THAME Under-11s have had an outstanding season in the Oxfordshire league since May, winning nine out of their 10 games and culminating in them earning a deserved place in the County’s Finals Day last Sunday, July 16, hosted in style by Great and Little Tew Cricket Club.
On the road to that Finals Day, Thame defeated four opponents both home and away (Aston Rowant, MP Academy, Tiddington and Oxford CC), only losing once, away to local rivals Horspath. As for last Sunday, the top four clubs from 28 in the county came together for the semi-finals in the morning. Thame lost in the semi-final to the hosts and eventual winners, Great & Little Tew but then tied the 3rd/4th place play-off in a thrilling finish against Peppard Stoke Row; a Thame batsman was run out off the last ball attempting to go for the winning run !
There were notable performances on the day from skipper Luke Hayes (six wickets), Theo Ransby, Daniel Laws and Huxley Davis but, as throughout the season, the side’s main strength was in the collective performance of the team. Huge credit goes to the wider U11 squad and to the many club coaches who have contributed to their success.
THAME Town cricket club is preparing to throw open its ground and pavilion doors to the local community for a family fun day which will help to raise funds towards the club’s new clubhouse project.
Hopefully, the weather will be as good this year as for last year’s fund day !
The club is inviting all local cricket fans and people who are interested in finding out more about the club, to head along to the ground for the day, on Sunday, August 6, from 11am to 6pm, to watch some cricket, get involved in a range of taster sessions and enjoy some food and drink.
TTCC’s Chairman, Matt Swain, said: “Following the success of England winning the Women’s Cricket World Cup we are inviting everyone to come and join us at Thame Cricket Club for a family fun day out. From 11am-6pm there will be a six-a-side tournament, BBQ, bar and refreshments, music, a Bouncy Castle, hot air balloon ride, alfresco Yoga and lots more. From 2pm to 3pm we will have a free Cricket taster session for Girls and Boys of 6 to 16 years. From 3pm to 4pm we will be holding an All Stars cricket session for age 4 to 8 years which will include a special guest. The event is for everyone. Come and join us in the heart of Thame next to St Mary’s Church; you will be most welcome.”
Thame Town CC runs three adult teams every weekend during the cricket season. The club also has over 100 junior members from age U9 to U15 that play on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, an All Stars section set up this year with 45 children age 4-8, which plays on a Friday and a women’s team that play on a Thursday evening.
The club is a voluntary organisation which has ECB accreditation, 15 ECB qualified coaches, two child welfare officers and a management committee. Visit the TTCC website for more information.
FIRST XI win thriller in the last over – Last Saturday, July 15, at Buckingham, Thame were put in to bat in tough conditions and were quickly reduced to 18-2. However, a patient 70 from overseas pro Gamindu Kanishka, coupled with yet another 50 from the in-form James Adams held the innings together.
Gami Kanishka
Finally, Adam Phippen contributed a quickfire 44 to boost the total to 216-5. In response, Buckingham made a solid start, reaching 42, before skipper Michael Beard made the breakthrough. Hassam Mushtaq (3-72) and Andrew Russell (3-40) continued to pin back the Buckingham run chase with regular wickets. Despite this all three results were still possible going into the final over. With eight wickets down and requiring 17 runs, Buckingham’s Nuwan Jayasena dispatched the first two deliveries for four and six, before the ninth wicket left Thame needing just one wicket from the three remaining deliveries. This came two balls later, with Russell and Rooney combining for a run out to seal victory. Thame now sit fourth in the league and this Saturday will host Amersham.
A third straight win for the seconds
Thame second XI welcomed third-placed Witney Mills to Church Meadow but, winning the toss and electing to bat, they failed to gain much momentum. With the exception of runs from Matt Furness (44), Daniel Patey (23) and George Patey (20), fine bowling from Steve Kelly (4-40) and Sam Haselgrove (6-37) limited Thame’s total to a below-par 154. In response, Witney Mills’s chances of winning soon looked poor, thanks to impressive spells from Matt Ridgway (4-30) and Ali Thomas (4-34) that tore through the top order. Despite resistance from Nicholas Anderson-Pierce (52), Witney failed to reach Thame’s total and were dismissed for 125.
Thame second XI are now fourth in the table and travel to Bletchley where they hope to capitalise on their great form.
