Category: Sports News

(1) THAME firsts frustrated by Harefield – THAME Town Cricket Club’s first XI began the timed-format part of the season with a home fixture against Harefield, a side relegated from Premier One in 2016. Thame won the toss and batted first and, despite the early loss of the in-form Will Sutcliffe, Callum Russell and Gami Kanishka built a strong partnership.

A strong Harefield bowling attack had no answer to the pair, as Thame raced along to 170-1 at lunch. Russell fell shortly after the break for a fine 63, but Kanishka (pictured) went through to a brilliant 100 – his second of the league campaign. After he fell, however, the innings stuttered and Thame were indebted to Jimmy Adams and Adam Phippen for some strong late hitting to post a highly competitive 265-8 off their 58 overs.

In reply, Harefield showed very little intent to chase the target, with both openers content to just survive against the new ball. Thame then turned to spin with Phippen putting victory within sight with three quick wickets. Despite a fine spell of leg-spin from Hassam Mushtaq, Harefield managed to hold on for a draw, eventually finishing on 186-7 from 55 overs. Thame sit fourth in Home Counties Premier Two and travel to high-flying Chesham this Saturday, June 17.

(2) Second XI claim first victory of the season

LOOKING for their first win of the season, Thame 2nd XI made the short trip to play away against Tiddington’s 2nd XI. Batting first, Thame lost both openers early on. However, Skipper Matt Furness (47) anchored the middle of the innings with help from Guy Holmes (24), Ben Warwick (19) and Christian Warwick (25). Then, coming in at 8, Matt Ridgway (60) scored an explosive half-century to propel Thame up to 226.

Tiddington got off to a strong start with quick runs coming from John Mackie (36) and Jeff Higgs (38). However, opening bowlers Chris Jeffcock (2-59) and Matt Ridgway (1-17) removed Tiddington’s top order to slow their momentum. Ali Thomas (5-46) and Chris Penny (2-27) then ripped through the rest of Tiddington’s batting line up, as they fell short of Thame’s total by 72 runs. The 2nd XI play against Horspath 3rds, at home, this Saturday.

(3) Two wins in a row for third XI

THAME thirds convincingly beat Stokenchurch seconds by six wickets chasing down 96 in just 21 overs. Stokenchurch were put into bat and in immediate trouble, as opening bowlers Pete Tervet (2-30) and John Phippen (2-12) reduced the home side to 17-3 after just 10 overs, including a very sharp catch by Ian Chappell. There was no let-up for Stokenchurch as the first bowling change brought wickets for Nicholas Fuller (3-17). Debutant Rob Tomlin (2-20) also got into the action , helped by a fine catch by Matt Swain. In reply, Ian Chappell and Vim Desai started cautiously, putting on 26 in the first 12 overs, before Evan Davies accelerated the innings with a quickfire 36, ensuring the total of 96 was never a problem. Thame are now third in Division 9 and next play at home against Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts thirds.

SOURCE: Contributed

FANTASTIC swimming was in evidence across the whole of the Swim England South East Regional Championships across May 2017, so a massive congratulations to all the Thame Swimming Club swimmers.

The 15 & over events were held for the first time at the Wycombe 50m pool and proved to be hugely successful for the swimmers:

 Jo Hewett was queen of the pool winning a fantastic five Gold medals out of her five races: 100 Free; 100 Breaststroke; 50 Free; 100 Back and 200
Free.
 Marcus Birmingham swam up a storm in his 200 Fly to reach the final and PB’d with a fantastic time of 2.19.67. Marcus also came 7th in the region
for his 400 IM and was reserve for the 200m Breaststroke final.
 Rory Pridmore was swimming for the first ever time at the Regional Championships and secured great times for his 200m Free and 400m Free
races – no mean feat given it was also the first time Rory had swum these events long course.
 Elizabeth Humphreys swam strongly in her 50 Free race to gain a great PB of 29.52.
 Elliot Riley-Brown achieved a fabulous PB in his 50 Backstroke with a time of 31.43.
 Josh Williams, whilst swimming for Wycombe still has dual registration with Thame so it feels only right to mention his achievements. Josh won
Gold in his 400 Free and is currently 18th in GB for his achievement. He also won Gold in the 4 x 200 Free relay; Silver in the 4 x 100 Medley relay;
Bronze in the 1500m (with a 52 second PB), 200 Free and 100 Free events and reached the finals for 100 Back and 50 Back.
 Lucy Block was absolutely on fire qualifying for 3 finals out of 3 races – no mean feat  Lucy achieved 4th and 5th place in the finals for the 200
Back and 100 Back finals and 6th in the 50 Back, taking a massive 4 seconds off her previous PB. Awesome swimming.
 Oscar North was also swimming at Regionals for the first time and swam strongly with great times in his 200 Free, 200 Back and 400 Free – all of
which Oscar was swimming Long Course for the first time. Well done.

