Chenies & Latimer CC 85 All Out (34.2 overs) Jones 4-39, Bean 2-25, Caldow 2-12
Windsor CC 86-1 (26.4 overs) Haynes 51*, Dawson 21*

Windsor 3rd XI started their TVL campaign in style on Saturday with an emphatic 9 wicket win over Chenies & Latimer 2nd XI.

Having lost the toss, Windsor were asked to field on a sunny but breezy day at the Home Park and it wasn't long before new ball pairing of Griff Jones and Dean Bean began moving the ball through the air. In the 6th over, after being struck for a couple of delightful boundaries, Jones produced the perfect comeback with a superb inswinger that took the top of off to leave Chenies 10-1. Worse was to follow for the visitors as a couple of run outs in quick succession, the first following a tidy peice of work from Alex Haynes and the second after Jones managed to deflect a full blooded drive back onto the stumps, left Chenies reeling at 13-3. After Jones had picked up his second wicket with another unplayable inswinger, Dean Bean soon got into the act to bag himself a couple of wickets. With Chenies struggling at 31-6 after 20 overs Windsor continued to apply the pressure and were indebted to some high quality swing bowling from the Welsh-Bermudan pairing. Despite a mini recovery from Chenies, they were to find themselves in deep trouble at 64-8 as Jones added 2 more wickets to his tally thanks to an LBW and a smart steepling catch from new boy Ross Caldow. A break for Bean after 15 superb overs off the reel saw Caldow, a fine aquisition both on and off the field, intoduced into the attack and it wasn't long before he got in on the act to knock over the tail as Chenies finally subsided for 85 All Out.

Windsor faced a tricky 15 overs before the tea interval and openers Kev Condon and fiery red head Alex Haynes showed that they were in no hurry to knock off the runs, both very watchful in the opening few overs. Condon fell attempting one big shot too many but at tea, with Windsor 41-1, they were well placed for victory. After the break Haynes, fresh from a superb century the week before, began to find his feet with some nice strokeplay. At the other end , Rob Dawson continued to be watchful as he looked to play himself back into touch. The partnership continued to develop and it wasn't long before Windsor were on course to wrap up a win. There was just enough time for Haynes to bring up a deserved 50 and ensure that Windsor got home with time, and 9 wickets, to spare.

Skipper Richard Noble was understandably delighted after the game. "It was pretty much the ideal start from our point of view, all the boys were up for it today and I think that showed in our attitude in the field. The new ball pair were superb and if we can apply that same pressure every week we should do ok in this league".

The next test will come at Yateley on Saturday as Windsor look to build on their impressive start to the season.

Maidenhead & Bray 3rd XI 296-8dec. (S Bukhari 102, J Alam 81, A Hill 5-40)
Windsor 3rd XI 300-8 (B Davis 95, RW Noble 41, R Dawson 31)

A patched-up Windsor 3rd XI pulled off a remarkable performance with the bat to win this vital promotion battle in Bray.

After losing wicketkeeper Care to promotion and in-form opener Condon to illness during the week as well as the unavailability of certain other players including Charters who hit 92no in the corresponding fixture earlier in the season, the Windsor team who took to the field still had the confidence and experience to be able to pull off a result in tricky circumstances.

Noble lost the toss and M&B chose to bat first. The Windsor openers Hill and Davies probed away and bowled a very tight opening spell with very few runs coming off the bat in the first 8 overs and Hill picked up the first wicket by bowling the opener which brought No.3 Alam to the crease, the batsmen Windsor knew well after his 118 in the corresponding fixture earlier in the season. Alam started hitting a few boundaries, cutting Hill to the point boundary and pulling Davies for two fours in his final over as the run rate steadily started to climb. Rob Hodgson was introduced to the attack and the change of pace initially slowed the batsmen’s scoring and he took the second wicket. The other opener caught at gully by Dawson. This brought Bukhari to the crease and after an initial uneasy period, these two batsmen gradually got set and really took the attack to the Windsor bowling. Bukhari hitting 22 off one over including two massive sixes which resulted in a lost ball. Noble rotated his bowling as much as possible to try to restrict the batsmen but this didn’t affect them as they were in full flow and they continued to hammer boundaries and the total looked as if it was going to be insurmountable.

Windsor didn’t help themselves with some pretty poor fielding at times. Runs were given away through misfields and four catches went down, and with these batsmen in form this was something that Windsor could have done without. Stand-in keeper Davis had to take extra care as balls were bouncing awkwardly in front of him and Windsor had conceded 20 runs in byes. By this time, Windsor heads were firmly on the floor. As a last throw of the dice, Noble asked wicketkeeper Davis to take off the pads as Tom Bullock took over behind the stumps and Davis came on to bowl at the tennis court end while Hill returned to the attack for his second spell.

With 42 overs gone M&B were 240-2 and looked to be heading for a mammoth score with 10 overs to go but Alam was bowled by Davis and Bukhari was well caught by Gould at long-on also off Davis to bring new batsmen to the crease and temper the scoring rates a little, but M&B had wickets in hand and continued to attack. Hill soon was among the wickets with some fine swing bowling and despite still scoring freely M&B lost wickets at regular intervals until they declared their innings at the fall of the 8th wicket, Hill’s 5th, at the end of the 50th over with the score on 296. Windsor knew they had to score at 6 an over for the whole 50 overs to win this match.

Such is the attitude of Windsor Cricket Club, thoughts of batting out for a draw as other teams may have done were banished to the back of our minds as we thought of ways to win this match from this unlikely position. It was decided to promote Bryn Davies to number 4 and go all out for victory.

Robert Noble had obviously sensed the need for a positive start and gave Windsor the perfect start by hitting the first ball of the innings off centurian Bukhari for 4. J Alam opened the bowling at the other end but Noble continued with some impressive strokeplay and at this stage Davis was happy to play round Noble and after the first 10 overs Windsor were up with the required run rate without the loss of a wicket. Exactly the start Windsor needed.

Unfortunately Noble was bowled for 41 soon after attempting one big shot too many but Davis continued to score freely and after the quick loss of Gould, big-hitting Davies came in to join Davis in the middle and this was the partnership that Windsor were relying on if they were to get near the M&B total.

Bryn Davies soon got into the scoring habit by hitting some boundaries including one big six and together they continued to score at the 6-an-over needed by cleverly hitting one boundary per over and taking the odd singles. Their 50 partnership passed and at drinks at the halfway mark Windsor were halfway to their total with only two wickets down.

