Wargrave Are 23 Points Clear At The Top At The Halfway Stage Of The Season.
Rhys Lewis saw his Wargrave side take full of advantage of a day of results that upset the form book to register an impressive lead after the first round of nine games.
After winning the toss, Lewis opted to bat first against Chesham and his side started with positive intent.
Rob Farina opened up with 92 from 79 balls, including 10 fours and 5 sixes, while Lewis, who dropped down to four, added 32. Andrew MacEwen made a run-a-ball 36. The pairing of Toby Greatwood and Jayden Barson injected aggressive batting into the proceedings as they shared an unbeaten sixth wicket stand worth 125 runs in just twelve overs. Greatwood made 76 from 47 balls as he hit 11 fours and 4 sixes, while Barson chipped in with an excellent half century (52 runs from 33 balls), as Wargrave posted 349 for 5.
The Chesham batters never settled against the slow left arm of Mark Firth, who collected five for 60 from eleven overs, as the home side were dismissed for 158 in 32.3 overs.
The morning leaders Oxford were on the wrong end of a huge 282-run defeat against a Datchet side who’s batters feasted on runs.
Openers Rahim Akhtar (39) and Tom Bevan (40) set the tone, before Joseph Thomas continued with 77 from just 55 balls, including 5 fours and 5 sixes. The day belonged to Nick Kimber who hammered an amazing 165 from just 113 balls faced. Kimber hit a record number of sixes (12) and also struck 15 fours in an awesome display of hitting. Datchet declaring on 397 for 7 in just 53 overs, another record which was broken. Oxford seamer Brad Taylor toiled away with three for 83.
The Datchet opening bowlers replicated the display of their batters as Girish Radhakrishnan (3-29) and Julius Sumerauer (3-25) took out the visiting top order. Only Oxford number eight Chowdaboyina with 34 made any significant contribution as the Romans were removed in just 27.3 overs for 115.
Passikku Madusanka’s brilliant all-round display helped Stoke Green ease to a 141-run over a Gerrards Cross side, who started the day in second place.
Madusanka stroked 92 from down at number eight in the order after runs from Daud Sardar (42) and Karanpreet Singh, who made a patient 58. Madusanka’s knock came from 94 balls and included 14 boundaries as Stoke Green declared on 273 for 8 in 56 overs. Harry Spear picked up 4 for 55.
Madusanka then stunned the visitors with a 12-over stint which harvested six for 49 as the visitors fell to 132 all out in 28.4 overs. Hugo Hammond (53) top scored opening with a 37-ball, half century, but his side struggled against Madusanka.
Dinny Malan produced a match-winning spell for the second successive week as Thame Town defeated Horspath by 27 runs.
Malan, who took seven for 39 a week earlier, claimed another seven poles (7-38) as Horspath were bowled out for 140 in 36.4 overs. Only Vivek Narayan’s 31 making any contribution.
Earlier, Thame captain Hassam Mushtaq (40) shared a vital last wicket stand of 64 runs with Foa Fasanya to get their side to 167 all out. Evan Cowley made 40 at the top of the order but Sravan Konidena (4-33) and Jehan Mohammed (3-16) put their side on top before that big partnership at the end of the innings.
Challow & Childrey secured an important six-wicket win at Ickenham in the battle of the two promoted sides.
Ickenham posted 194 all out thanks to an eighth-wicket partnership between Yawar Tariq and Krissie Mistry. The duo took their side from 80 for 8 as they hit 111 runs with Tariq smashing a 55-ball, 78 runs (5x4s & 7x6s), while Mistry hit 34. The visiting opening bowlers Theo Hutt (4-63) and Ross Packham (3-68) the pick of the attack.
Dylan Crees hit 36 from just 18 balls before skipper James Phillips (58) and Mahdi Saleem (66 not out) guided their side to their target (196 for 4 in 38.1 overs).
The result sees Challow & Childrey close the gap at the bottom to now being just a point from safety.
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