Slough sink Wargrave in basement play-offs
Janed helps Slough make the most of extension to season
Slough and Wargrave may not have been playing for the major prizes at the end of the Home Counties Cricket League season, but their season was extended to play in the John Goodman play-off for sides placed 17th to 20.
Both sides would have been hoping for more from this truncated season, particularly Slough who’ve struggled to show the form of previous campaigns.
However, they played out an entertaining fixture on Saturday which Slough edged to win by six wickets.
Having won the toss and elected to bat hosts Wargrave made 186-4 from their 40 overs with Imran Malik reaching 91 from 106 balls and Neal Robinson finishing unbeaten on 68.
However, despite only dropping four wickets it proved an underpar total given the conditions, and Slough chased them down with six wickets and some overs in hand. Nadeem Syed finished with the best bowling figures for Slough, taking 2-24.
Slough also did well with the bat, but it was Nabeel Janed who really excelled, making 81, while Naveed Akhtar provided useful support before falling one run short of his half century. However, that excellent stand was enough to get them to victory with just under three overs remaining.
W Burnham were also playing in the John Goodman play-off for sides placed ninth to 12th and beat Banbury in convincing fashion.
Having won the toss Burnham opted to bat and, with Shaan Khan in fine form making 85 not out, they motored along to 235-8 from their 40 overs.
Other notable knocks came from Karan Kumar, who made 49 and Syed Bukhari who added 39 from 31 balls. Banbury struggled with the ball, but David Eaton managed figures of 2-44.
If Banbury’s bowling attack had struggled, their batting line up fared less well. Oliver Clarke (24) and Michael Burton (24) shared a stand of 53 for the first wicket and suggested they might make a fist of the run chase.
But 10 wickets were lost for just 45 runs, a capitulation of epic proportions brought on by the razor-sharp bowling of Sulaiman Javed (5-26).
Adnan Shabbir (2-3) and Farhaan Khan (2-13) also chipped in with a couple of wickets as Burnham ripped through Banbury’s line up to win by 137 runs.
In the John Goodman Cup play-off competition, High Wycombe beat Chesham by 21 runs to set up a showdown with Oxford Downs who beat Wokingham by five wickets.
In the Plate competition Henley will take on Thame Town in the final.
Henley proved too strong for Aston Rowant while Thame beat Horspath by 40 runs.