Weekly Cricket Roundup – 3rd XI Promoted to Div 5!

On the final weekend of the league season, 4 of our 5 teams had something to play for. Firstly, the 3rd XI travelled to Steventon, needing 3 points for promotion. The hosts won the toss, batted and started strongly, but Jordan Lee-Paskin (3-42) and Ian McStay (2-40) helped Thame get the required points for promotion as Steventon posted 216-7. In reply, Thame slumped to 83-7 when, in his breakthrough season, Zach Harris scored 40* alongside skipper Vim Desai (38). However, the damage was done and Thame lost by 56 runs, finishing 3rd but gaining promotion to Division 5!

The 1st XI needed a win to guarantee survival at home to title-chasing High Wycombe. Bowling first, Thame’s pace did the damage through Will Rooney (4-39) and Kelvin Burrows (3-58), but Wycombe’s opener Callis (112) starred on the way to 256-9. In reply, many Meadowmen got starts but wickets fell regularly around Dinushka Malan‘s 53. Thame eventually lost by 87, and despite the bonus points it was not enough as results elsewhere confirmed relegation to HCPCL Div 2. An incredible push for survival saw 4 straight wins prior to this match. Next year the boys will be gunning for a quick return to Division 1!

Thame 2s headed to Minster Lovell sitting in first 1st place with 5 teams, including the opposition, all capable of promotion. Thame bowled first, and Jonathon Jelfs took 2 early wickets as Minster Lovell fell to 3-2. Spinners Dan Patey and Greg Jenkins took 2 each, as did Jack Aston later on, but the hosts managed to get up to 237-8. Luke Hayes (47) led the chase after Harry Thomas‘ opening 36, and plenty of starts kept Thame pushing, but wickets kept falling and The Meadowmen sadly fell all out 19 runs short. Thame agonisingly finished 4th and out of the promotion places, in a very tight division.

In the only game where nothing was riding on it, the 4th XI bowled first at LWS against Chalgrove. After a fast start by the batting side, Zed Khan‘s 2-42 stemmed the flow, before Trevor Spindler‘s brilliant 5-9 later on stopped Chalgrove at 182 when they threatened more. A scoring and umpiring mishap saw 1 too many overs bowled by 1 bowler, resulting in 10 penalty runs added to the visitors’ score. Charlie Anderson (57) and Tim Dabbs (50) opened brilliantly for 116-0, but wickets then fell and a couple of dubious umpiring decisions went against Thame as they fell 9 runs short of the target.

After a strange week in which Thame lost 2nd place thanks to an unexpected rearranged fixture elsewhere; Thame’s Women faced Wargrave away knowing that their fate was out of their hands, but a win would give them a chance of regaining 2nd place and a semi-final place. Zara Wyatt (3-7) and Leanne Harris (2-22) again opened superbly, before Grace Czakan (2-6) and Emily Neighbour (2-0) took over to have Wargrave 42 all out in just the 15th over. Megs Woodward opened with 25, as Thame won by 6 wickets in the 10th over and finished 3rd place in a season to be proud of.

Rounding off the weekend, Thame Saxons took on Haddenham at home. David Hewes‘ fifty helped Thame to 141-6, but Haddenham chased it down for the loss of 3 wickets – Danny Thompson taking 2 wickets for Thame.