Farland strikes as Henley stun Tring with narrow one-run win

HENLEY 2nds ran out winners by the narrowest of margins in their Division 1 clash at TRING PARK last Saturday.

Henley won the toss and elected to bat on a green wicket. Tring, who were relegated from the Homes Counties Premier League Division 2 last season, forced the pressure early on, taking key wickets just as Henley’s top order batters were settling.

Ben Purchese, Will Hobbs and Jack Turner, resisting for 25 and 26 and 15 balls respectively, succumbed to some accurate bowling from the combined attack of Weymes (1-20), Burrows (2-26) and Frankle (2-20), leaving the visitors on 28-3.

Henley then lost Ajmal Safi for four before skipper Charlie Homewood was out for 21 despite playing good shots.

With the score on 63-5, Nathan Hopkins and Sahil Desai hit nine boundaries between them. However, wickets kept tumbling, leaving Henley on 95-6 after the loss of Sahil Desai for a gutsy 21.

The game slowed down once more with more accurate bowling and the pressure forced another wicket, with Hopkins falling for a brisk 32.

With the score now at 107-7, the situation was looking bleak for Henley as Declan Farland joined Liam Turnbull at the crease. With just over 13 overs left, the two remaining recognised batsmen formulated a 70-run partnership with some smart cricket, mixing boundaries with constant rotation of low-risk singles. Turnbull finished on a run-a-ball 41 not out with Farland on 25 not as Henley batted all 50 overs for 177-7.

In reply early wickets proved initially elusive with Ben Jacobs (63) and Scott Rolfe (28) putting on a blistering 87-run partnership, taking advantage of extras and inaccuracy.

The leg spin of Sahil Desai provided the breakthrough as Rolfe and Andrew Dixon failed to pick a pair of googlies, while the occasional off-spin of Hopkins accounted for overseas pro Frankle to leave Tring on 109-3.

George Robinson counter-attacked to take his side to 139 before a mix-up with Jacobs and sharp work from Mehar Ali Kaleem left him stranded half-way down the wicket.

Desai struck immediately afterwards, removing skipper Criddle as Tring were still 30 runs short with five wickets remaining. Amandeep Singh returned, to prize out the wicket of Jacobs, before Farland returned to nick off Shearman almost immediately afterwards. Tring now needed 20 runs with only three wickets in hand.

With Tom Weynes offering stubborn resistance at one end, the rotating cast of Farland, Singh and Turnbull continued to apply pressure as Henley chose to target the lower order and get Weynes off strike as much as possible.

A further 10 more runs had been added with little drama by the time Farland struck again, this time inducing a rash stroke from Burrows before a sharp chance off Turnbull was dropped an over later. As the Tring innings entered the 44th over, Farland continued to probe away and finally accounted for Weymes, bringing the impressive youngster Kit Newman to the crease with six runs needed for victory.

Newman’s first ball faced was a dot, then four runs down to fine leg from a loose delivery brought Tring within one run. At the third attempt Farland had the Tring number 11 trapped lbw to give the visitors victory.

In Division 2B, hosts HARPSDEN defeated SLOUGH 2nds by three wickets. Having lost the toss and being put into bat first, Slough were all out for 215 with Jonny Wright and Stefan Franklin both taking three wickets each and Christian Whittaker two.

In reply, Harpsden reached their target of 216-7 with five balls of the match remaining with Ryan Simmonds top scoring with 43.

In Division 3A, KIDMORE END ran out 79-run winners away at BAGSHOT.

Having lost the toss and being put into bat first, Kidmore End’s Fahad Anwar commenced his innings with cautious precision, accumulating 14 runs from 38 balls, including two boundaries. Andrew Doyle then took a stunning catch off Matt Pettet’s delivery, curtailing Anwar’s stay at the crease.

Dario Boyce emerged as the backbone of Kidmore End’s innings, showcasing sublime strokeplay and good timing as he hit 75 runs off 77 balls, including eight boundaries and two sixes.

Shail Ram provided steady support, crafting a solid half-century from 84 deliveries, featuring five boundaries and a six.

The middle order bolstered Kidmore End’s innings with significant contributions. Amol Tyagi’s dynamic strokeplay added 40 runs from 40 balls, punctuated by four boundaries and a six.

Jake Leach exhibited a blend of power and finesse, amassing 36 runs from just 26 deliveries, comprising four boundaries and a maximum.

Bagshot’s bowlers fought back valiantly, led by Adam Passfield’s exceptional spell of 3-32 and Jacob Madigan’s 2-79. Their impressive displays restricted Kidmore End to a challenging 274-8 from their allotted 45 overs.

Chasing the formidable target, Bagshot faced an early setback when Andrew Doyle departed for five, falling victim to James Frost’s precision.

Alex Dunnage injected a glimmer of hope into the pursuit with his 36 runs off 17 balls which included two boundaries and four sixes. However, Oliver Kavanagh’s well-executed delivery dismantled Dunnage’s aspirations, halting Bagshot’s momentum.

Brad Passfield put on 17 runs off 28 balls with three boundaries before Vipin Taliyan’s crafty bowling claimed his wicket.

Bagshot’s innings encountered further roadblocks as the wily Amol Tyagi snared three crucial wickets, including that of Chris Hollely who contributed three runs off 18 balls.

In the face of mounting pressure, Jamie Heathcote exhibited resilience, accumulating 35 runs from 51 deliveries, adorned with three boundaries and a well-struck six.

Jacob Madigan emerged as the standout performer, displaying determination and skill. His unbeaten innings of 56 runs from 86 balls, embellished with seven boundaries, offered a glimmer of hope.

