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Finchampstead CC Match Reports - 13th  July 2019

Finchampstead CC Match Reports - 13th July 2019

Kwame Appiah17 Jul 2019 - 08:58
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A visit to highly placed Datchet on Saturday for Finchampstead as the second half of the HCPL league season commenced.

Winning the toss Finches batted first opening with Ollie Soames and Greg Smith. All started very well then the first wicket fell in the fourteenth over as Smith was caught in the slips. Soames followed at 78 two overs later LBW to Tom Lambert for his useful 44.

Although Billy Rogers departed at 90 skipper Dan Lincoln and Adam Dewes saw Finches safely to the lunch interval with 146 – 3 on the board in 32 overs. But in the 38th over Lincoln fell caught at mid wicket off Max Stevenson for a good 69. Unaccountably the match changed after the real early promise shown by Finches. With leg spinner Max Stevenson claiming three more wickets and Adam Dewes run out soon after Dan Lincoln was dismissed the middle order collapsed all attempting bold strokes.

Finches were reduced to 181 – 8 in only 43 overs. It was left to some strokes from Zak Jones and sensible last wicket partnership between Connor Corlet and James Woodford to post 225 in 56 overs. Former Finches spinner Max Stevenson took 4 – 25 and Tom Lambert bowled his seam for 13 overs taking 3 – 39.

Given 64 overs Datchet were reduced to 56 – 3 in 15 overs. Jon Barrett was caught in the slips off Connor Corlet then Vi Aeri was run out. Third to go was skipper Steve Naylor well caught at deep square leg by Billy Rogers off spinner James Woodford.

The reversals brought county players James Morris and Joe Thomas to the wicket. They steadily and efficiently built what proved to be a match winning partnership. They put on 130 in 26 overs to see 186 on the board and the comfortable win in sight. Finches used eight bowlers to no avail until in his second spell Connor Corlet bowled James Morris for 54 to finally break the partnership.

No more wickets fell as Bobby Sher cracked the boundaries and Joe Thomas moved to 85 not out and Datchet were home at 226 – 4 and the six wicket success.

All four TVCL sides saw action with two wins and two draws.

The Seconds hosted Beaconsfield Firsts in division 2B. Finches batted first and closed on 259 – 6. A fine 103 not out from Mac Keast and 41 for skipper Matt Eldridge helped the total. Beaconsfield went for the runs and at one stage were 170 – 1. Wickets gradually fell to steady Finches bowling and a good finish loomed. At the end the visitors were seven runs short at 252 – 7 in a well fought close draw.

The Thirds visited Boyne Hill Seconds in division 3A. The hosts declared on 303 – 3 in only 40 overs. Finches after losing eight wickets were indebted to an unbroken ninth wicket stand of 120 to draw the match. A fine 101 not out from Jed Crerar helped by Asim Hussein formed the fine partnership after Richard Reed hit 61. So at 262 – 8 the draw was secured.

On the Leas the Fourths hosted Reading Thirds in division 6B. Reading were dismissed for 196 with fine bowling from Elliot Mitchell 5 – 52 and Harry King 3 – 44. Finches raced home at 197 – 4 in only 29 overs for the win by six wickets. The winning unbroken partnership saw 65 not out for Kartik Kanthi and 46 not out for Harry King.

A fine 99 run win for the Fifths hosting Bracknell Seconds in division 8A. Batting first Finches were 246 – 6 at closure. The innings was led by 13 years old Christian Taylor with 92 not out with contributions of 46 by Ben Fisher and 35 Joe Sheldon. Bracknell were all out for 147 with Ahmet Tuney 3 – 25 and Matt Arnold 3 – 30.

REPORT BY NEIL DOODY

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