Liam Bulteel, caught Dan Lincoln to end his innings of 30 from 28 balls, and his partner Keast was run out on 38.
Sukhmeet Kang took his side towards victory with a valuable contribution in the middle of the order as he scored 39 runs from 64 balls.
A strong bowling spell from Finch saw the game go down to the wire as they took the ninth wicket, with Creighton being bowled by Jason Soames with Wokingham on 202-9 and needing nine more runs to wrap up the win with just one wicket left.
But the hosts held firm to take themselves over the line with just four balls and one wicket remaining with Uttley and Charlie Carter knocking the Oaks to victory.
Finchampstead batting: Smith 21, Parsons 18, D Lincoln 15, Predgen 0, Soames 3, Leonard 17, J Lincoln 91, O’Donahue 8, Jones 8no, Woodford 6, Bulteel 1,
Wokingham bowling: Creighton 1-57, Carter 0-22, Uttley 3-36, Peploe 4-11, Rogers 1-34, Clark 0-44.
Wokingham batting: Keast 38, Bates 30, Carter 9, Housego 7, Kang 39, Rogers 17, Peploe 0, Clark 16, Creighton 14, Uttley 6no, Carter 7no
Finchampstead bowling: Soames 2-54, Jones 0-40, Bulteel 1-14, Woodford 2-29, O’Donahue 1-42, J Lincoln 1-33.