Thirds remain in promotion-hunt with convincing win
Thame thirds beat Twyford thirds by 68 runs on a windy, overcast day, at Lord Williams’s ground. Thame were asked to bat first and Twyford exploited the tricky conditions, as wickets fell regularly. After 24 overs, Thame were 83 for 5. Guy Holmes made a brisk 21 but it was the lower order that saved the day as wicket-keeper Paddy Harris (25) and man- of- the-match Ian McStay (29), gave the home side a competitive total of 157. In reply, Twyford were pegged back with an excellent opening bowling spell from Pete Tervet (2-22) and John Phippen (0-14 from 7). Thame then took control of the match with James McStay (1-23), Vimal Desai (1-7) and a masterclass in accuracy from Ian McStay (5-17) dismissing Twyford for just 89.
Thame travel to play Cropedy thirds this Saturday, July 22.
Furness ton leads Sunday XI to huge win
Dorchester-on-Thames visited Church Meadow on Sunday, July 16, and chose to bat first. With some big hitting, the visitors posted an impressive 207-6, thanks largely to an opening 83 from Redhead. Thame however, wasted no time in replying, as skipper Matt Furness hit a lightning-fast 109, before retiring in favour of the youngsters. Ben Buckland finished the job with 56 not out, as Thame won by seven wickets in 23 overs.
THE latest junior one-day squash tournament on July 15, at Racquets Fitness Centre proved to be a very exciting tournament. The results were vastly different to the previous tournament where many of the players had been testing out their competitive game for the first time.
Zak Young, one of the Racquets Academy players, struggled to compete in the tournament earlier in the year but a determined effort of improvement over the last few months proved how much a player can change in a short time.
All the players showed great enthusiasm for the game, supporting other Racquets players despite them being the competition! This all comes down to the great spirit we have at Racquets.
The majority of the juniors were all very closely matched so we had one grade of 16 players. Each player played with determination and fantastic competitive spirit.
Zak Young, age 10, who joined the academy as one of the original five back in December 2016, showed just how far he has come. The other children in the academy all had previous racket skills so Zak started at a disadvantage. Not to be deterred he worked hard to learn the game of squash and did so with enthusiasm and listened carefully to his coaches. This was Zak’s second tournament and he played like he had never played before. His first match was a hard one when his competitor got distressed throughout the game, Zak stayed composed and focused and allowed his competitor to calm down in between serves.
Zak won all of his games in his group and was gracious with every win showing the true colours of good sportsmanship. Zak’s coach, Sue Martin Downhill, said: “I am incredibly proud of just how far Zak has come in eight months and I am delighted to see how the free coaching Zak has received through the academy has paid off. Zak is a very good example of why we offer children a chance in the academy.”
Zak’s mum Zoe said: “I am incredibly proud of Zak and how hard he has worked at learning squash as he didn’t find it easy at the beginning. It has been wonderful to see the passion Zak shows for squash and his temperament towards the other players was exceptional, he was one point away from being joint first; it was a nerve wracking final to say the least!”
Through some very long games, the outcome of this tournament was first place to Joe Johnson, second place, Zak Young and third place Alex Glover, all of whom are Racquets Academy players.
New to the academy, Richard Wheeler, Andrew Worby and Alex Bozon, all showed tremendous courage in playing against some hard competition and kept their cool under pressure too. Really great sportsmanship!
Laszlo Garson, from Abingdon, was the youngest player in the tournament at age seven. His competition was notable because he was playing against much older and physically stronger players. Throughout the matches of the tournament we could all see his composure, confidence and skill improving. He will be a force to be reckoned with within the next six months.
The top grade of the tournament was a demonstration of quality coaching and keenness. The winner and runner-up were the same age as the grade below but have been playing for a few years now. Alex Smith, age 10 from Abingdon, won with style, closely followed in second place by Ambrose Garson age 11, also from Abingdon, who played incredibly well.
We look forward to seeing the changing standards of all the players over the course of the next few Racquets one-day squash tournaments.
For more information about playing squash, whether from a young age or starting later in life, contact Sue or Simon at Racquets Fitness Centre on 01844 261754.
AFTER winning the toss and batting, Thame Town Cricket Club’s firsts were immediately in trouble against the spin of Datchet’s Chris Peploe on Saturday, July 8. An excellent partnership between Richie Straughan (30) and Jimmy Adams 54, steadied the ship, but Thame never really got going and were eventually dismissed for 157 with one ball of their allotted 58 overs to spare.