However, the old saying of “one wicket brings two” could not be better illustrated as after looking so solid a fluke wicket broke the partnership with the score on 160. Bryn leathered a ball straight back at the bowler Alam and he stuck out his hand and deflected the ball onto the wickets at the non-strikers end and Davis was run out five short of a well-deserved century. In the next over skipper Noble called for a quick single to get him off the mark abut Davies was well short of his ground and out for a quick 21 and in the space of no time two run-outs had resulted in Windsor being 4 down. Tom Bullock joined Noble at the crease and they steadied the ship and put a partnership together to take Windsor past the 200 mark but after hitting a big six Noble was out for 24 and then Haynes was adjudged LBW soon after. Windsor yet again showing our sporting side. If there was a sportsmanship award for this division we would certainly be one of the favourites as we have given so many of our own batsmen out LBW this year despite being on the rough end of some decisions ourselves. Dawson came to the crease and immediately found the middle of the bat with some exquisite off-side shots for 4. He was joined at the crease by Hill after Bullock was well caught in the deep for 28 and M&B were taking wickets at regular intervals as they searched for the 25 points they wanted to overtake Windsor in the table.

The experienced pair of Hill and Dawson continued to score at the required rate and while the Windsor team watched on nervously they continued to calmly chip away at the runs required. A couple of boundaries off one over brought the run rate down and Windsor needed 21 runs off four overs with 3 wickets remaining to complete a famous victory. This was whittled down to 5 off 2 overs and after Hill punched one through the covers for four to take his score to 18 the scores were level with eight balls remaining. Hill then left the last two balls of the 49th over leaving Dawson on strike to face the final over with one run needed. However Dawson walked off the first ball after gloving behind for an excellent 31 which sent No.10 Edge to the crease with five balls left. Edge swung and missed at the first two balls and just as the Windsor team were getting anxious, Edge hit the 4th ball over the bowlers head for 4 and Windsor had completed one of the most remarkable run chases in the club’s history. A thrilling victory and doubly important as it opens up the gap between the teams to 9 points with two matches of the season remaining.

Farnham Royal 3rd XI 228 (A Watson 100)
Windsor 3rd XI 231-9 (T Bullock 53, C Edge 33no, A Akram 6-91)

A nerve-wracking last wicket partnership of 36 saw Windsor home after looking dead and buried at one stage of the game after a largely uninspiring performance against bottom of the table Farnham Royal at Burnham.

The game started on time and Chris Edge got Windsor off to a flying start with a wicket with only the third ball after getting the opener caught behind by Care for a duck without a run on the board. However, at the end of the first over with Royal on 6-1, the heavens opened and a lengthy delay ensued which resulted in the match being reduced to 90 overs.

However, despite the wet outfield, the covers that Burnham have ensured the wicket was still dry and the match was able to re-commence soon after the rain stopped. The Royal were intent on attacking the Windsor bowling and hit a few boundaries despite both Edge and Davies beating the bat on many occasions. Two quick wickets, one each for Edge and Davies pegged Royal back at 40-3 but a good 4th wicket partnership, full of unorthodox hitting by opener Watson took Royal past the 100 mark and it was proving difficult for Windsor to remove the batsmen despite some near misses, dropped catches and very close LBW shouts, or to stem the steady flow of runs. After the drinks break to take the pace off the ball Noble turned to the part-time spin of George Gould and this did the trick immediately as it made it much more difficult to score and the wicket came in Gould’s 1st over, the batsman bottom edging one onto his stumps. Gould picked up another two wickets as Windsor kept chipping away but Watson was still blasting away at the other end. He was eventually removed by Sam Jordan as Richie Noble took the catch at long on and from then on Royal’s scoring slowed and wickets fell regularly until a run out saw the innings close with one ball to spare.

Due to the earlier rain Windsor needed 229 to win off just 43 overs at a rate of over 5.3 an over so it was imperative that we got off to a positive start. However that was not to be. Credit must go to the Royal’s opening pair who not only restricted the flow of runs to frustrate the batsmen but also bowled good wicket balls to remove the top 4 of Dawson, Gould, Noble and Doye with only 33 on the board at the 15 over mark. The task of winning the match looked highly unlikely as Windsor needed a further 196 off the remaining 28 overs at a rate of 7 an over and the talk in the Windsor camp was centred around just ensuring we get some batting bonus points. However, no-one had told Tom Bullock this. His partnership with Sam Jordan (18) breathed life into the Windsor innings and at one point Tom hit 8 successive scoring shots for 4. Alex Haynes joined Tom at the crease but having just passed his half century Bullock was out for 53 just when it looked like Windsor could perhaps get back into the game. However, his replacement at the crease Bryn Davies wasted no time in getting stuck into the Royal’s bowling and obviously had the straight boundaries in his sights as he scored heavily and quickly as Haynes was just happy to keep him company. However when Davies departed for his rapid 31, soon followed by Haynes, it appeared that Windsor’s last chance of victory had gone. Edge was promoted to the No.9 spot with the instructions to just “go for it” and Martin Care hit a couple of nice boundaries before being 9th man out with the score on 195-9. Hodgson came to the crease with 6 overs to go to join fellow Sheffielder Edge with the instruction to ensure Windsor get the 200 needed for maximum batting points but once that had been achieved the pair showed their steel by scampering singles and hitting the bad balls for four when they came along as they steadily chipped off the runs required for victory. They judged the partnership to perfection and when 2 runs were needed off the final over Hodgson flicked the 3rd ball off his legs to the square leg boundary and Windsor could celebrate a really important 20 points.

It later transpired that both Harefield and Maidenhead & Bray had their matches rained off so the win proved doubly vital as Windsor returned to the top of the table as we prepare for the visit of Slough next Saturday, another important match on the day when Windsor’s two promotion rivals face each other so Noble will again be looking for maximum points.

Windsor 3rd XI 297-7dec (R.E Noble 82, C George 60)
Harefield 3rd XI 204-7 (M Petley 61no, D Bean 5-47)

Windsor 3rd XI closed the gap on league leaders Harefield to just 4 points after this bore draw at Home Park on Saturday.

