Saturday 28th June 2008 | TVL Division 4A

Finchampstead 3rd XI

230 - 8

Wooburn Narkovians 1st XI

232 - 4

Wooburn Narkovians win by 6 wickets

Points: Wooburn Narkovians 20, Finchampstead 12

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Match Report

Wooburn Narkovians 1sts returned to winning ways with an exciting six-wicket victory over Finchampstead 3rds in their Thames Valley League match on Saturday. The visitors chased down a target of 231 in the last over of the game, thanks largely to a superb unbroken stand of 82 in 10 overs between Dave Pidgeon and Dave Small.

Finchampstead’s excellent batting track made a high-scoring contest likely, and Wooburn had to work hard in the field to limit the home side to a gettable total. A target in excess of 250 looked possible when 16-year-old Marcus Bazley, who completed a fine century, was in full flow. However, good bowling towards the end of the innings from Mark Tennant (3-82 from 18 overs) and Richie Barker (3-58 from 15 overs), added to two run outs, meant that Finchampstead were restricted to 230-8 in their 52 overs.

Dave Rogers and Tom Lees gave Wooburn a steady start against the old ball, putting on 62 for the first wicket. The introduction of the new ball saw Rogers dismissed for 38, and James White followed soon after, unluckily run out backing up by a deflected drive for the second time this season.

Lees and Pidgeon added a 50 partnership, reducing the target to 100 from 15 overs, before Lees was stumped after making a tidy 53. Jon Nelson also perished in the run chase, bringing Small and Pidgeon together with the score on 150-4 in the 38th over.

The Wooburn pair set about the task of scoring at eight an over by combining some big shots with a lot of positive running to put the fielding side under pressure. None of the Finchampstead bowlers could stem the flow of runs, and the game headed towards a tense finish. Wooburn reached the last over needing five to win, but Small took just one ball to break the tension, launching a big six over wide mid-on. He finished on 45 off just 27 deliveries, while Pidgeon ended with a perfectly paced 68 at nearly a run a ball

Scorecard