James Adams
Peploe bowled from one end throughout the innings, finishing with figures of 7-48. In reply, Thame’s bowlers created chances but it was not to be their day. Steven Naylor held the Datchet innings together with 54 and the visitors ultimately chased the target down for the loss of 5 wickets with 15 overs to spare. Thame travelled to Buckingham this Saturday looking to bounce back. (Report to come)
Back-to-back wins for the second XI
THAME seconds have made it 2-from-2 so far in July, with a hard-fought 58-run victory away against Stokenchurch last weekend (July 8/9). Batting first, Thame’s score of 241 all out was anchored by skipper Matt Furness (76), ably supported by Dan Patey (58) and Christian Warwick (46). In reply, Stokenchurch got off to a flyer with an opening stand of 82 in 12 overs, putting Thame’s total under pressure.
However, once Latif was dismissed by Ali Thomas, Thame’s bowlers slowly gained the upper hand. With tw0 more wickets for Thomas, and one for Ben Warwick, the introduction of Chris Penny then literally swung the game Thame’s way. A deadly spell of 6 for 36 ripped through the middle and lower order, to give Thame an excellent win against the division’s second-placed team. They faced Witney Mills at home last Saturday. (Report to come)
Thirds battle to draw against Kimble seconds
PUT in to bat, Kimble got off to a flying start, putting on 88-0 off 15 overs, thanks to T. Skeggs (49) and A. Singh (34). Jamie Wiles (1-18) and James McStay (2 -23) were the pick of the bowlers and restored some control.
However, powerful hitting by Tizzard (102*) then made Thame wilt on a hot, sunny day as Kimble reached 279-4. In reply, Thame started well with skipper Vimal Desai (26) and Joe Phippen (12) taking them to 45 after 11 overs, but a mini-collapse reduced them to 54 for 4 after 13 overs. Ian Chappell (59), James McStay (32) and Matt Anderson (27) ensured that Thame posted a respectable drawing score of 183-7 at the close. Thame are now fifth in the table and next play Twyford thirds, who sit in third position.
Thame lose by just eight runs in T20 vs Horspath
ON Thursday, July 6, Thame travelled to Horspath in the Bernard Tollett T20 Cup. At the halfway point of the innings, Horspath were on course for over 200, with Tom Cosford blasting 83 of 34 balls, but Hassam Mushtaq (2-15) and Mike Higgs (2-19) limited the hosts to 157 all out. Thame’s chase fell just eight runs short, following Callum Russell’s 43 from 29 balls. Andy Russell’s two sixes in a row at the end made for an exciting finish, but it was to no avail. Thame hosted Oxford Downs on Thursday, July 13t. Report to follow.
Thame Under-11s win their Oxfordshire League pool
LAST Sunday, July 9, Thame Under-11s finished their regular league season in style, with a 98-run win over Tiddington, at home, thereby topping pool two, ahead of Horspath, Aston Rowant, MP Academy, Oxford and Tiddington. They amassed 140 for 1 in 20 overs with Daniel Laws, Zac Harris, Monty Muncaster and Theo Ransby all retiring on at least 25. In reply, Tiddington were skittled for 42, with Will Beerling taking three wickets and Matthew Cayley a rare hat-trick ! They travelled to Great Tew on Sunday, 16, for the County Finals day. Report to follow.
AFTER losing the toss, Thame struggled to build any momentum against a very well disciplined Rowant attack. Only Callum Russell (86, pictured) and Hassam Mushtaq (51) made double figures as Thame managed 181-9 – their cause not aided by two run outs.
In response, Rowant’s openers came out firing and it took the introduction of spin to remove both with the score on 50. However, from there on Rowant captain Josh Smith and overseas, James McDougall, took control. Their two very well controlled innings saw Rowant home for the loss of just two wickets.
Callum Russell, top scorer for TTCC’s first XI
Nonetheless, a very encouraging first half of the season see’s Thame sit fifth, just three points off second place. They host Datchet next week looking to get back to winning ways.
A return to winning ways for the seconds
THAME’S second XI faced rivals Dinton in a ‘must win’ game. Winning the toss and electing to bat, Thame got off to a strong start with openers Harry Thomas (41) and George Patey (44) both playing excellently. Despite losing wickets, Thame never really lost momentum with runs coming from Matt Furness (29), Dan Patey (22) and Richard Carr (40*), helping the team to reach a competitive target of 220.
In reply, Dinton never looked like threatening Thame’s total. Excellent bowling from Peter Tervet (3-37), Alaistair Thomas (5-36) and George Patey (2-8) made light work of Dinton’s batting line up, leading them 117 all out.