Thank you to Sue Hewett for officiating at this meet.

Thank you to Head Coach Ian Blyth who supported each and every swimmer across the whole of the Championships.

SOURCE: Contributed by Will Hard

CHINNOR RFC have announced the re-signing of Captain Danny Barnes, as well as the arrivals of Jamel Hamilton and Championship powerhouse Alex Dancer.

Centre Alex Dancer, 26, holds a formidable frame at six foot four and 106kg. The former Cornish Pirate is no stranger to Chinnor having previously played two games on loan in 2015. DOR Matt Williams commented, “I’m delighted Alex has chosen to join us. He is one of the best ball carrying centre’s in the Championship and I’m really excited to see him team up with Danny! When losing a legend like Fats (Junior Fatialofa) to retirement and Bevon Armitage to Devon I needed to make a statement of intent. This is it! ”

Former Hartpury College and England Students star, Alex added, “I’m really happy to be joining Chinnor and linking up with some quality players in what looks to be an exciting backline. I really feel Chinnor is the right place for me to begin the next chapter of my career. I’ve had a great 4 seasons at Pirates and I hope I can bring some new ideas to the team.”

Having left Northampton Saints Academy, Jamel Hamilton went on to play an impressive 29 out of 30 league matches for Leicester Lions last season. Still at the young age of 19 Matt Williams believes Jamel has a bright future, “Jamel’s footwork and ball skills are impressive. He reminds me a lot of a young Joe Ansbro and I really believe he has a future in full time rugby. He will learn a lot from the likes of Jonny Bentley and Danny Barnes.”

Jamel added, “Following my meeting with Matt the ambition and the obvious calibre of players in the backline made my decision easy. I really enjoyed my first season in men’s rugby with the Lions but I cannot wait to keep developing as a player!”

Danny Barnes added, “After the disappointment of missing out on promotion I’m delighted Matt has asked me to lead the team again. We have unfinished business and the squad assembled this season is very exciting. We need a big preseason ready to hit Clifton with both barrels!”

SOURCE: Contributed
photograph courtesy Brian Tempest

THAME Town Cricket Club’s  first XI produced another dominant performance to brush aside Shipton-under-Wychwood at the weekend (June 3).

After winning the toss and batting, Shipton were in trouble early as a fine opening spell from Will Rooney reduced them to 23-2. A 70-run partnership then put the game in the balance, but a tight bowling performance kept Thame in control. Hassam Mushtaq struck to remove Sanklecha and the innings folded thereafter, with Rooney returning to dismantle the tail, finishing with figures of 4-13. Shipton were all out for just 167. In reply, Thame lost both openers quickly.

Will Sutcliffe, however, continued his fine early-season form as he took the offensive, aided by a fluent 53 from overseas-player Kanishka. Sutcliffe blazed his way to 69, before falling with the end in sight. Beard and Higgs then saw Thame over the line for the loss of just 4 wickets in 35 overs. Thame currently sit 4th in the Home Counties Premier League (Div 2) and entertain Harefield at Church Meadow this Saturday, June 10.

Thame seconds narrowly miss out on first win

IN their first match against another second team, Thame 2nd XI welcomed Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd XI. Shipton reached 229 from their allotted 53 overs, with strong batting performances from Ian Harris (64) and skipper Paul Hemming (67*). The pick of the home bowlers was new seam bowler Matt Ridgway (11-1-53-3). In reply, Thame got off to a strong start, with James Nielsen (69) looking particularly impressive. Although Thame maintained wickets in hand, they fell behind the run rate in the middle overs. This led them to fall just short of Shipton’s total, reaching 221 for 8 off their allotted 47 overs and therefore forcing a draw. Thame travel to play Tiddington 2nd XI this Saturday, June 10.

