Checkendon eventually fall short against league leaders

CHECKENDON secured final day Division 6B derby honours as they defeated visitors WOODCOTE by 66 runs last Saturday.

Woodcote put Checkendon into bat on a ground still recovering from heavy rain and held the upper hand early on.

Despite Praveen Bharadwaj making a fluent 47 in 38 balls, the home side were reduced to 105-6 before Pradeep Shokeen (87 in 66, including seven sixes) and Sathia Jobe (44 in 48) put on 98 for the seventh wicket.

The lower order took the total to a healthy 251 all out. Rakesh Nair finished with 3-45.

Woodcote also started badly, thanks to a spell of 4-18 in nine overs from skipper Jobe, including a hat-trick which left the visitors 16-3. Josh Davies instigated a recovery with 33 in 38 deliveries, which was followed by 35 in 54 from Nair and 43 in 41 from Alec Curtis.

Wickets continued to fall and with the score on 185, Jobe wrapped up victory with a direct hit run-out for the hosts. Checkendon finished the season in sixth place with Woodcote eighth. HURLEY ran out 99-run winners at home to STRATFIELD TURGIS/ HARTLEY WESPALL to end their campaign in fourth place.

Batting first, Hurley were all out for 264 with Saeed Ajmal top scoring with 84. In reply, Stratfield Turgis were dismissed for 165 with Umar Zaman taking 4-47 and Mohammed Fayaz 3-27.

Jason Vaughan-Davies inspired PEPPARD STOKE ROW 2nds to a hard-fought 11-run success at PURLEY 2nds.

Vaughan-Davies hit 73 from 50 balls to make him the division’s highest scorer this season with 759 runs.

With captain Andy Watts holding up the other end until he fell with the score on 71, the experienced duo gave their side a solid platform until wickets fell at regular intervals to make it 153-6.

Purley captain Drew Jackson (4-29) was the destroyer-in-chief, but James Watts chipped in with a useful 28 to help Peppard Stoke Row reach 193. The reply began disastrously for Purley, knowing they needed just 125 to secure promotion regardless of the match result, as Sam Fooks (3-27) and Sam Butler (3-23) ran amok, the hosts reeling on 43-6.

Jackson remained unbeaten at 65, well-supported by George Clarke (38), as the hosts reached their initial target.

An acceleration followed as they chased victory late on, but Peppard Stoke Row held their nerve to restrict their opponents to 182-8 and a fifth-placed finish.

HARPSDEN 2nds finished in seventh place in Division 7B after losing their final match of the season by 44 runs against HURST RANGERS 2nds.

The visitors, batting first, put on 238-8 with Qaisar Abbasi, George Miller and Peter Greeman all taking two wickets each before bowling Harpsden out for 194 to secure promotion.

HURLEY 2nds finished in fifth place after running out five-wicket winners at basement side EMMBROOK AND BEARWOOD 2nds.

Batting first, the home side were all out for 172 with Osama Munir taking 3-22 and Joban Singh 3-36. In reply, Hurley reached their target of 173-5 with Ravi Singh top scoring with 47 not out.

CHECKENDON 2nds fell just short in their clash away at league leaders HURST RANGERS 3rds.

The visitors could only manage 141 in 38.2 overs, with captain Kartik Chitta top scoring on 32 an Karan Sheth making 23. Sumaan Ansari and Ragnath Deshpande both took three wickets for Hurst.

The home side also struggled but 51 from Vinesh Vijayakurup and 49 from Arnav Dutta saw them home by two wickets, despite Sheth taking 3-15 and Rishabh Singh 3-19. This left Checkendon in fourth place in the table.

KIDMORE END 3rds’ difficult season came to an end with a six-wicket home defeat against BRACKNELL UNITED 5ths.

Batting first, the hosts were all out for just 69 runs. Bracknell reached their target of 73-4 to secure victory in just under 15 overs.