Great Brickhill 269/8, Wargrave 240/7 – match drawn
In the battle to avoid the drop, Great Brickhill (9) and Wargrave (8) found themselves locked in a game of whack-a-mole: every attempt to get ahead quickly matched by the other.
Both teams scraped 14 points from draws, leaving the relegation picture no clearer and the gap between them still just two points.
Skipper Jonny Cater once again saved his side from disappointment with 79 runs from 103 deliveries as he continues to lead his team with the bat. The former Oxfordshire player is averaging just over 57, and struck his 4th half-century in the season.
Toor added a half-century of his own, his fourth this year, whilst adding a century partnership with Raykar. Yet, two dismissals in quick succession saw both settled batsmen dismissed, needing Cater to rescue the side.
Despite Kavikara’s efforts with the ball, his spell of 4-87 wasn’t quite enough to rid Wargrave of their unwavering stubbornness at the crease. Humphrey and Beaven both raised their bats before being dismissed, and had done enough at 240-7, to keep Brickhill at bay.
Aston Rowant 250 All Out, Stoke Green 251/5 – Stoke Green won by five wickets
Stoke Green seem to have been rescued by Northants Star Saif Zaib this weekend, as the professional left-hander brought up his century in his first league game of the year.
Having already passed 1000 runs in the First Class game, the record breaker brought Stoke Green out of their yearly slump, helping them chase down 250 against Aston Rowant.
Although the total was below par, it shouldn’t have worried Aston Rowant with Stoke Green’s being bowled out for under a hundred three times this year.
Yet, some brilliant bowling from Munir Ur Rehman Tanzil, who picked up 7-79, stole Rowant’s momentum, leaving them short, and granted Stoke Green 25 points.
Finchampstead 282/5, High Wycombe 238/6 – match drawn
In the battle at the precipice, High Wycombe and Finchampstead drew, with the latter picking up two more points.
Wycombe were unable to equalise the score against the only team they’ve lost to this season, much to the determination of captain Chris Britz.
Averaging over 70, Btriz has already scored three centuries this year, alongside two other half-centuries. With 639 runs in just 13 innings, he’s the magic core of Finchampstead wand.
Trying to chase down 282 in 54 overs would always have been difficult in the red ball format, but with Wycombe’s line-up, you’d expect them to chase hard.
But it was a tale of promise with no cake, as Dodds, Hemp and J. Lincoln all mixed the batter, preheated the oven, and had the right ingredients, but each fell short before the bake was done.
It was clear that by the time Henry Chapman came to the crease, the captain’s instructions were to maintain the league lead and finish with a draw.
Harefield 225/6, Oxford Downs 228/5 – Oxford Downs won by 5 wickets
Oxford Downs picking up a victory against Harefield has made Finchampstead’s hair tickle on the back of their necks, as they find themselves just two points away.
Luke Maslen, who is on a run of form with Oxfordshire, having secured three consecutive half-centuries in the NCCA Cluberly Championship, was the pick of the batters.
Remaining not out, Maslen ventured his way just short of a century, calmly and cautiously. Having spent just over three hours at the crease and taking on 123 deliveries, Harefield couldn’t find a way to beat his defences.
It’s always challenging to maintain a positive and energetic attitude when teams form partnerships. Still, when Maslen adds 97*, Smith 60 and Delport 44 in consecutive innings, the pendulum always looked to be learning towards Oxford Downs.
Delport was in untouchable form, as Saturday’s cricket gods blessed him with both bat and ball. His striking ability was effervescent with 44 runs coming from half as many deliveries, whilst taking three wickets at an economy of just over 2.5.
Henley 292/8, Banbury 221/4 – match drawn
A playoff between the mid-table teams saw them equalise on 155 points each, after Henley just about scraped three additional points from Banbury.
Their batting was an obvious strength, much to the skill of Matt Dalrymple, who has been in fine form this season. He added another century to his impressive collection, 137 runs from 144 balls, including 19 fours and a six
He’s averaged just over 50 this season, with three half-centuries and a century, contributing to a total of 493 league runs in just 11 innings. He’s been a consistent performer for the Henley outfit, averaging over 50 since 2021, only once dropping below the mark in 2024, where he averaged just 19.
A return to form then this year, as he helped his team climb to 292, with Lamsdale’s 40 from 52 providing an additional injection of runs.
Banbury never really looked like chasing the total, albeit they came close as they finished on 221/4 from their allotted overs. George Tait was the man to watch, his move from Oxford last year proving successful as he averages just over 40 with the bat this year, compared to the previous year’s twenty.
His form with the ball should never be overlooked, as he picked up 5-74 from his 15 overs, claiming the vital wickets of Dalrymple and Lamsdale.
He remained not out across the innings, anchoring diligently, whilst Sabin patted back at the other end. Ramkumar’s earlier innings of 57 might have given Banbury a chance, but with such limited overs, it was always going to be an uphill battle.