As the week before at Chesham, Windsor won the toss and Noble decided to bat first and go for maximum points in the searing heat. Rob Noble and Kev Condon got Windsor off to a free scoring start but a few quick wickets in the middle order saw Windsor slip to 80-4 at the 20 over mark. However, from the moment Chris George strode to the crease in the 21st over Windsor’s innings took a sudden upturn with George hitting a plethora of boundaries. Captain Noble was quite content to play the anchor role at the other end. George eventually fell for a rapid 60 in the 36th over with the partnership just shy of the 100 mark. Alex Haynes joined Noble at the crease and was happy to knock the singles as Noble came out of his shell and soon passed the 50 mark. It was then that he exploded with some fine boundaries including one big 6 over long on. Haynes then joined in with the hitting as Windsor sped along as Noble ignored the temptation to declare, preferring to ensure that victory was beyond the means of Harefield which would mean at least Windsor would gain points over their rivals. Noble eventually fell for a fine 82 attempting one hit too many and after Andrew Doree had hit his first two balls for four Noble finally declared in the 51st over when Alex Haynes was out for an impressive 44 with Windsor finishing on 297-7.

Windsor came out looking for quick wickets and despite the first few overs passing without a chance, the Dean machine got the Windsor train moving soon enough as the opening batsmen picked out George Gould at cover. He then picked up another wicket quickly after that and Windsor were motoring. Kevin Condon was introduced to the attack as first change bowler at the pavilion end and was getting a lot of turn, unfortunately too much for the batsmen and for wicketkeeper George as the ‘byes’ column hit double figures but Condon did manage to snare a wicket when he turned one between the gate of the batsmen.

Dean Bean continued to chip away at the wickets from the Datchet end and when he picked up his 5th and Windsor’s 6th of the innings with the score yet to hit 100 Windsor set their eyes on victory. However a combination of an old worn ball offering little assistance to the bowlers and a superb innings of 61 not out from the Harefield left hander M. Petley combined the patience of Boycott with the odd boundary to dry up the wickets and to take his side past the 200 mark. Windsor managed to get one more wicket as Noble turned to the spin of Alex Haynes but yet again Windsor could not prise the last few wickets from the opposition and had to settle for 13 points. That is three weeks without victory for Windsor 3rd XI as they slip to 3rd place in the table, only four points off the top of the table however. Windsor tackle Farnham Royal away on Saturday looking to get back to winning ways and hope to get back to the top of the table as we enter the business end of the season.

Windsor 3rd XI 222 (RW Noble 50, C George 39)
Chesham 3rd XI 156-8 (T Helm 71, R Gregory 4-49)

Windsor’s promotion campaign continues to stutter after one of the strongest Windsor 3rd XI line-ups the club has known failed to finish off a young Chesham side at Chartridge CC.

The team was 50/50 as to whether we should bat or bowl first so it was left to skipper Noble to make the decision if the coin came down in his favour. It was the archetypal “good toss to lose” scenario so there was no doubt we would win it, which duly happened and Noble took the impulse decision to gamble and go for the maximum points by batting first on a damp wicket.

That decision looked even less inspired as Kev Condon fell in the second over without a run on the board and George Gould (2) also fell quickly in the face of some very good and tight Chesham bowling which gave nothing away and after 10 overs Windsor were struggling at 16-2.

Skipper Noble joined opener Brian Davis (34) at the crease and together they began to repair the innings and put together a good, solid partnership until Noble was unluckily run out when a hard straight drive from Davis was deflected onto the stumps by the bowler. The Windsor batsmen continued to get themselves out after promising starts as Murray and Davis both skied catches and Chris George played a nice cameo innings full of impressive drives before falling for a 39 which really moved the total along. Charters fell quickly and Richard Gregory, batting at No.9 chipped in with some lusty blows including two big sixes to push the total over 200 and Rob Hodgson carried this on by hitting a massive six into the adjoining field before being last man out in the final over.

However, the glue which held the Windsor innings together was provided by veteran Robert Noble. Content to let the other batsmen take the limelight, he moved effortlessly into the forties with good solid batting by nudging and nurdling the ones and twos and keeping the scoreboard ticking before hitting a very impressive slog-sweep six over the longest boundary on the pitch before being run out after completing his 50th run in the penultimate over of the innings.

The sun had dried out the pitch by the time the Chesham innings got underway yet Windsor started the innings in the best possible way by taking three quick wickets to leave Chesham at 12-3 as young batsmen Helm came to the crease. Brian Davis took a wicket in his first over but the fifth wicket was proving a problem for Windsor as the two Chesham youngsters took the attack to Windsor and the game was back in the balance at 100-4 before an excellent piece of fielding between Gregory and young Steve Day contributed to a run out to break the partnership and Davis picked up his second wicket in the next over and Windsor were once again smelling victory. Yet again though, two Chesham youngsters came together to form a solid barrier to any progress Windsor were trying to make. Skipper Noble threw everything at the pair, rotating the bowlers and asking Charters and Condon to bowl some spin to try and tempt the Chesham youngsters into hitting out but they did not succumb and in a final throw of the dice brought opener Gregory back into the attack and he finally managed to get Helm out LBW and followed that up with another quick wicket, his 4th, and Windsor now required two wickets from the last three overs but they did not come as the Chesham colts held out for the draw.

Windsor have now been overtaken at the top of the league by Harefield who are the visitors to Home Park next Saturday in what promises to be a very tight and keenly contested match.

Windsor 3rd XI 224 (Gould 59)
Datchet 3rd XI 226-7 (Agawal 64, White 54)

Winsdor 3rd XI’s unbeaten run came to an end on Saturday after a poor performance in variable conditions at Home Park.

Batting first after skipper Noble had won the toss, Windsor got off to a flying start as Sam Jordan and Kev Clifford set about the Datchet openers in a positive manner and even after the loss of a couple of quick wickets George Gould carried on his form of last week with some excellent boundaries as Windsor scored at over 7 an over for the first 15 overs. However, due to a mixture of good bowling, a largely dead pitch and poor shot selection Windsor continued to lose wickets at regular intervals throughout the innings even though the runs were being scored at a good rate, helped largely to some big hitting from Kemp who made 31 and 28 from Alex Haynes in the middle order but after both these went in quick succession wickets continued to fall. Only Wigley made any real indent in the scorebook with a few boundaries in his 20no. as Windsor were eventually bowled out for 224 in the 42nd over, a scorecard containing no less than 5 LBW decisions (given by the Windsor players incidentally!) leaving Datchet with 58 overs to get to their target of 225 at a rate of under 4 an over. There was clearly going to be a winner in this match.

