Gerrards X & Oxford Maintained Their Winning Starts To The Season, While Derval Green Led Horspath To Victory.
Teddy Fleming gave a captain’s display as Gerrards Cross defeated Wargrave by five wickets at Dukes Lane.
The Portugese international’s left arm spin claimed six for 16 in a miserly ten-over stint as Wargrave were dismissed for 195 on 45.2 overs. Fleming’s opposite number, Rhys Lewis, opened up with 35 before his Berkshire team mate Toby Greatwood added valuable late runs. The all-rounder made 78, which included a dozen boundaries, seven of which were maximums.
Gerrards X opener, Henry Walsh, played beautifully as he saw his side home with an unbeaten century. His 111 not out came from 138 balls in a minute short of two and a half hours at the crease, including 10 fours and 6 sixes.
Oxford are tied at the top of the table after they defeated Thame Thame by a narrow six-run margin at Jordan Hill.
The Romans had five of their batting order contributing runs. Opener Gaajuran Ganagabalan (39) and Josh Towell (33) gave a solid opening, before Finn McKeown (69) and Jack Hobbs (63) built on the platform given. Saqlain Choudhary’s 44 from just 20 balls helped Oxford post 282 for 7 from their 50 overs.
Thame’s prolific seamer, Dinny Malan, claimed another five wicket haul for the visitors (five for 44 from ten overs).
The chase saw the visitors highly-rated opener, Evan Cowley, score a magnificent century at the top of the order. Cowley, who joined from Wolvercote in the winter, represented the South & West Under-15s at the 2025 David English Bunbury Festival, and is on the radar of Sussex. He shared a second wicket stand of 165 runs with Ubaid Kiani where he made his maiden league hundred before being dismissed for 103 from 113 balls.
With Thame needing 72 runs from 14.3 overs they looked in a promising position but Laird’s run out of Kiani for 71 proved to be a key moment in the game. They continued to lose vital wickets as the seam of Oxford skipper, Jack Wilkins, and the spin of Laird dragged the game back in the home side’s favour. Thame’s chase eventually finishing just seven short of victory.
Horspath ended Datchet’s unbeaten run as they won their encounter by 33 runs at The Recreation Ground.
After being inserted, Horspath struggled early in their innings as the visitors enjoyed a good start. They restricted their hosts to 104 for 6 just eleven balls before the halfway stage.
Derval Green’s powerful hitting counterpunched against Datchet’s attack and he found Asad Rafiq a solid ally as they added 72 runs in just 8.5 overs. The stand-in skipper for the ‘path, Green, was removed by a stunning return catch by Sulaiman Ahktar for a 28-ball 44 runs, which included 3 fours and 4 sixes.
Rafiq’s new partner Tyron Eyles played equally positively as the pair added 61 for the eighth wicket. Rafiq was dismissed for a valuable 43 as Eyles aggression saw him reach a half century from just 31 balls before departing two deliveries later.
Horspath closing on 284 all out in 48.3 overs. Four Datchet bowlers sharing a brace of victims apiece.
The visitors reply saw Jack Laraman (43), Nick Kimber (33) and Challengers batter Tom Bevan (37) all get starts but Sravan Konidena’s three for 45 pegged them back.
Excellent batting by Daniyal Akhtar took the Datchet run chase deep, with the support of Sulaiman Ahktar (20). Leo Fountain (29 not out) continued as the visitors edged towards their target but a gambled second run did not pay off as Daniyal Ahktar was run out for an outstanding 38 before Green took a wicket with the very next ball to give Horspath maximum points.
Chesham recorded their first win of the season as they defeated Challow & Childrey by nine wickets.
The visitors bowling unit worked hard as all seven claimed poles in dismissing the home side for just 103 in 31.1 overs. James Phillips top scored with 29.
Daniel Ward hammered 66 from just 47 balls in reply as Chesham eased to victory losing just one wicket in only 19.5 overs. The Chesham wicketkeeper hit ten boundaries, including two maximums, as the experience of Matt Rance (26 not out) ensured success.
Stoke Green secured back-to-back victories as they defeated Ickenham by 26 runs at Oak Avenue.
The visiting Green side elected to bat on calling correctly and posted 277 all out with four deliveries of their innings remaining. Opener Najib Khan started with 36 before Mithira Thenura batted superbly for his 74 (5 fours & 5 sixes). Karanpreet Singh played a skipper’s knock (53) as his side made a competitive total. Yawar Tariq took four for 37 and Nikhil Nair, three for 53, for the hosts.
Ickenham lost both openers without scoring but rallied as Nair’s 61 (9 fours & a six) saw him follow up his work with the ball. Jash Gandhi’s 34 added momentum before David Morgan’s last-ditch attempt to get his side across the line fell short as he made an undefeated 49 from just 26 balls.
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