Cunliffe at the double as Newbury return with battling point

The full contingent of Newbury and Thatcham Hockey Club teams were back in action for the first time since the first week of December, following a winter break that was extended due to the cold weather.

Piers Cunliffe scored twice and Rob Haimes added another as the men's team earned a hard-fought 3-3 draw with Aylesbury in the South Central Men's Division One North.

The ladies won for the first time in three South Central Women's Division One North fixtures as a Rachel Mulvany brace helped them to a 2-0 win over Oxford 2nd.

The men's second team found things more difficult and suffered a 5-3 defeat at home to Amersham and Chalfont 2nd, leaving them languishing in ninth in the South Central Men's Division Two North table.

The ladies' second team continued their fine form as goals from Emma Boyd, Mary Cavanagh, Rhian Simm and Steph Joannides fired them to a 4-0 win over Phoenix Reading 2nd, their third South Central Women's Division One Thames win in succession.

The men's third team enjoyed a memorable weekend, playing on Saturday and Sunday and winning both South Central Men's Division Four North matches.

Ed Langdon scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Amersham and Chalfont 3rd on Saturday before Henry Durie hit a hat-trick in a 6-1 demolition of Banbury 3rd, with Francois Kilian, Gregg Bazley and John Williams completing the rout.

There was disappointment for the ladies' third team, who suffered a 2-0 defeat at home to Sonning 4th in the South Central Women's Division Two Thames.

Elsewhere, Archie Smith, Guy West and Tom Hope were on target as the men's fourth team beat Henley 4th 3-1 and goals from Beth Barry, Caroline Nicoll and Yasmin Mateus helped the women's fourth team beat Yateley 3rd 3-0.