Thame second XI look to capitalise on recent good form against a strong Stokenchurch side next week.
Third XI lose top-of-the-table clash
HAVING won the toss Thame thirds elected to bat on what looked like a good batting track. Sadly, batting first, Thame only managed to post a below par score of 131. Christian Warwick top scored with 25 and James McStay batted well down the order for a solid 20.
In repl, the Thame team applied some good early pressure, restricting the home side and managing to take two early wickets thanks to some accurate seam bowling from Ian McStay (two wickets) and Ben Warwick. Unfortunately, five dropped catches proved very costly as Oxford Downs managed to reach the target in 26 overs, only losing two wickets. The batting honours for Oxford were shared by H Gillam (61) and T Ling (51).
Thame thirds now drop down to fourth place and hope to pick up points in the next match is against Kimble seconds.
Warwick hundred leads Sunday XI to friendly victory
A Thame XI, made up of a select few firsts and seconds alongside their third XI and Youth players, made the short journey to Tiddington for a 40-over friendly. Opting to bat first, the Warwick brothers provided the majority of Thame’s total of 232, with Christian (108) scoring his second hundred for the Meadowmen, alongside Ben who hit 81, in an epic partnership.
Early wickets for Jamie Wiles and Rob Tomlin made it a good start for Thame, but huge hitting looked to take Tiddington to the total with ease. Ben Warwick took three wickets to fight back, plus an excellent caught and bowled by Ben Buckland swayed the game in Thame’s favour before Buckland again, Lewis Ludlam and Adam Phippen’s two wickets meant Thame won by 30 runs.
Youth round-up
THAME Town Under 13s continued their winning streak with victory over Tiddington U13 last Thursday night (June 29). Thame batted first and on a difficult wicket reached a score of 101-7. The main contributors were Muncaster (22), Pember (17) and Carr (11*). In reply, Tiddington were always behind the required rate and despite a late rally finished on 91-6. Wilkins finished the leading bowler taking 2 for 3.
Tiddington won the toss against Thame Town U11s and chose to bat and their innings was held together by an assured innings by Jake Mackay (27, retired), with a late flourish from Artie Shrimpton getting the home side up to 78 for 7 from their 20 overs. The wickets were shared equally by Huxley Davis, Theo Ransby, Sam Berry and Archie Jacobs, with a good fielding display bringing 3 run outs. In reply, Thame made a measured start against accurate bowling, before Archie Jacobs accelerated the innings with 14.
Thame were then knocked back by two wickets from Finn, but the skipper, Luke Haye,s guided the side almost to the target with a composed 25 (retired). With scores level, the last single was scrambled on the first ball of the 19th over, Thame reaching 79 for the loss of 7 wickets. The two sides meet again on Sunday, July 9, in the last round of league matches.
NEARLY 120 talented young athletes based in South Oxfordshire or Vale of White Horse, including several from Thame and Chinnor, will benefit from a fund worth over £60,000 – thanks to charitable social enterprise GLL.
The athletes will be supported through the ground breaking GLL Sport Foundation (GSF), the largest independent athlete support programme in the UK.
Rebecca Hussey – Image courtesy of UK Athletics
The athlete awards cover Olympic, Paralympic, Deaflympic, Special Olympic and Commonwealth sporting disciplines. With a staggering 89% of award recipients receiving no other sport funding and 73% of recipients being aged under 21, the Sport Foundation has highlighted a vital funding gap for young talented athletes currently competing and National and international levels.
The local young athletes set to benefit from the awards are:
Thame
· Liam Hester (13) – Kickboxing
· Elspeth Jackson (17) – Gymnastics : Acrobatics
· Linsey Smith (21) – Cricket
· Rebecca Hussey (24) – Athletics : Sprints
· David Gain (26) – Athletics : Sprints
· Joshua Williams (14) – Swimming
· Joel Bullivant (18) – Rowing
· Marcus Birmingham (16) – Swimming
· Henry Seed (12) – Fencing: Foil
· Ian Carter (54) – Kickboxing
· Jane Bell (58) – Triathlon
Chinnor
· Alex Robert-Cook (17) – Badminton
Graeme Thomas Foundation-supported Team GB rower and Tokyo 2020 hopeful, said, “This will be my third successive year being supported by the GLL Sport Foundation and I cannot thank them enough for their continued support. In the past two years I have had both hips operated on and this has meant regular pool time to maintain my aerobic fitness. With the GLL award I was able to regularly and easily use my local pool. The GLL award also helped me to update my equipment, most recently with new ‘skinny’ oars, and this year I will be upgrading my stroke meter to the new GPS type, which I hope will positively impact my training. I am no stranger to making comebacks from setbacks and hopefully in a year’s time I will confirm that year one of my four-year plan was a success with the help of GLL Sport Foundation.”
