Strong starts for Newbury and Theale & Tilehurst on opening day of cricket season
There were winning starts for Newbury and Theale & Tilehurst in week one of the Thames Valley Cricket League.
Newbury kicked off their Division 4A campaign in strong fashion with a win at home to Binfield.
The visitors won the toss and chose to bat first, making a strong start.
Mikey Allan-Canty’s 59 from 63 balls came in tandem with GD Celliers’ 63, before both were bowled by Newbury’s Kevin Mills.
Binfield’s middle order let them down though, with no player getting more than ten runs for the rest of the innings.
Lewis Mitchard was the most productive bowler, going 3-14 as Binfield were bowled out at 173-7.
Newbury kicked off their response in strong fashion, as Mitchard grabbed a bat and proceeded to hit a magnificent 58.
Ten fours and a single six made up a strong innings for Mitchard, who surely took home man of the match.
Scores in the mid-teens made up the rest of the innings, as Newbury reached their target with four wickets remaining.
They sit third in the league and travel to Wargrave 3rd on Saturday.
In Division 3A, Theale & Tilehurst won narrowly at home to White Waltham.
Theale chose to bat and put on a very strong performance.
Rehan Akram’s 47 and Abdullah Nadeem’s 37 kicked things off, before Sohail Arshad made a speedy 26 to cap a strong start for Theale.
Baber Hussain’s innings was the highlight, as he hit 94 from 66 balls to elevate his side’s score.
Alec Davidson-Soler hit 44 not-out to take Theale to 273-4 at the end of 45 overs.
Skipper Nikhil Jathavedan hit a sensational 101 to start White Waltham’s response, but Theale’s efficient bowling restricted their efforts.
White Waltham ended 258-7, but ran out of overs, handing Theale a 15 run victory.
In Division 2A, Sulhamstead & Ufton had a difficult opening day.
They chose to bat first, as Mubarak Tahir hit 25 from 42 balls.
The rest of the innings was disastrous however, with no batsman achieving more than 16 and only two breaking double figures.
They finished 98 all-out after 28 overs, and Wargrave’s response was swift.
They took just 19 overs to reach their target and seal a six wicket victory.
They host Aldershot on Saturday, when they’ll hope for a brighter performance.
Meanwhile, in the Hampshire Cricket League, an East Woodhay side missing a number of regular names had a tough afternoon on Saturday
The Division 2A outfit travelled to Hursley Park and chose to bat first.
Captain Adam Barnes opened for East Woodhay, but was dismissed for a golden duck.
Aaryan Shariff and James Hall managed just nine and six, as the top order faltered.
Alan Williams and Sam Coyne stepped up with a pair of strong performances however.
Williams hit ten fours on his way to 66, while Coyne made 40 from 41 to inject life into the innings.
George Walters made another great contribution with his blistering 66 from just 28 balls in the best East Woodhay showing of the day.
He hit nine fours and four sixes as East Woodhay finished 228 all-out.
The Hursley response was brutal, as Oliver Brimble hit 100 not out from 101 balls, and Stephen Cockram smashed 72 from just 56 balls.
This saw Hursley Park over the line for a seven wicket victory.
East Woodhay will look forward to Saturday’s trip to Bishop's Waltham.
Meanwhile, in Division 3C it was a day to forget for Hungerford’s first team at home to Overton.
They were made to bat first, with opener Samuel Hack making 17 from 29.
It was downhill from there however, as Jake Rowell and Oliver Tullock went for just eight each.
Skipper William Tulloch made 17 in the middle order, but that was as good as it got, as Hungerford were bowled out for just 67 in total.
Overton had little to do in response, as they reached their target within eighteen overs to seal a six wicket victory.
They’ll host Harley Wintney 2nd on Saturday.
Hungerford 2nd’s trip to East Anton was a closer affair.
Matthew Harper-Ronald’s 60 was the highlight as the hosts chose to bat first.
Opener Henry Knight’s 72 led the way for Hungerford’s response, before captain Freddie Tulloch hit 48.
It wasn’t quite enough though, as East Anton bowled well to seal a 25 run win.
