Double delight for villagers on mini tour

WOODCOTE undertook a mini-tour to the Cheltenham area in Gloucestershire last weekend where the 18-man squad secured two wins.

The Twenty20 match against REDMARLEY was won by six wickets. Chasing a total of 131, Woodcote scored 134-4, teenager, Archie Clark, scoring 51 not out and James Worsfold hitting 28.

In the match on Saturday WOODCOTE came up against APPERLEY. The home team batted first and were all out for 173, Chris Clark, a late addition to the team, taking the bowling honours with 4-26. Ryan Van Heerden also distinguished himself with two sharp run outs. Woodcote replied with 176-7 in 30 overs to win by three wickets. Stefan Gordon scored a half-century (52) whilst Jonny Clark hit 28.

HAMBLEDEN ran out winners in their final match of the season at MEDMENHAM last Sunday.

The home side won the toss and elected to bat. James Grant and Dinesh opened the bowling, Grant bowling Prankaj on 24. Sumanth had P Carter caught at mid-on by James Grant on 21, with his second ball.

Antariksh then took the first of three wickets, bowling Isaac Barlow on seven. Sumanth then took his second wicket, Arnold catching John Yarwood at first slip on 22. Antariksh collected two more scalps bowling both J Barlow on four and N Christopher on one, finishing with 3-19.

Mahesh bowled a tight seven overs without reward although a direct hit from Sumanth at deep mid-wicket took the wicket of the number nine batsman.

When Sumanth returned for his second spell, he took the wickets of George Carter, caught by Ian McDonough at mid-wicket on three followed by P Baxter, bowled on five, to finish with figures of 4-28. The Medmenham innings ended when Sumanth took a catch at mid-on off McDonough’s third ball to dismiss batsman number 10 on three, leaving number 11 not out on 15. Medmenham’s final score was 124 all out.

Hambleden set about the target steadily but lost McDonough on four, caught behind off Isaac Barlow. Sumanth joined Phil Rosier and the pair made 63 before Rosier was bowled by George Carter on 23. Antariksh hit a quick 11 before being caught by P Carter off his own bowling.

Sumanth then fell to George Carter, caught at deep cover on 46. Dinesh and Mahesh added 13 runs before Dinesh was caught behind off Isaac Barlow on eight.

With Hambleden needing 16 runs to win and with seven overs remaining Ollie Grant joined Mahesh. The pair completed the victory with a six from Mahesh who finished on 17 not out with Ollie Grant four not out.

CHECKENDON asked visitors WIPRO to bat first in damp conditions and reduced them to 41-4 thanks to youthful opening bowlers Sudeu Marar and Johnny Jackson, who took two wickets apiece.

Piyush Bedi led the fightback for Wipro, hitting 81 in 63 balls as the total climbed to 192 all out in the final over of 35 allowed.

The Checkendon reply was anchored by a well-judged undefeated 84 from Jake Jackson in the face of good quality bowling, particularly from left-armer Mayank Kedin and legspinner Ratesh.

Sathia Jobe came to the rescue with 78 required in eight overs and three wickets remaining. After a steady start he struck five sixes to reach 50 not out in 33 balls, sharing an unbroken stand of 80 with Jake as the home team secured victory with a four off the last ball of the match.

Reuben Leedham made a fighting 40 for PEPPARD STOKE ROW UNICORNS, but they fell to a six-wicket reverse at home to WOODPECKERS.

The teenager opened the batting with stalwart Andy Watts, only for the latter to glove a Ben Darling to gully early on.

Leedham and his Bradfield College comrade Nick Murdoch steadied the ship, but in the face of accurate bowling from the visiting side, progress was tricky.

Murdoch eventually fell to a fine caught and bowled by Henry Walpole, the seamer then castling Steve Rumble. The Unicorns then stumbled badly following the departure of Leedham, veteran spinner Neil Runkel (4-19) ripping through the middle and lower orders to leave the hosts languishing on 99-9.

Ben Rumble and James Mennie provided some resistance for the final wicket, but their side was eventually bowled out for 132.

The hosts gained an early breakthrough courtesy of a terrific Tom Mennie inswinger, but Steve Robertson and John Gaunt accumulated steadily, and then somewhat spectacularly, as they shared a vital second-wicket stand.

Gaunt looked in imperious touch until he was run out for 50 by Rudi Derbyshire, and while Leedham and Watts both snaffled a wicket apiece, Walpole’s classy unbeaten 36 ushered the Woodpeckers to a convincing victory with more than 15 overs remaining.

PEPPARD STOKE ROW MAHARAJAHS never recovered from a nightmare start as they were defeated by seven wickets at PRESTCOLD.

In a scarcely believable start, the away side were reduced to 13-7 after being put into bat.

Mahas skipper Mark Lambert attempted to wrest the initiative back for his side as he struck his first ball for six, and with Chris Proudfoot (61) and U14 Aryan Pradeep — making a senior best 43 — battling away gamely, the Mahas eventually reached a more respectable 161.

Proudfoot (2-32) was the pick of the visiting attack along with Harry Harper, the number 11 having also chipped in with an unbeaten 17 in a lop-sided batting card where the highest score among the top seven batsmen was five.

But these victims were merely consolations for the Mahas, Chaz Mayhew’s unbeaten 70 helping ease Prestcold home in 33.1 overs.