HENLEY’S Michael Roberts is set to make his return to the Berkshire team for their three-day Minor Counties Championship match against Shropshire at Finchampstead which starts on Sunday (11am).
Roberts is likely to replace fellow Henley opener David Barnes, who is nursing a back injury. Barnes is due to have a cortisone injection on Thursday and has already pulled out of Henley’s Home Counties Premier League match at Farnham Royal on Saturday.
“He must be considered very doubtful, but we have a ready-made replacement in Roberts, who he opens with at Henley,” said Berkshire team manager David Morris.
“Roberts is in very good nick this season, scoring a lot of runs for the league leaders.”
The Henley in-form batsman is no stranger to the county set-up, having played against Dorset at Bournemouth three years ago. He made only two in two innings, however, as Berkshire crashed to defeat by an innings and 91 runs.
But Roberts’ career has certainly taken off since then and he is currently playing a leading role in Henley’s charge for the title.
Berkshire have still to win a championship game this season and find themselves bottom of the Western Division at the halfway stage of their season.
But as Morris added: “With three games remaining, two of them at home, there is still time for us to improve our standing in the league table.”
Shropshire are currently fourth in the table following a win (against Wales Minor Counties) and two draws.
Berkshire: Barnes or Roberts, Shilvock, McLean, Crowe, Mordt, Morris, Naylor, Bates, Logan, Brock, Lambert.
- Henley’s latest victory in Division 1 left second place Potters Bar trailing in their wake by a margin of 46 points as Henley consolidated and improved their position at the top.
Seldom do sides lead the league by such a margin at this stage of the season.
Henley were once again assisted by results going their way elsewhere, as Banbury’s home tie against Radlett was washed away by the weather and Slough held Wycombe to a draw at Upton Court Road.
Fourth placed Tring’s progress was halted at Welwyn who now have a good deal of clear water between themselves and ninth placed Slough. Oxford notched up their third win of what has turned out, so far, to be a disappointing season for them by beating Farnham Royal.
Hapless Royal, who are now firmly anchored in tenth and bottom spot, are Henley’s next opponents as Henley travel to Rectory Field this Saturday (start 11am).
Winless in this 2009 campaign, Royal have lost their last three games on the trot and will need a miracle to survive in Division 1. This season’s new skipper Javed Khan has relinquished the captaincy as it was affecting his game and Warren Miller taking over.
Miller, Royal’s ’keeper and experienced opening bat has led from the front but little is going right for them as they count the cost of not having or replacing Krishmar Santoke, their Jamaican all rounder and talisman of recent years, whose 56 wickets and 434 runs gave them a real edge in their promotion winning 2008 season.
Royal had hoped that they coulwd pretty much make do with their existing pool of players but experience shows that to mount a viable campaign in Division 1 and meet the standard set, it is invariably necessary to bring in reinforcements.
All that said, if nothing else, Royal would dearly love to take Henley’s scalp and led by the feisty Miller, will go all out to that end. In the corresponding game earlier this season Henley chalked up 239, Chad Keegan making an unbeaten 82 and Royal were then blown away by Tom Lambert (5-25), ending up with just 105. Henley will be hoping for a similar outcome to put yet more daylight between themselves and the pursuing pack come Saturday evening. Nothing however can be taken for granted and in truth there is no easy game in this League.
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Published on 27 July 2009
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