First win of the season for the thirds

THAME thirds completed their first win of the season, by 15 runs, over Challow & Childrey 3rds at home. Put into bat, Thame started well with a 50-run partnership between Ian Chappell (29) and Andy Jinman (29). Once this partnership was broken, however, 3 quick wickets fell for just 4 runs. To the rescue came Paddy Harris (36) and hard-hitting Pete Higson (28*), allowing the hosts to post a competitive 161. In reply, the visitors were soon reduced to 24 for 4, thanks to the accuracy of John Phippen (2 for 18) and the swing of Ed Mather (4 for 46) but C&C fought back. Hales (48), Gregory and Hill threatened to overhaul Thame, but tight bowling at the end from Vim Desai (3 for 31) and Ian McStay (1 for 43) saw Thame home, earning 25 points. This Saturday they travel to play Stokenchurch seconds.

Finally, it was another good weekend for Thame’s Under-11 team, who beat Oxford CC’s Under-11s by 70 runs (131 to 61), with standout batting from McIntyre, Copley, Muncaster and Cayley.

THAME Town Cricket Club recently hosted the second Thame schools cricket tournament at Church Meadow. Supported by the School Games team in Oxford, and Oxfordshire Cricket Board, the competition saw over 100 children taking part, having a lot of fun and displaying some excellent cricket ability, which bodes well for the future.

The year 5/6 students represented six primary schools in the area – Aston Rowant, Mill Lane Community School in Chinnor, St Andrew’s Chinnor, St Joseph’s, Barley Hill and John Hampden. The competition provided opportunities for both boys and girls to compete. The winners of the girls’ competition were St Joseph’s and the boys’ winners were Mill Lane, Chinnor. Both schools will now go on to represent the Oxford City & Thame district in the county finals in July.

Anyone interested in finding out more about cricket opportunities for juniors in Thame should visit the Thame Cricket Club website http://www.thamecricket.org.uk/ or contact Sheena Beard on juniors@thamecricket.org.uk or 01844 213695

SOURCE: Contributed

Battling Firsts slip to Buckingham defeat  – THAME Cricket Club’s 1st XI hosted Buckingham for their first home league game of the season last Saturday (May 13) and were asked to bat after losing the toss.

After losing Will Sutcliffe in the first over, Thame struggled for momentum on a slow wicket. Some fluency was found in a strong partnership between skipper Mike Beard (54) and Richard Straughan (61), but Thame failed to capitalise on this platform and a rather disappointing final 10 overs saw them finish on 205-8.

Knowing this to be a below-par total, Thame battled extremely well to keep Buckingham quiet in reply. A strong performance in the field, combined with some tight bowling, saw the required rate steadily climb towards a tense finish. However, wickets-in-hand ultimately proved vital for Buckingham, who got home for the loss of just 3 wickets with 6 balls to spare. Thame will look to get back to winning ways this Saturday, away at Amersham.

Saunders batting heroics not enough for seconds

IN their first away league match of the season, Thame second XI faced Witney Mills’ first XI. After losing the toss, Thame were forced to bat, losing early wickets on a seaming wicket and falling to 69-6. Supported by crucial innings from debutants Matt Ridgway (24) and Michael Anderson (22), Dave Saunders’s excellent knock (69*) helped Thame reach 212.

In reply, Witney Mills started by scoring below the required run-rate but retaining key wickets in hand. Although Chris Penny, Matt Furness and James Adams all took key wickets, Witney Mills reached the target for victory with 11 balls remaining, thanks to mature batting performances from Mayho, Claridge and Evans. Thame 2nd XI play against Bletchley Town 1st XI at home next week, where they will be looking to kick-start their season.

Thirds batting lets them down against tough Twyford

THAME thirds lost by 106 runs, away to a strong Twyford team. Thame managed to keep Twyford to a reasonable total after 30 overs, but a solid 51 from Cronshaw and some power hitting by Bridgeman (73) ensured a sizeable total of 229. Vim Desai offered some bowling resistance, taking 6 wickets, while Ian McStay, Lewis Ludlam, Danny Thompson and Jamie Wiles took 1 each.

Thame, in reply, started respectably with a 30 from Desai, but a middle-order collapse left Thame in trouble. This left George Patey (24), Mark Fellowes (23) and the tail to attempt to salvage a draw, but it wasn’t to be, as B. Harper starred for the hosts taking 5 for 36, to have Thame all out for 122. The 3rds are back at home next week, against Cropredy 3s, both seeking their first wins of the season.