Despite their valiant efforts, Bagshot succumbed to the unwavering pressure applied by Kidmore End’s bowlers. Vipin Taliyan’s cunning mastery yielded three wickets for a mere 18 runs, while Mayank Kedia’s subtle variations earned him 2-41 runs. Bagshot’s chase concluded at 195 runs, falling short of the target in the 41st over.

Kyle Tappan starred with bat and ball as PEPPARD STOKE ROW upset the odds to stun hosts ALDERSHOT with a 32-run success at Guildford Road.

The South African youngster has always shown he has talent in abundance, but with the departure of a couple of top-order batsmen in the off-season he seized his chance with a match-winning 73 as Peppard totalled 222-7 in their 45 overs.

The former Oratory School alumnus was aided and abetted by another young gun from Peppard’s principal sponsor in Owen Simmons (32), while Ashley Hayden returned from a five-year exile with a useful late contribution of 24 not out.

The latter’s elder brother Dan teamed up with Simmons to restrict Aldershot to 51-1 after 18 overs in an opening spell which arguably proved pivotal to the final result.

Off-spinner Kirk Graham (2-35) continued to tighten the noose on the home side, and while Sean McCafferty (60) and Jack Bromley (38) put on 76 for the fourth wicket, the Shots were always behind the rate.

And while they tried to lash out in search of victory towards the end, Tappan (3-21) and another U20 in the form of left-arm seamer Archie Malcolm (2-38) closed the door.

Elsewhere in the division, WARGRAVE 2nds went down to a 67-run defeat at WINDSOR.

Batting first, the home side put on 280-9 with Tom Walker taking 3-50 and Faaez Shamsi and Freddie Meader chipping in with two wickets each.

In reply, Wargrave were dismissed for 213 with Kieran Lall top scoring with 53 and Meader chipping in with a half-century.

In Division 5B, HENLEY 3rds lost out to THATCHAM TOWN 2nds by four wickets at Nettlebed.

Batting first having lost the toss, Henley were all out for 160 with Prakash Gurung top scoring with 51.

In reply, Thatcham reached their target of 161-6 to win the match with Sean Taylor taking 3-20 for the hosts.

Elsewhere in the division, WARGRAVE 3rds lost out by two wickets at home to BRACKNELL.

The villagers, batting first, put on 188-7, while Bracknell reached their target of 189-8 from 38 overs.

KIDMORE END 2nds defeated visitors BAGSHOT 2nds by six wickets in Division 6B.

Having won the toss, Kidmore End elected to field first as Jeff Sheldon stifled the flow of runs, giving no quarter to the opposition, taking two wickets at two runs an over.

Felix Ogdon took a wicket with his crafty variations while Ally Stewart claimed three. Together, this formidable bowling brigade ensured Bagshot’s run scoring endeavours were kept in check.

The batsmen found it arduous to break free and launch a counter-attack. As the innings concluded, Bagshot could only muster 108-8 wickets in their allotted 45 overs.

In reply Bagshot’s bowlers fought valiantly as Tony Roome unleashed fiery deliveries that threatened to pierce the defences of the Kidmore End batsmen while Archie Graham took three wickets.

The Kidmore End batsmen remained undeterred with Ajinkya Gothoskar and Gregor Hearn properlling Kidmore closer to their target of 109-4 in just 18.2 overs.

In Division 9A, hosts KIDMORE END 3rds defeated NEWBURY 3rds by seven wickets.

The home side won the toss and put Newbury into bat first. Brijesh Kumar provided the early breakthrough, dismissing Nimbalkar with a well-directed delivery.

As the innings progressed, Newbury struggled to build partnerships, succumbing to the relentless bowling attack of Kidmore.

Razavullah Shaik emerged as the chief tormentor for the hosts, his swing and seam bowling claiming the vital wickets of Matt Manners and Nick Kaxe.

George Malaperiman then removed Joe Middleton before Callum Fish was bowled by Aditya Gundluri.

Chandra Dixit fell victim to Malaperiman while resistance was offered by Vinoth Kumar, who fought valiantly to compile 12 runs. Newbury eventually closed on 108-9 off 39.1 overs.

In reply Chris Pigden was dismissed by Vinoth Kumar early on, bringing George Batty to the crease and he and Callum Driscoll piled on the runs with numerous boundaries.

Mark New’s arrival further bolstered Kidmore’s charge towards the target as he unleashed a flurry of strokes backed up by Aditya Gundluri.

Kidmore achieved victory by reaching 109-3 from 29 overs with Driscoll unbeaten on 37.

In Division 10A, KIDMORE END 4ths went down to a 56 run defeat away at READING 4ths.

Winning the toss, Kidmore elected to field with opening bowlers Tom Inness and Arnav Sapkota keeping the opposition batsmen in check.

Sapkota impressed with his accurate bowling, claiming two crucial wickets. Hedley Ruegg also made an impact, picking up two wickets with his consistent line and length.

The standout performance with the ball came from Will Nassau-Lake who picked up three wickets.

Chasing a target of 174, Kidmore faced a challenging task against a strong Reading bowling attack. Although they encountered some early setbacks, it was Archie Nassau-Lake whose patient innings of 27 runs, spanning more than 82 deliveries, exhibited his ability to handle high-pressure situations.

Supported by his teammates, including Prasanna Kirubakaran and Sumit Thapliyal, Kidmore fought hard but the bowling efforts of Aniq Bajwa and Aaditya Menon played a crucial role in restricting the opposition’s scoring rate.

Bajwa claimed a wicket while Menon took two while maintaining an impressive economy rate as Kidmore fell short of their target.