It’s a sad tale for Wargrave as they’ve found themselves wracked with injuries. They’ve only managed two wins, collapsing often with the bat and struggling with form.
With a score eclipsing 200 only once, against Henley, which they won, it won’t be surprising that once they find their rhythm with the bat, they could be serious contenders.
It’s almost as if we’re waiting to crunch into Wargrave’s delicious nectarine where everything comes together and the gritty stone that’s central to its formation comes into fruition.
Yet this week, in a decisive feat of the relegation teams, Stoke Green picked up their second win of the season, defeating Wargrave by 39 runs.
It was the mid-order who dealt the majority of the damage for Stoke Green, as both openers collapsed without adding any runs to the scoreboard.
Both Sharma and skipper Singh rescued the collapse at 12-2, playing cautiously and defensively. Singh’s 51 came from 102 deliveries as he tried to navigate Mogakane right-arm seam.
Singh has had a tough time of things so far, but still managed to contribute to 15% of his team’s total runs. With an average of just over 20, he’ll be looking to rescue his form from previous years where he averaged over 40 in 2022 and 2023 in order to fight back out of relegation.
Despite the loss, Wargrave would have taken some confidence out of their latest overseas signing in Mogakane (4-70), who has played 24 first-class matches in South Africa, and ripped through Stoke Green’s batting order.
It was his first appearance for the club, and it didn’t disappoint. Not only was his fast bowling in fine form, but he also picked up the top score of the match. The bowling all-rounder, who scored 54, could be the answer that Wargrave are desperately searching for.
Despite Mogakane’s merciless conviction, Stoke Green were able to bring home the victory.
Right-Arm leg spinner – Madusanka (4-39) – was too much for Wargrave’s mid-to-lower order, who all fell for under 20 and ultimately kept Wargrave 39 runs short of the total.
Aston Rowant was another case, who despite struggling with overall success this season, dealt another blow to Great Brickhill who found themself on the wrong side of the result two weeks running.
Several batters flirted with form, tiptoeing into the thirties, but none found the resolve to settle in and take the game by the scruff.
Nicholas (44) was the top score of the lot, whilst Kavikara (31), Critchley (32) and King (31) all contributed to the total.
Having only averaged 11 so far this year, Nicholas was keen to prove his spot in the Brickhill XI despite solid performances in Division Two in 2022 and 2023. His 44, was his best yet this year, but since joining Division One in 2024, Nicholas has struggled to show the same prolific form that he once showed.
It was a dramatic ending to the game, in which Aston Rowant ticked off the runs in the final over, thanks to some late innings heroics from keeper Callum Russell.
His top score of the season, 42*, came from 54 deliveries, as he too has struggled with form throughout the season. It’s his first not-out for the Rowant outfit in 2025, having played 6 innings and only scored 96 runs including Saturday’s performance.
But as it is always the case with batters, no matter the standard being played, the more time you spend in the middle, the better you will get. And hopefully, for Russell, that innings will play a vital role in influencing his contributions moving forward – particularly in the later-innings ball striking role.
Over at Finchampstead Park, Henley delivered a surprising blow as Finchampstead lost their first game of the season and ended their undefeated streak.
Having batted first, Henley would have been confident in setting 255 from 63 overs. Both openers Johnny Connell and Matt Dalrymple continue their club form, delivering also in national county settings, with a half-century each.
Dalrymple has been in excellent form, adding 80 runs to his season’s tally. He has reached the half-century mark three times in just nine innings, maintaining an impressive average of just under 50.
It’s no doubt that when Henley is on top, it’s Dalrymple who is leading the charge with the bat. And it’s his best season yet for the Henley outfit, as he finds himself just 30 runs short of his whole season in 2023 and only a hundred short of 2022 – and we’ve still got 9 games to go.
Despite Lewis Sharp’s 6-51, Finchampstead couldn’t quite deliver with the bat. Only Chris Britz managed to get going as he totalled 40 runs from 44 deliveries, but Smith was the only other batter who could get past 20.
Perhaps, Lamsdale was the kryptonite to the superteam, as he picked up the winning wicket of Britz, alongside his dismissal of dangermen, Campion, Salter, and O’Donoghue.
It’s not often bowlers pick up seven wickets, but Lamsdale did exactly that as he picked up his best-figures for Henley to date.
With figures of 7-32, it would have been difficult for any side to get the pendulum to swing back in their favour, and so Lamsdale picked up the victorious ball and saw his team off the field having bowled Finchampstead out for just 127 inside 38 overs.
High Wycombe continued their domination of the red-ball format as they saw themselves four wins from four in a format that doesn’t always deliver results.
It was by no means a one-sided show, as Oxford Downs proved themselves with the bat in the first innings.
George Sandbach continued his run-of-form with 64, with an approach unlike many other opening batsmen – sending Archie Dodds to the ropes having tracked him down the wicket in the first few overs and lobbing him over mid-off for six.
It was an approach with no fear, or mindless slogging, it was difficult to tell – nonetheless it has worked for him across the season. His temperament returned mid-way through his innings and he played nicely for his 64 from 66 deliveries.
Luke Maslen joined him at the crease as they enjoyed a partnership of 65, yet Maslen took the slightly more considered approach in his batting style. With 55 from almost 100 deliveries, he anchored the innings, in the hope that others would play aggressively around him.
But other than Tom Powell, and some late striking from Costley, the mid-to-low order failed to continue on the momentum set up by Sandbach and Maslen.
With 269 painted on the board, Oxford Downs looked excited to get into the bowling innings, having thought they’d set a defendable total.
But as it has been at Wycombe the past year, the wicket flattened out as the rain passed and the sun blissfully cooked the wicket into batting paradise.
Cameron Hemp was star of the show as he overtook fellow teammate Billy Dodds’ league record for the season.
The first century and a half of the year came from just 130 balls as he battered balls to the boundary. With 18 fours and 6 sixes, Hemp was not sticking around for the full allotment of overs.
As one spectator noted, Hemp’s batting was like watching a husband promise his wife he was only going for one drink at the pub. It was unbelievable, audacious and full of nervous excitement.
Whilst at the other end, Billy Dodds played an elegant innings of 42, before Lincoln picked up his fifth half-century of the season.
It seems to have been a good move for Daniel Lincoln, who has almost surpassed his total for 2024 at Wargrave in half the games.
The only draw of the weekend came from Harefield and Banbury – albeit the former picked up the most points.
Crofty’s team batted first and erected 238 runs in their full allotment of overs. It comes as no shock that overseas Gareth Severin continued to stamp his authority with another half-century.
His 79 runs adds to his collection of 433 runs so far this season. With an average of 54, two half-centuries and a century to his name, he’s been nothing short of a superb signing for Harefield.
Shepherd remained not out on 46, whilst the skipper added to the scorecard batting at ten with 34 runs of his own.
As for the ball, it was a dream start for Harefield as they had Banbury slumped to 25-5: victory surely in sight.
But Edward Phillips’ excellence in defensive combat allowed them to draw the game single-handedly.
If you’ve ever contemplated someone’s conviction in turning up on a Saturday, it will never be Phillips. He mustered up the strength to face 102 deliveries, only gaining 12 runs in return.
It must be one of the most defensive, critical and down-right frustrating innings Harefield had ever-seen, yet its impressiveness continues to oscillate throughout the league.
After some brutal hammering from the Harefield bowlers, they did just enough to come home with a draw, ending on 102-9.
