11th September 2024
The final week of league action came around this past weekend, with our teams’ fates for next season mostly decided already.
Having secured survival the previous weekend, the 1st XI finished the season away at Oxford. After choosing to bowl, Thame didn’t pick up the first wicket until 117 was on the board, which then set off a collapse of 4 wickets in 4 overs. Spinners Hassam Mushtaq (3-45) and MD Nazmul (2-34) did the damage, as the hosts posted 213-6 from the 50 overs. Thame slipped to 29-4 in reply, before Alex Browne counterpunched with 46 from 32, including 4 sixes and having to come back after retiring hurt. Lloyd Paternott (32) provided best support, but Thame fell to 129 all out. The 1s finish 7th, and go again in the Home Counties Premier Division 2 next year.
Thame 2s hosted Wolvercote 2 at Church Meadow and put them into bat. Chris Jeffcock (2-11) and Pete Tervet (2-25) had the visitors in trouble from the off. Archie Gardner backed this up with 3-26, to have Wolvercote all out for 113. Rob Johnson (45) opened strongly to set Thame coasting. A flurry of wickets late on made it closer than it really was, as Thame won by 4 wickets in just 22.3 overs. In a tight Division where relegation and promotion were both possibilities for a long time, the team finished mid-table in 5th.
Over at Lord Williams’ Upper School the 3rd XI took on Fringford and were put into bat. Danny Thompson hit 19 batting at 9 which helped Thame limp up to 96 all out. Nick Humphries (3-34) and Zara Wyatt (2-11) had 4 of the top 5 out cheaply, but the visitors were able to reach the target to win by 4 wickets. With relegation confirmed a few weeks ago, the 3s will be in Division 7 next season.
The 4th XI travelled to Dinton 3. Bowling first, Thame’s opening bowlers bowled better than the score would suggest, with Zahoor Khan (1-50) coming on to eventually get the first wicket. Dinton pushed on and peppered the short hedgey boundary, with Vidalia scoring 100 in 216-2. Charlie Anderson opened with 66*, but he and the top order could not get the fluency needed to chase the high total against strong bowling, finishing on 120-3. The 4s finish 7th in Division 8A.
With a slim chance of relegation still possible, Thame Women needed to avoid a heavy defeat and rely on two other teams to not win as they took on Moreton at home. Having been put into bat, Harshi Malan scored 58 and was supported in the main by Zara Wyatt‘s 34 to help Thame reach 162-9 from the 40 overs. Moreton’s strong opening partnership set the chase off well. Thame did pick up wickets, led by Charlotte Harvey (2-15), but the Champions were able to reach the target with 6 wickets spare. Thame picked up a healthy number of bonus points and the 2 relegation rivals did not get the wins they needed, so another season of Home Counties Premier awaits in 2025!