Under-Elevens beat Horspath

IT was left to Thame Under-11s to bring the club back to winning ways last Sunday (May 14), beating Horspath at home, by 2 wickets, in a tense finish. Mack Copley (25 not out) and Monty Muncaster (17) were the heroes of the run chase.

THE hunt for the future stars of cricket is now on, as the ECB (English Cricket Board) has just announced its brand-new programme – ‘All Stars Cricket’! The initiative aims to provide thousands of children, aged 5 to 8 years with the opportunity to play cricket, meet new friends and create Big Moments. All Stars Cricket is a fun first-experience of cricket and it will not only develop children’s basic skills, but will also get them active and provide the first steps on the national cricket pathway.

Thame Town Cricket Club has announced that its All Stars Cricket programme will start on Friday, May 19, from 5:30pm to 6:15pm, running for eight consecutive weeks.

Matt Swain, Chair of TTCC, said: “This is a fantastic programme that the ECB has developed to support local clubs in opening up cricket to younger children, in a similar way to Rugby Tots and Little Kickers. We now have an opportunity to reach even more families and youngsters. The eight week programme is designed to involve parents and carers and costs just £40, which includes a set of kit for each child (personalised t-shirt, cap, backpack, bat, ball and drinks bottle).

“We have decided to run the sessions on Friday evenings, so that parents and carers can come to the ground and unwind after the week of work, while the children have fun and burn off some energy. The bar will be open for refreshments and these sessions at Thame Town CC will coincide with Lydia Greenway’s Academy for Girls.”

IT was an historic day for Women’s cricket in Thame last Sunday, May 7, when Thame Town Cricket Club’s Women’s section proudly hosted their first-ever hard-ball cricket match; their opponents were Oxford C.C. Women’s second XI.

Oxford won the toss and chose to bat with their openers, Ridhi Kashap and Numa Shah, both batting well, scoring 25 & 22 respectively before being retired. Charlotte McDermott also scored 22 for Oxford. All the Thame bowlers performed well in their first competitive match, particularly Kirstin Fraser who took their only wicket and Sally Brentnall bowling 2 overs for just 9 runs. Louise Hope did very well keeping wicket for the first time.

In the second innings, the Thame batters displayed some fine shots with Jess Clarke hitting 14, Antonia Barnes 8, Lucy Duffy-Wyatt 7 before being retired and Faye Wilkins, Sarah Sanderson and Lindsey Walker all hitting boundaries. There were impressive bowling performances for Oxford from Numa Shah (4 overs, 3 wickets for 8) and Ridhi Kashap (3.2 overs,1 wicket for 4 runs).

The match was followed by tea in the clubhouse and the whole event was enjoyed by a good crowd on a beautiful, sunny day, in one of Oxfordshire’s most picturesque settings for cricket.

Any women and girls who would like to join the flourishing Women’s section at the club need only contact Sheena Beard on 01844-213695 or by email on women@thamecricket.org.uk

Practices take place at Church Meadow from 7.00 until 8.00 on Thursday evening. More details at www.thamecricket.org.uk

THAME United has announced that its management team of Mark West, Stuart Blaik and Hugh McCluskie have confirmed their commitment to the Club.

The trio will take the side forward in to the 2017/18 season and their return to the Southern League after a 12 year absence. West, who is in his second spell as manager and his eleventh concurrent year, is looking forward to the challenges of the Southern League. Blaik, who has been Assistant Manager for the last 4 years, said: “Winning the Hellenic League this season has been an amazing achievement for everyone involved at the football club. It is a very tough league and you have to win it to guarantee promotion. We only had a very small squad of players and we were very fortunate with injuries.

“All the lads have been absolutely terrific and they deserve a chance at the next level. All the players have committed to being with us again next season which made our decision to continue an easy one. Of course we will be looking to improve the squad if we can over the next few weeks. At the moment were are all enjoying being the champions but excited about playing in the Southern League next season.”

In his report on the Thame FC website, Chairman, Jake Collinge said: “McCluskie will continue to bring his wealth of coaching experience to the side, knowledge that was integral to the success last season.”

Pre-season training will commence on Tuesday, 27th June, with the finishing touches currently being put to the pre-season schedule.

SOURCE: www.thamefootball.co.uk/news/