THE bright and breezy weather on Sunday, June 25, reflected the determined and enthusiastic mood of the Thame 10K runners of 2017, who came in their masses to take part in Thame’s well-known annual challenge. The race limit of 1000 is normally full by early June which only highlights the popularity of this town event and added to the buzzing atmosphere.
The jubilant JHS Team – Image courtesy of @TVAirAmb
The race started and finished at Lord Williams’s Upper school playing fields, passed through the town centre and back along the Phoenix Trail. After completing the 10K, the competitors received a medal in recognition of their accomplishment, as well as a T-Shirt and a goody bag as mementos of the race. These were handed out by Kate from CPM, assisted by Howard Papworth (Race Director) and Rod Lavers (Race Secretary) from Thame Runners.
The feedback surrounding the race was nothing but positive; one quote from Facebook read that the race was really enjoyable, adding: “Great course, especially if you aren’t a hill fan! A very friendly atmosphere throughout and a massive thank you to the marshals & the TVAA volunteers with the hosepipe and sponges!”
Gratitude towards all the helpers and sponsors was prominent throughout the comments. Thame Runners’ spokesperson, Rod Lavers, said on Facebook: ” I would also like to offer my grateful thanks to our brilliant army of marshals and helpers who have once again come up trumps and provided our running guests yesterday morning with a fantastic experience. A number of favourable comments have been posted to the Thame 10k Facebook page which is always very pleasing to get such positive feedback.
“I must also mention the incredible team of helpers at the “race village” who cleared the field in record breaking time and allowed everyone to attend the post-race barbecue at a very decent hour. Well done to Bruce ‘Mr Barby’ Lawton who tossed the burgers, sausages and chicken drumsticks with great aplomb, ably assisted by Harry Turner and my wife Sue. What a great day it was, but I was more than pleased to hit my bed last night after a tiring day. Here’s to 2018!!”
Fastest woman in the Thame 10K 2017, Emma Houchell
The Results
For the third time in four years, James Bolton of the Woodstock Harriers came first – over 90 seconds ahead of the second finisher in an extraordinary time of 33.00. The fastest female in the race was Emma Houchell with a time of 36:34 making her 12th in the race overall. The first male Thame resident to finish was Kristian Williams, and the first female Thame resident was Emma Way.
A team from John Hampden School in Thame, including the head teacher, Paul Hankey (time: 01:18:01) ran to raise funds for the Air Ambulance, in memory of four year-old Barnaby Cork. FULL RACE RESULTS HERE
It seems that the race wouldn’t be what it is without the dedication of the marshals, the encouragement of the family members who line the race course, and the enthusiasm of the runners themselves who keep the race going year after year.
THAME Town Cricket Club’s first XI hosted Reading CC at the Meadow last weekend, and ensured that they didn’t come unstuck against a side relegated from Division One last season and who are already in a relegation battle at the bottom of Division Two.
Callum Russell, top scorer for TTCC’s first XI
Thame stand-in Skipper for the day, Will Rooney, won the toss and did not hesitate to bowl first. The Thame seamers bowled tightly up top, but it was the spinners who did the damage to dismantle Reading for 116. Hassam Mushtaq (3-16), Mike Higgs (3-38) and Andy Russell (2-12) were amongst the wickets, as well as a run out, ensuring only one Reading player scored above 20.
Reading were bowled out in 48 overs, meaning Thame had 60 overs to reach their target. Callum Russell lead Thame’s reply with a run-a-ball 56, including nine fours and a six, with Richie Straughan making 23. Thame lost three quick wickets near the end, but ultimately were too strong and made it over the line in the 24th over with five wickets to spare. Another early finish before tea for the 1st XI.
Thame currently sit third in Division Two of the Home Counties, and face bitter rivals and top of the league, Aston Rowant away next weekend.
Second XI fight all the way in close defeat
THAME second XI travelled to play Brackey’s first XI on Saturday. Winning the toss and electing to bat, Thame got off to a decent start with runs coming from Harry Thomas (15), George Patey (24) and James Nielson (27). Despite quickly losing wickets, captain Matt Furness (52) anchored the innings, with quick runs coming from Richard Carr (37*) in the final few overs to propel Thame to a decent total of 192.