As the Windsor innings finished early it was decided to have 10 overs of the Datchet innings before Tea and Kemp got Windsor off to a perfect start by bowling the Datchet opener in his first over without a run on the board. The pace of Kemp was causing problems but Datchet continued to be positive and really went after the Windsor bowling, hitting many boundaries to pass the 50 mark inside 9 overs. Unfortunately for Windsor, in the last over before the Tea break Windsor put down a regulation catch to get rid of Datchet’s dangerous batsman Agawal which proved to be costly as after the tea break he continued where he left off (with a large slice of luck on more than one occasion) and in partnership with White, they hammered the Windsor bowling to all parts. Needing a wicket, Noble turned to the spin of Haynes and he brought an instant impact by getting rid of the free-scoring Agawal and in the next over Hodgson got rid of the new batsman and the two wickets in as many overs were exactly what was needed as Windsor tried to claw their way back into the game. Noble turned to Kemp in an attempt to get the next breakthrough but the Datchet batsmen White and Shepherd looked set to guide Datchet home as they passed the 200 mark with only 4 wickets down until the inspired change of bringing Haynes back into the attack did the trick with two wickets in an over getting rid of both White, with a high full toss which the batsman lost in the sun, and a wide turner which the batsman edged behind. Jordan also claimed a wicket as Windsor now sniffed a chance of victory and that nearly became closer in the next Haynes over but unfortunately another regulation chance was spilled at point and that was Windsor’s last chance as Datchet sealed a three wicket win with 13 overs to spare. Noble will be looking for a better all round performance next week to get the promotion bandwagon back on track as Windsor travel to Chesham.

Windsor 3rd XI 321-2dec (V Nair 121no, K Condon 117)
Chiswick & Latymer 4th XI 64 (R Hodgson 6-34)

The Windsor 3rd XI promotion bandwagon rolls on after a record-breaking victory over Chiswick & Latymer at Chiswick House.

After winning the toss and deciding to bat first on a good track with short boundaries and a lightning outfield, Windsor’s start could not have been better as Kev Condon and Vishal Nair both got their eye in and scored runs at a fair rate as the sun shone brightly.
In fact so regularly were they hitting the boundary that it seemed like most of the innings was spent searching for lost balls. The first 5 overs took 35 minutes to bowl and it seemed that we were in for a very long afternoon.

However the two openers didn’t let the regular breaks in play stop their concentration and Condon was the first to bring up his 50, and then immediately pulled the bowler into the trees for six. Nair’s 50 soon followed and a good Windsor score was on the cards. Condon hit three successive fours as he raced towards his first century of the season, which duly followed. After a few more quick boundaries, the opening partnership was eventually broken when Condon edged to slip for an excellent 117 with the score on 223. Captain Richard Noble came in to accompany Nair who reached his first senior century for Windsor and carried on to punish the Chiswick bowling. Noble hit a few boundaries with flicks off his legs before being bowled for 20 and Richard Charters hit a few lusty blows off only a few balls for his 17no before captain Noble declared the innings after the completion of the 42nd over leaving Chiswick a victory target of 322 in 58 overs at a rate of just over 5.5 an over.

Windsor knew that a couple of early wickets would set them on the way to victory and after a testing first over from Bryn Davies who beat the edge of the bat numerous times, the first wicket came in the second over as the opening batsman edged one to George Gould at gully off the bowling of Rob Hodgson. Windsor kept up the pressure as the bowling was accurate and probing on a nice line & length and with the ball swinging both bowlers regularly beat the edge of the bat. The second wicket came after Davies frustrated the batman into trying to hit one over the top and only succeeding in picking out Charters at extra cover who took a fine catch above his head.
After a regulation slip catch went down, a rare blemish on an otherwise first class fielding performance, the third and fourth wickets came in the same over as first Sam Jordan took an excellent catch at point and then Charters, now fielding at 3rd slip hung onto a catch at the second attempt, both off the bowling of Hodgson.

Davies then knocked over the stumps with a full delivery to take the 5th wicket and the 6th soon followed. The 7th wicket partnership frustrated Windsor for a while and Noble turned to the spin of Jordan in place of Davies who finished an impressive spell of 2-31, but still the batsmen refused to play any shots. However, sharp fielding by Sam Jordan and wicketkeeper Martin Care got the batsmen confused and with both batsmen at the same end, Care threw to Hodgson at the bowlers end who whipped off the bails. That was the wicket Windsor needed. The lower order offered little resistance as Charters took another catch, this one was hit straight up in the air and Charters ran round from gully to take the catch and then Vishal Nair took a good catch at deep mid-off before another bit of good fielding and return from Nair in the outfield contributed to the run out of the last man as the batsmen attempted a suicidal second run and Windsor had wrapped up another convincing victory in their pursuit of promotion, this time by a club record margin of 257 runs.

Maidenhead & Bray 235-6 (J Alam 118)
Windsor 236-3 (R Charters 92*, S Ward 53)

A superb unbeaten knock of 92 by Richard Charters alongside other valuable contributions from the Windsor batsmen saw Windsor 3rd XI chase down an unlikely 236 for victory in this table-topping clash under grey clouds at Home Park.

Starting the day 10 points behind leaders Maidenhead & Bray it was important Windsor put in a good performance. The day didn’t start too brightly when the M&B skipper won the toss and chose to bat but the Windsor openers bowled very tight lines and restricted the scoring as M&B only scored around 2 an over for the first 15 overs as well as getting the early wicket of Malhotra caught at gully. However the other M&B opener Alam soon got into his stride and, aided by poor fielding as he offered three catches which all went down, brought up his 50 with the score on only 56. The M&B No.3 spent a long time on 0 and after surviving a very strong appeal for a caught behind without scoring, also started to see the ball very well and hit a flurry of boundaries as the two batsmen built a good strong base to the innings, taking M&B past the 100 mark without further loss before he was out one run short of his half century. However at the other end J Alam showed no signs of letting up as he continued his free scoring on the way to a very impressive century, eventually falling for 118 as Windsor picked up a few late wickets courtesy of Andy Wigley and a tight late comeback by Dean Bean which helped slow M&B’s scoring rate towards the end of the innings as they finished on 235-6 off their 52 overs, having looked set for a score in excess of 260 at one point.

