Wokingham & Oxford Maintained Their 100% Start To Their 2025 Home Counties Premier League, Division 2 season.
In the third round of games played on Saturday 24th May, the two sides finished the day as the only sides with the maximum of 60 points.
Wokingham enjoyed an eight-wicket success as they defeated a Slough team, who were also unbeaten at the start of play.
After inserting their visitors, Shaan Khan’s seam put his side into a good position early on as he removed Ishaq, Mushtaq and Avas with just eighteen runs on the board. When Andy Rishton ran out Slough’s overseas dangerman Vishnu Solanki, Slough were reeling at 29 for 4 and forced to rebuild.
Sahaan Sahaan (29) and Mujtaba Ghayyas (44) added much-needed middle order runs before Sulaiman Javed helped Wokingham bounce back as he claimed three victims. Slough were bowled out for 162 in 42.4 overs. Khan closed on three for 32, Javed claimed three for 44, both from excellent spells.
Wokingham’s batting unit will be pleased how they went about their chase as Michael Cowdell and Conrad Martucci opened positively.
After an steady opening stand of 57, Martucci was removed for 38 but Cowdell continued to play a solid anchor role at the top of the order. He bought up his half century from 112 balls. When he departed for 55, the score was on 123. It was the experienced Dan Housego guided Wokingham home as the former Middlesex batter, and Wokingham’s Head Coach, led by example with an unbeaten 57. His half century coming up from 76 balls in 80 minutes.
Julian Laird was again a key all-round performer as, along with Jack Hobbs, the pair helped Oxford win their local derby at Horspath by 97 runs.
The Sussex Academy talent scored 46 from an opening berth after his side lost the toss and were invited to bat. He found Hobbs a solid contributor as the batter made 86 from 95 balls. His innings included ten boundaries, half of which being sixes. Seamer Sravan Konidena returning with four for 41 in ten overs as the pick of the ‘path bowling.
Laird then bowled a miserly spell which strangled the home side’s batting as he closed with outstanding figures of three for 14 from ten overs, including the key wicket of the in-form Vivek Narayan. Horspath never recovered from losing early wickets as they struggled before being dismissed for 121 in 41.2 overs.
Gerrards Cross are up to third position after they successfully chased down Bicester & North Oxford‘s total to win by four wickets at Akemann Street.
After being inserted, only Marcus Jeacock (40) made any runs of note from Bicester & North Oxford’s top six as they looked in trouble at 93 for 6. Daniel Savin and Ben Clark fought back for the hosts as they shared an 83-run stand for the seventh wicket. Savin was bowled for a fine half century and Clark fell for 43 as three wickets were taken for just one run. Bicester & North Oxford posting 198 all out with just two balls remaining of their 50 overs.
Wasim Ahmed bowled a tidy ten-over spell for the visitors as he picked three for 27, while his captain Patrick Smith (3-55) also claimed a trio of victims.
Henry Walsh and Chris Marrow gave Gerrards Cross a perfect platform as they shared an opening stand of 113. Walsh was the first to depart for 62 from 74 balls in 70 minutes. The visitors proceeded to lose five wickets for just 18 runs as Afghan took three for 27. Marrow (48) was the fifth of the victims to fall but Teddy Fleming got his team home with 33 not out.
Datchet recorded their first win of the season with an emphatic nine-wicket victory over Chesham at The Meadow.
Matt Rance was the stand-alone performer for the home team as he made 32 from the number one berth. No other player reached double figures, but extras registered 31, as Chesham were bowled all out for 100 in just 25 overs. It was Nick Kimber and Girish Radhakrishnan who ripped through the batting order as both players collected four wickets apiece. Kimber took four for just 11, while Radhakrishnan returned with four for 33.
Opener Rahim Akhtar scored a run-a-ball undefeated 37 runs to see Datchet to a maximum as Jack Laraman (27 not out) and Murad Khan (25) contributed to the win.
Thame Town made it back-to-back wins as they took all the points in a six-wicket success over newly promoted Falkland at Church Meadow.
It was the home side who opted to bowl first in Oxfordshire and it proved to be a good decision. Opener Brandon Gilmour (30) top scored for Falkland as the visitors found runs difficult to come by. Thame’s bowling attack shared the wickets, with the spin of their skipper, Hassam Mushtaq (3-21) the pick, as Falkland were dismissed for 140.
Lloyd Paternott injected pace into the Thame chase as he made a quick-fire 81 from just 71 balls in 79 minutes. His innings included fifteen boundaries (13 fours and 2 sixes). New Zealander Elliot Seddon took three wickets but the game was effectively already won by the hosts.
