Oaks depart in style
Falkland (201-9) Wokingham (202-2)
WOKINGHAM departed Thames Valley Division 1 with a thumping eight-wicket win over Falkland.
Crowned champions last week, the Oaks overcame a shaky start with the bat to cruise to a final-day win thanks to fine unbeaten knocks from Dan Housego (88) and Jack Wood (79) to chase down 202 to beat Falkland.
As promised, Wokingham shuffled the pack in terms of their squad to give some of the youngsters a chance in the first team.
Two of the leading lights from the second string, who won promotion from Division 3a this year, in teenage bowlers Calum Creighton and Toby Barker took their spots in the squad and the Oaks opted to bowl first.
Falkland, who ended the season third from bottom, started well, reaching 65 before veteran spinner Paul Dewick struck.
Barker then marked his first team debut with his first of two quick wickets and Creighton soon repeated the trick, taking two wickets of his own. Falkland closed on 201-9 from their 50 overs and when openers Rahul Patel
(4) and Lewis Sharp (1) had been dismissed, the visitors were struggling on 18-2.
However, that proved to be the end of the wickets and playercoach Housego (pictured) and youngster Jack Wood came to the crease, pushing the score all the way to 202-2 after 13 boundaries between them to clinch the win.
WOKINGHAM batting: Patel 4, Sharp 1, J. Wood 79no, Housego 88no, Hayter dnb, Clark dnb, Creighton dnb, Barker dnb, T. Wood dnb, Dewick dnb, Clapham dnb.
Bowling: Sharp 1-38, Clark 0-42, Dewick 1-26, Barker 2-41, Clapham 0-11.