Finchampstead announced themselves as early contenders with a dominant performance at Henley, posting 430-7 from their 50 overs before dismissing the hosts for 145 to claim a comprehensive victory.
Greg Smith was the centrepiece, striking 100 from 68 balls, but this was a collective batting display of real authority. James Isbell set the tone with 79 at the top, Tommie Predgen chipped in with 28, and the innings accelerated dramatically in the closing overs. Sam Seecharan clubbed 62 from 43, Ben Salter 60 from 36, and Dan Marles an unbeaten 49 from 24. Samm Daniel took three wickets with the ball as Henley were bowled out inside 25 overs in reply, leaving the margin at 285 runs.
At Butts Way, Slough edged a high-scoring contest against Aston Rowant by one wicket, chasing down 323 with an over to spare. Aston Rowant had batted well throughout with Ethan Barksfield and Christopher Watling putting on 157 for the first wicket, before Ben Robinson (67) and Luke Hayes (63) added further substance in a 292-3 platform that should have been enough. Slough’s reply was built around Saad Khan’s 89 and Mujtaba Ghayyas’ 80, the pair sharing a 172-run fourth-wicket stand that shifted the balance. Callum Bladen and Finn Catherwood-Smith each took three wickets for Rowant but couldn’t prevent the visitors getting home.
High Wycombe made it two wins from two across all formats, beating Banbury by 81 runs at White Post Road. Pardoe’s 62 and B. Dodds’ 50 gave Wycombe’s innings a solid spine, with Hardy and A. Dodds adding late impetus as they finished on 260-7. In reply, Hayden Rossouw batted well for 61 and Kieran Coyne contributed 36, but Haddow’s four wickets dismantled the lower order and Banbury were bowled out for 179.
Great Brickhill defeated Oxford Downs by 51 runs at Rotten Row. Rhys Nicholas top-scored with 96, the highest individual innings of the day outside Finchampstead’s rout, in a total of 210 all out. Oxford Downs never quite got going in reply, Matt Warner’s 50 a lone hand of note as Henry Welch, Jack Rodnight and Kieran Patel shared nine wickets between them.
Harefield made it two from two in the league, beating Wokingham by 45 runs at Wellington Oval. Lee Tyrrell’s extraordinary late cameo, 71 not out from just 37 balls, including six sixes, lifted Harefield to 275-9 after they had looked set for something more modest. Wokingham’s reply was anchored by Archie Carter’s composed 75, but the required rate proved beyond them and they were bowled out for 230 with five overs remaining.
📸 Joshua Spencer