Early on in the second innings, Thame looked on top as early wickets were taken by Peter Tervet, Ben Buckland and George Patey. However, a partnership of 99 between Michael Lowe (47) and Joshua Markham (55) turned the momentum of the game in Brackley’s favour. Although late wickets from Alaistair Thomas and Chris Penny almost salvaged a draw for the Meadowmen, Brackley reached Thame’s total with three wickets remaining in the final over to win the match.
Thame second XI face Dinton at home next week.
Third XI pick up 25 points
THE third XI were due to take on Banbury fifth XI away this past weekend, but unfortunately the hosts had to cancel. Next week, they entertain Oxford Down thirds in a top-of-the table clash.
Under 13s do the double
THAME Town U13 completed an Oxfordshire League double over local rivals, MP Sports, with a comprehensive win on Thursday night. MP batted first, and tight bowling restricted them to 101-8 in their 20 overs. Thame’s fielding was excellent and resulted in three run outs. Batting second, Thame had no problems knocking the runs off and achieved the target of 102 for the loss of only three wickets with 4.5 overs to go. Star man with the bat was Jack Pember who finished 30 not out.
THAME Town Cricket Club’s first XI secured excellent win on Saturday (17/06) after a somewhat shaky start.
The first XI travelled to Chesham, who sat a few points above them in Division 2. Thame didn’t start well losing regular wickets and at lunch were 99-5, with Gamindu Kanishka (32) the only player to score above 30. After lunch, however, good contributions from Mushtaq, Phippen and Jeffcock, combined with a well-paced 60 not-out from James Adams (pictured,) meant that Thame reached a morale-boosting 203 off their 58 overs.
James Adams
In reply, Chesham were comfortable at 36-0, after the Chesham opening batsman was dropped in the first over. Thame then took the game to the hosts and didn’t allow Chesham to build another partnership. Will Rooney (3-17) and Chris Jeffcock (3-20) ripped through the top order, with a helping hand from Will Sutcliffe who took four catches at slip, one being a candidate for ”catch of the season”. This left Adam Phippen to clean up the tail with figures of 3-13, as Chesham collapsed from 36-0 to 99 all out inside 30 overs. This handed Thame their 4th win of the season and moved them up to 3rd place in Division 2. Thame entertain Reading this Saturday at home, looking to continue their good form.
The seconds get into their stride with a second win
ON a sweltering day at Church Meadow, Thame seconds welcomed Horspath’s third XI. Despite winning the toss and electing to bat first, Horspath failed to gain momentum throughout their innings. The most successful Thame bowlers were Sam Lachlan (3-29) and George Patey (3-34), who helped to bowl Horspath out for 105.
Matt Furness, Ali Thomas and Chris Penny also picked up one wicket each. In response, Thame made short shrift of the chase, knocking off Horspath’s total in just 16.1 overs, with nine wickets remaining. The runs came from George Patey (38*) and captain Matt Furness (47*). Thame travel to Brackley next Saturday, searching for their third win in a row.
The thirds make it three wins in a row
THAME thirds extended their winning streak to three in a row with a crushing 161 run win against Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts thirds (OBN3) at home. Having won the toss, Thame asked OBN3 to field on a hot day. Andy Jinman made an aggressive 69 and, with the help of fellow-opener Ian Chappell (31), shared an opening partnership of 81. Andy and debutant Shakeel Khan (58) then further punished the now-wilting OBN3 with a further 67-run partnership.
Shakeel and Vimal Desai (25) then piled on further misery with a partnership of 58. The innings concluded with some free-hitting from Paddy Harris (30*) and Tim Dabbs (15*) to ensure a huge total of 257-4 after 45 overs. In reply, OBN3 lost early wickets and looked desperate at 12-4 from 9 overs, but then offered resistance for a short spell. Thame’s total was never at risk however, OBN3 being bowled out for 96 in 33 overs. Ed Mather and Jordan Lee-Paskin took one wicket each, while Desai, Lewis Ludlam and Pete Higson each claimed two.
Thame thirds travel to Banbury this Saturday.
Seventh win out of eight for Under-11s
AND finally, on Sunday morning (8/06), Thame’s Under-11s completed the season-double against Aston Rowant with a three-wicket win at home. The batting was held together by captain Luke Hayes (26*), while the wickets came from Theo Ransby, Mack Copley and Will Beerling.