It was imperative that Windsor started their reply brightly and Kevin Condon (30) set the tone for the innings with some stylish shots in an opening partnership of 70 with Steve Ward who himself hit some fine boundaries after a slow start. Windsor were around 90-1 at the halfway mark still needing a further 146 to win with only 24 overs remaining. Losing 2 quick wickets soon after the drinks break including Ward for a fine 53 was a real setback to Windsor as the run rate required escalated to over 8 an over at one stage. However George Gould joined Richard Charters at the crease and provided a great foil for the big-hitting Charters. Their partnership picked up the pace just when Windsor needed it most and Charters hit a couple of big sixes in a 5-over spell which brought 47 runs and lowered the required rate and from then on they never looked back as Gould also hit some impressive boundaries and despite a nerve-wracking final few overs Richard Charters fittingly sealed the win off the penultimate ball to give Windsor a thoroughly merited victory to close the gap at the top of the table to just one point going into the next round of matches.

Wycombe Dragons 2nd XI 214-8 (T. Russell 55*)
Windsor 3rd XI 215-2 (Huggins 104*, Condon 83)

A superb 2nd wicket stand of 160 between Kevin Condon and Mark Huggins led Windsor to a fine victory at Wycombe Dragons on Saturday.

After losing the toss and being asked to field in the hot sunshine at Flackwell Heath CC, Windsor made the best possible start as George Gould found the edge of the Dragons openers’ bat in the first over of the innings without a run on the board. However some lusty blows from numbers 2 & 3 kept the scoreboard ticking along at approximately 5 an over. Sam Jordan was introduced to the attack in the 11th over and the move immediately paid dividends when he, following in Gould’s footsteps, also took a wicket in the first over, also caught behind by wicketkeeper Martin Care.

Jordan continued to bowl a nice tight line and length while at the other end Rob Hodgson took two wickets in successive overs to put Windsor firmly on the front foot. Firstly the dangerous opener N. Martin was well caught by Mohammed Alam in the deep and then the young Dragons wicketkeeper attempted a wild slog off a slower ball and was bowled. Brian Davis regularly passed the edge of the bat for no reward but it was the introduction of Andy Wigley that really tightened the screw on the Dragons. The Dragons’ batsmen found it very difficult to score runs off him and he also chipped in with a four valuable wickets. His first 12 overs cost just 24, but unfortunately for Windsor some late hitting by the Dragons lower order (including 14 off the final over) plus the valuable innings of 54 from Russell, guided their total to 214-8. Still a very respectable score from Windsor’s point of view, on a good batting surface, with a quick outfield.

The Windsor reply started well enough, but after Rob Dawson was bowled for 10 with the score on 27, Mark Huggins joined Kev Condon in the middle and the pair would bat superbly after early scares. They both passed 50 within an over of each other, with Huggins in particular hitting some big boundaries. Once the score went past the 100 mark, the Dragons players visibly wilted and the batmen showed no mercy taking Windsor past 150 and close to victory. Condon was eventually out for an excellent 83, but Huggins stayed to complete his century, finishing unbeaten on 104. Windsor completed a comfortable and fully deserved victory to cement 2nd place in the league.

Slough 5th XI 132 (Lewis 5-43)
Windsor 3rd XI 133-5 (Khan 46*)

After losing the toss and being asked to field on a bright hot & sunny day at Boyne Hill CC, the onus was on Windsor to put the hosts under pressure early on and the aim was to get a couple of wickets inside the first 10 overs.

They duly arrived courtesy of Ben Lewis having both opening batsmen caught behind by Martin Care, but only after some blistering hitting by the Slough number 2 including two big sixes which had carried Slough to 43-2 after 10 overs.

Windsor maintained this pressure all the way through the innings. Lewis and Hodgson bowled good tight first spells of 12 overs each, then George Gould and Sam Jordan carried this on through the middle overs, taking one wicket each. Jordan bowled particularly tightly to finish with 1-9 off his 7 overs. Windsor kept plugging away and took wickets at regular intervals, including a couple of run outs after sharp fielding by Andy Wigley and Ben Lewis. Lewis himself then came back at the end to claim the final 3 wickets and finish with well deserved figures of 5-43 off his 16 overs.

It was mutually agreed to play 15 overs before the tea break, and this proved to be a particularly difficult spell for the Windsor openers as the Slough opening bowlers gave little to hit and maintained a probing line and length. Kev Condon nicked one behind after a couple of good shots and makeshift opener Andy Wigley fell to the last ball before the tea interval. This left Windsor two down at tea and needing a good partnership after tea to avoid any unnecessary scares.

This came with some fine hitting and positive stroke-play from Mo Raiz Khan and Mohammed Alam as they took the attack to the Slough bowlers. Alam fell for a lively 28, and despite a wobble by the middle order, Khan (46no.) and Wayne Lloyd saw Windsor home with 5 wickets and lots of overs to spare. This earned Windsor a well deserved 20 points to cement our 2nd place position placing in the league.

Windsor 3's matched it against Datchet

Windsor 3's 257-6
vs.
Datchet 83 all out

Windsor 3's got their league campaign off to the best possible start on Saturday, with a thumping 174 run win over neighbours Datchet.

Under clear blue skies captain Richie Noble won the toss and decided to have first use of what looked like a decent batting track. Usual opener Rob Dawson was partnered by Kev Condon, in good touch following a pre-season 50 a couple of weeks before, and both batsmen were watchful in the opening overs. Solid defence mixed with a couple of impressive boundaries from both openers meant Windsor had progressed to a steady 41-0 after 13 overs, with both batsman looking set. It was therefore a surprise when Dawson missed a straight one from the impressive Luke Shepherd and worse was to follow for Windsor as firstly Kev Condon and then George Gould were bowled in consecutive overs to leave Windsor in trouble at 44-3. This flurry of wickets had brought Noble and new overseas boy Johnny de Villiers to the crease, and together they began rebuilding the Windsor innings. Both were very watchful but equally quick to latch onto anything loose from the Datchet bowlers and the runs soon began to flow again, with de Villiers particularly severe on anything over-pitched. At drinks Windsor were well placed at 112-3, knowing that they had wickets in hand to push for a big score. As the Datchet bowlers wilted in the heat de Villiers and Noble began to open their shoulders, and shots all around the wicket followed. Both batsmen passed 50 and when de Villiers was finally bowled for an impressive 68 Windsor had reached 189-4 with 15 overs remaining. Noble soon followed for 65, brilliantly run out by Chris Edwards, however the onslaught continued as Sam Jordan and Mohammed Alam continued to flay the ball to all parts. Alam departed for a bright and breezy 28 but by this time Windsor were within touching distance of 250 and a couple more lusty blows for Jordan (26no) allowed Windsor to declare 5 overs early, having posted a very impressive 257-6.

