Whilst Oxford Downs managed to squeeze ahead by sneaking in a game during a rain-affected weekend, it was short-lived as Banbury now lead the table by 5 points having secured a 122-run victory over Harefield.
Lloyd Sabin has been a runs machine in Division One this season, and on Saturday at Harefield, he produced his innings of the campaign. Batting with a kind of unhurried authority, he never really looked like getting out.
He carried his bat through Banbury’s entire 61-over declaration, finishing unbeaten on 111 from 175 balls, consisting of 12 fours, a six, and 228 minutes of complete focus. George Tait provided the acceleration around him, smashing 58 from 70 balls to help Banbury declare on 257-5, before Charlie Hill’s 4-8 from 7.1 overs dismissed Harefield for 135 to seal a timed victory and all 25 points.
Sabin now sits second in the Division One batting charts with 396 runs at an extraordinary average of 132.00, only Freddie Smith’s 452 runs keeps him off the top spot.
Smith himself was in action for Oxford Downs against High Wycombe, contributing 47 in a low-scoring affair that ended badly the visitors. Wycombe, the previous champions, had gone the entire season unbeaten until Saturday, and were bowled out for 120 chasing a revised target of 142.
Louis Delport (4-20) and Henry Welch (3-6) combined their efforts to dismantle the middle and lower order in a collapse.
Conner Haddow had earlier taken 4-34 with the ball for Wycombe, continuing a fine season that has him sitting third in the bowling charts with 17 wickets at 13.71, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Oxford Downs claiming all 25 points.
At Butts Way, Aston Rowant pulled off a remarkable run chase to defeat Henley, reaching a revised target of 251 in 41 overs with five balls to spare.
Johnny Connell had given Henley every chance with a superb captain’s century, 113 from 143 balls featuring 10 fours and five sixes, a knock that takes him to 379 runs for the season at 54.14.
But Thomas Condon’s explosive 71 from just 59 balls set the tone for the Rowant chase, and with Maximillian Mannering having already taken 5-79 with the ball, it was a complete all-round performance from the hosts.
At the Wellington Oval, Wokingham made light work of Great Brickhill, bowling the visitors out for 189 before knocking off the runs with seven wickets and nearly 20 overs to spare.
Shaan Khan was the star with the bat, guiding Wokingham home with an unbeaten 66 from 75 balls, while Iain Muirden had earlier set the platform with a disciplined 4-36 from 11.5 overs with the ball.
At Eddie Thompson Oval, Finchampstead edged a hard-fought points battle against Slough, taking the fixture 17-15 in the only game that resulted in a draw.
Slough batted their full 64 overs to post 251-8, with Oliver Thilo’s 4-31 the bowling highlight for Finchampstead.
The reply never quite got going until Sam Seecharan and Jed Crerar put on a magnificent seventh-wicket stand of 100, Seecharan making 78 and Crerar an unbeaten 66 to give Finchampstead enough batting points to claim the match.