With such a big target to defend, Windsor were confident and the northern new ball pairing of Chris Edge and Rob Hodgson quickly found their lines. However, the Datchet opening batsmen were in circumspect mood and it looked as though Windsor would have to work hard for their wickets. It was Hodgson who did eventually get the break through in the 10th over, with Sam Jordan taking a smart catch at cover to leave Datchet on 24-1. Hodgson continued to probe away and both Chris Edwards and Andy Harris were having their share of luck, with a number of aerial shots evading the Windsor infield. One felt that it was only a matter of time before another breakthrough would come and it was Edge who swung the game massively in Windsor's favour, removing Edwards and White in a double wicket maiden, which left Datchet in trouble at 51-3 after 15 overs. Windsor sensed the game was there for the taking and both Edge and Hodgson continued to chip away, backed up by some fine fielding. Firstly, keeper Marvin Care took a fine catch standing up to remove the dangerous Shepherd and then George Gould took a very sharp chance at third slip off Edge, to get rid of Datchet captain Nick Bellman. With Datchet reeling at 70-7 it was only a matter of time before Windsor wrapped up victory; a good diving catch from Alam and another fine piece of fielding from Gould meant Windsor did not have to wait long, wrapping up the Datchet innings for just 83 in 23 overs, with Edge and Hodgson each claiming 4 wickets.

This was a well deserved and comprehensive victory for Windsor, with every man playing their part in the victory. Windsor captain Richard Noble was understandably delighted. "Its nice to get that first league win and to do it with such a great performance is even more pleasing. I felt that we had a good enough side to go for 25 points and I hope this victory will show the lads what they are capable of. Everyone in the team contributed in one way or another and to bowl a side like Datchet out for just 83 is a top effort. We knew that they have some dangerous players but our boys were magnificent in the field and the challenge now is to maintain that sort of effort and intensity for the rest of the season"

Windsor will now be looking to build on this win next week when they entertain Chesham, no doubt keen to maintain the exceptionally high standards they set for themselves with this performance.

Cutting Edge Fires Windsor to Victory

Slough 5th XI - 151 All Out (Edge 6-81) - 40.1 overs
Windsor 3rd XI - 153 - 2 (Bullock 62*) - 20.4 overs

An fine all round display, capped by superb individual performances by Chris Edge and Tommy Bullock, enabled Windsor to cruise to victory against Slough, in the opening game of their league campaign.

Once play finally got underway an hour after the scheduled start time,
Windsor were asked to field first and immediately Edge and Kiwi Jordan
Thompson found their rhythm. Both bowlers were moving the ball in the air and off the seam and it was a surprise that it took 13 overs for the initial
breakthrough to come, Edge removing the Slough number 2's off stump with the score on 27. Thompson was quickly in on the act and followed up with a two wicket maiden to leave Slough reeling at 31-3 from 14 overs. A counter attack from Slough saw runs come quickly in the next four overs, Pete Jones in particular suffering at the hands of aggressive stroke play. However, the introduction of the ever-dependable Andy Wigley saw the runs dry up once more, and he soon got amongst the wickets leaving Slough 65-4 after 20 overs. The bespectacled Edge continued his marathon spell at the other end and, after missing out on a couple of wickets due to some very dubious lbw decisions, he finally got his rewards with a two wicket maiden to leave Slough in deep trouble at 86-6. Windsor were firmly turning the screw and when Edge picked up his 5th and 6th wickets in quick succession to leave Slough 9 down, it looked as though it was job well done. However, a savage attack by Slough's number 10 on the tiring Edge saw the ball disappear to all parts and suddenly Windsor were chasing 150. The re-introduction of Thompson saw the Slough innings come to an end as he picked up his 3rd wicket of the innings and, despite needing to chase 40 more than they were expecting, Windsor were still satisfied with their efforts.

After a delightful tea, Windsor were back out and openers Bullock and Dawson set about their target in fine style. A mixture of brutal stroke play and excellent running between the wickets saw the pair bring up their 50
partnership in just 7 overs. Dawson in particular appeared to be in a hurry
and, after a couple of huge blows, he eventually holed out to deep mid
wicket with the score on 77. That brought the talented Simon Rodwell to the crease and he soon made his intentions clear, launching the Slough bowler out of the park. Bullock continued to accumulate the runs at a fair rate and, once he brought up a deserved 50, Windsor were all but home and dry.

With the weather closing in, Rodwell decided it was time to finish things
off. After looking physically sick following an all run six, he smashed two
more maximums to leave Windsor with just three runs to win. One shot too many saw him fall for an entertaining 39 and it was simply left to Bullock to finish things off and remain unbeaten on 62, with Windsor cruising past their target in just 20 overs to seal an 8 wicket win.

Windsor can be very pleased with the efforts in their opening game and,
despite the merry-go-round that is selection, the remaining five players
from Saturday's fixture can take a great deal of confidence into this weeks
game

Windsor 3’s season starts strongly.

Fulmer 105 All Out (34 Overs)
Windsor 106 for 2 (27 Overs)

Windsor 3’s opened their account on Saturday with a solid performance against under-strength Fulmer side. After losing the toss, Windsor were asked to field and new ball pairing of Rudi January and Jordan Thompson, a new recruit from New Zealand, immediately set into a rhythm with some accurate bowling. Thompson was particularly impressive swinging the ball both ways and should have picked up a couple of wickets but for some poor catching attempts by Windsor's outfielders. Despite the tight bowling from Windsor, Fulmer's openers stood firm and it was only the introduction of old war-horse Andy Wigley that brought the breakthrough, Dawson taking a smart catch at gully to leave them 38-1 after 13 overs. A change at the other end saw young prospect Kabir Bhuller introduced to the attack and he immediately gained the second breakthrough, clean bowling Fulmer's number 3 with a full swinging delivery. From that point onwards, Windsor were in complete control and a steady procession of wickets saw Bhuller end his spell with 4 and Wigley with 2. Windsor's fielding continued to improve in the second half of the innings and the tight bowling was backed up by good catches from Lickley and Noble, and an impressive run out from Haywood. With Fulmer at 88-7 after 30 overs, Thompson was re-introduced to the attack and soon mopped up the tail to collect his first wickets for Windsor, leaving Fulmer all out for 105 from 34 overs.

With Windsor's strong batting line up it always looked like a target of 106 would not pose too many problems and so it proved as openers Huggins and Dawson got the innings off to an aggressive start, moving along at 6 an over for the first 8 overs. Both were looking in good touch and it was something of a surprise when, on 20, Huggins had his off stump removed. That brought Noble to the crease and the run rate slowed as he took time to play himself in. Dawson continued where he had left off from last season and had made a flowing 32 until he chased a wide one and was caught behind. With run rate never an issue Noble and Lickley, batting at number 4, pushed the ball around with ease. With only 30 needed both men opened their shoulders and a flurry of boundaries took Windsor to within touching distance of victory. It was left for Noble to hit the winning runs with Windsor coasting to an 8-wicket win with more than 13 overs remaining.

All in all a very good start for Windsor, who will look to build on this victory with the league season fast approaching.

Three’s come back from brink
Saturday 26th August

Windsor 3’s 139 all out; 39.3 Overs (Dawson 57)
Wooburn Narkovians 136 all out; 43.3 Overs (Wigley 6 for 25)

With the top of the table exceptionally closed, Windsor 3’s played second placed Wooburn last Saturday in an important promotion clash.

On a sticky, green quagmire, Windsor batted first and were in immediate difficulties losing Ashraf, Murray and Noble cheaply in the early overs, leaving veteran Dawson stranded at the non-strikers end. Whilst the score did tick along, so the wickets mounted up and only a large partnership by Hartridge and Dawson saw Windsor past 100. Hartridge, an aggressive young batsman lived and eventually died by the sword, particularly aggressive on the back foot through the leg-side. When Dawson was finally dismissed for 57, the Windsor tail fold meekly and the tame caught and bowled of the final wicket signified a below par batting performance.

Wooburn in reply looked to be aggressive from the word go and despite some good bowling from Hartridge, who picked up some early wickets, they were seemingly cruising to the target with relative ease. Windsor skipper Noble rummaged through his bag of tricks, striving to find the right formula, using Lines, Endacott and Hodgson on the way.

When defeat loomed large, it would prove though to be the veteran swing of Andy Wigley who would change things around as bowling from the river end, he began to make breakthroughs. Wooburn went from 110 for 3 to 120 for 8 in next to no time and coupled with Hodgson, the Wigley tore through the batting line-up. Wooburn lost their 9th wicket as the score hit 130 and tension began to mount. Near missed run-outs, close lbw’s all acted as a precursor to the final dismissal by Wigley to win the game. The raucous scenes after such a huge win were enough to stop the game on the 1st team pitch for a moment, as Windsor 3’s re-opened the promotion race.

With the fourth team already promoted, the incentive for the third team is now clear at Windsor. Gain promotion or play in parallel leagues next season. A final push over the next two games will see success or failure and the six point gap to Wooburn is now a reasonable target to push for.

Hodgson: The King of the Swingers

Saturday 29th July 2006

Hurst 2’s 188 all out; 51.2 Overs (Murphy 64; Hodgson 6-86)
Windsor 3’s 191 for 6; 37 Overs (Ashraf 66)

A very impressive all-round performance saw Windsor 2nd XI gain a valuable 20 point victory on Saturday at Hurst.

Having lost the toss Windsor were forced to bowl in high temperatures but started well and backed up by tight fielding managed to keep Hurst’s openers to only 8 runs off the first seven overs and that pressure brought the first wicket when Wigley made a difficult catch at 2nd slip look easy off the bowling of Hodgson.

Hodgson’s tight bowling was well supported by Endacott and Wigley as Windsor continued to frustrate the Hurst batsmen. Hurst managed a slow 3rd wicket partnership but two wickets in two overs turned the screw even further. First a good catch at gully by Murray gave Wigley a wicket who then snaffled another good slip catch off the bowling of Hodgson to get rid of the Hurst opener and dangerman Murphy for 68.

After Lloyd had taken his 2nd catch of the innings behind the stumps, Windsor continued to fight for every run and the bowling was being backed up by some excellent fielding including good run saving work by Ashraf and Doys, who then took a magnificent catch in the deep to get rid of one of the main dangermen and keep Windsor on top.

Following a tight spell from Wigley, Malik’s leg spin entered the attack and despite conceding a few runs in his first over soon settled into a nice rhythm which yielded a deserved wicket as Windsor kept chipping away at the Hurst batsmen.

Hodgson picked up his 6th wicket in his 26th and final over after deceiving the Hurst tail-ender with a slower ball in between two run outs which ended the Hurst innings 4 balls early as they were dismissed for 188, a total Windsor could be proud of in the circumstances. A magnificent fielding effort kept the score below 200 and Windsor were confident of getting the 189 runs needed to win.

Despite losing Doye for a duck Rodwell and Ashraf settled the innings with a positive 70+ partnership until Rodwell was out for 44 after some impressive boundaries, but Ashraf continued his form and survived a strong appeal for a bat-pad catch to score an impressive 66 including one big straight six until he was bowled by a ball which kept very low. Following his dismissal Max Murray kept the Windsor innings together with a composed 48no and despite losing a few late wickets Windsor crossed the finishing line with over 15 overs to spare. A very pleasing win to which everyone can say they contributed.

Windsor 3’s have a Royal time at Ascot

Royal Ascot 2’s 175 all out; 47 overs
Windsor 3’s 176 for 4; 31 overs

Royal Ascot 2’s found themselves up against a fired up Windsor 3rd team on Saturday and we soon in trouble as the Endacott and Kemp partnership made early inroads in the Ascot batting line-up. Ably supported by Wigley and Ashraf, Windsor continued to tak ewickets and Ascot never really got going. It was left to Kemp bowling like a steam train to mop up the tail and see the home side bowled out for 175.

In reply, Windsor lost early wickets as they looked to chase down the target. It was Ashraf with the bat, in partnership with Malik, who both stroked the ball effortlessly around the picturesque Ascot outfield to notch up an impressive win.

Kemp stars in Windsor victory

Boyne Hill 2’s 180 all out, 48.3 Overs (Rogers 63, Kemp hat-trick)
Windsor 3’s 181 for 7, 46.4 Overs (Lloyd 51)

A hat trick from overseas star Brendon Kemp and a fine match winning half century from wicket keeper Wayne Lloyd, were the highlights as Windsor 3's managed to overcome promotion-chasing rivals Boyne Hill in a tense match.

After winning the toss Windsor stuck to their usual game plan of bowling first on a wicket that appeared to offer plenty of assistance. This decision looked justified as Kemp took a smart caught and bowled chance to leave Boyne Hill 14-1. The situation could have been even better for Windsor if Sam Condon had not been no-balled when he clean bowled Boyne Hill's other opener two overs later. Boyne Hill consolidated their position and at drinks found themselves nicely placed on 82-1 after 26 overs. However, Windsor continued to keep things tight and the pressure began mounting on Boyne Hill, with the ageless Andy Wigley and left arm spinner Mark Lines bowling particularly well. As Boyne Hill's batsmen attempted to push the scoring on wickets began to fall at regular intervals and with 10 overs remaining Windsor had managed to restrict them to 144-7, with Wigley taking four wickets and Lines picking up two. A few lusty blows from Boyne Hill's tail enders prompted skipper Noble to bring back strike bowler Kemp and the big South African did not disappoint as he literally blew the tail away. Two wickets with the first two balls of his comeback over saw a nervous looking Boyne Hill number 11 come to the crease on a hat-trick ball. The field was immediately brought in with all nine men crowded round the bat. Kemp however, did not need them as a full and straight delivery saw the batsman's middle stump uprooted for Kemp to claim his hat-trick and leave Windsor very happy to have bowled their opponents out for just 180.

Windsor's chased started cautiously with both Ashraf and Dawson very watchful early on. Both began to play with more confidence once they got their eye in and it with therefore a surprise when both fell in quick succession to leave Windsor 41-2 after 14 overs. Once Noble had fallen cheaply the big hitting duo of Simon Rodwell and Kemp began to blast Windsor into a match winning position. However, both fell playing big shots and after 25 overs Windsor were 95-5 leaving the game very evenly poised. A couple more quick wickets after drinks left Windsor still need 65 at four an over with just 3 wickets remaining. Enter Wayne Lloyd who, partnered by the experienced Wigley, built a partnership to pull the game back into Windsor's favour. As Wigley ensured the run rate ticked over, Lloyd opened his shoulders and played some fine shots all around the wicket. After he had reached a deserved half century it was left for Wigley to hit the winning runs as Windsor reached their target with 4 overs to spare and pick up a deserved and very hard fought victory.

Windsor seamers can stand the heat

Maidenhead and Bray III 109 all out, 32 overs
Windsor III 110 for 1, 18.1 overs

While England’s footballers were struggling in the heat on Saturday, Windsor 3s showed no signs of wilting and powered to an impressive victory over a young Maidenhead and Bray side. After struggling to bowl sides out recently Windsor elected to bowl first after winning the toss. What might have seemed a strange decision on such a hot day and a flat wicket proved to be the right one. Paceman Kemp blew away Maidenheads top order with some fiery and accurate bowling. Supported well at the other end by veteran seamer Endacott and the wily Rob Hodgson, Maidenhead were dismissed for just 109 despite some resistance from a stubborn tail.

Feeling refreshed after tea Windsor got off to a good start until the captain Dawson was bamboozled by a big turning off break. That bought Andrew Chorley to the crease who finished the game off with some lusty blows. Windsor eventually cruised to victory in just 18 overs with Ashraf the other unbeaten batsmen. They will be looking to build on this impressive victory against bottom side Hampton Hill this weekend.

Windsor 3’s hit another stone wall

Windsor 3’s 221 for 8; 51 overs
Odiham & Greywell 2’s 136 for 6; 49 overs (C. Aprish 54*; B. Kemp 5 for 31)

For the second week in a row a strong Windsor 3rd team failed to convert their dominance into victory against Odiham and Greywell 2nd XI. Windsor were put in to bat and stand in skipper Dawson led from the front putting on a good opening partnership with Ashraf on what was a very sticky wicket. Both fell just short of 50 and ably supported in the middle order by Hartridge and Wigley, Windsor declared on a competitive 223.

Despite 3 early breakthroughs from the imposing figure of overseas player Brendan Kemp the total proved far too many for Odiham to chase. Kemp finished with a five wicket haul and was well supported by the guile of young spinner Mark Lines but ultimately the game petered out into another disappointing draw for Windsor.
This week Windsor 3’s are back at home to Hurst and hope for more ambitious opponents and better fortunes.

Windsor 3's: End of Season review

Not much to say apart from we came, we saw, we errr perished......nevermind....Lots of nominations for the 3rd XI end of season alternative awards......

The Captain Bligh Award for dereliction of duty
Err that'll be me then, missing 6 of the 18 games, not exactly leading from the front

The David James award for calamitous catching
Waqas Mohammed dropped more balls than your average teenager

The Peter Stringfellow award for most obvious sharking
Damien Bradbury and the failed attempts at pulling his TENNIS coach

The Danny of the Champion of the World award for poaching
Alfie at Caversham & Redingensians tapping up all of the players on show

The Posh Spice award for poncing around
Andy Towse and his personalised number plates and Damien Bradbury for lots of things

The most fresh air breathed in a season
Alex 'Audley' Harrison

The Ian Bell award for selection in the face of adversity
Ben Lickley

The Silly little boy award for being a silly Little boy
The Silly Little Boy

The George Best drinking award, for initiation to drinking
Tom Hartridge and his "I want my dad routine", he won't do it again in a hurry

The 50 cent award for club Gangsta
Umar Malik and Waqas "ask me a question" Mohammed

The Glenn McGrath award for top sledging
Ollie Sabberton, on numerous occasions

The Boscastle award for drowning on a cricket field
Wooburn Narks away

The handiest team in Div 5a
Farnham Royal 3s, Jacko, Psycho, Miggy et al

The biggest cheats in div 5a
Barnes Wild Geese, I could still thump their Keeper....

The best send offs
Maidenhead and Bray when their number 2 bat, who'd been giving it large in the 1st innings was run out 3rd ball in the 2nd

The Tom Hartridge award for serious drinking after a game
Shared between Caversham on the last day and Farnham Royal

Good season folks, e i e i e i o, back to Wooburn we do go....when we beat the Narks this is what we'll sing, we are the Windsor we are the Windsor ............. is our king!