CAPTAIN Richard Cole inspired Emmbrook & Bearwood to a first victory of the Premier Division season as the hosts won a low-scoring thriller against Woodcote by one wicket, writes Richard Ashton.

The opening bowler (4-21) ripped through the Cote top order as they crashed to 48-5, and with Mark Van Der also claiming 3-7, the visitors were shot out for just 89.

Spin twins Will Macdonald (5-39) and Zaheer Ahmed (4-47) looked like leading Woodcote to a stunning victory in defence of their modest total, but Phil West (23) and Cole (11no) did just enough to get their side home.

Crowthorne & Crown Wood’s game at Peppard Stoke Row was evenly poised when rain forced its abandonment.

Anthony Cluett (38) and Muhammed Shakeel Arshad (36) gave the visitors a solid platform before Roy Hayden (2-21) took two wickets with consecutive balls.

Crows lost two more quick wickets to leave them on 95-4, but Alex Sykes (42no) and Zain Abdi (22no) steadied the ship and their side were 146-4 after 40 overs when rain won the day.

Zafar Ali reached an unbeaten 69 as West Reading made 155-3 off 33.2 overs before their game against Woodley was called off.

The matches between Mortimer West End and Sulhamstead, and Ruislip Victoria and Welford Park, were cancelled without a ball being bowled.

In Division One, Sandhurst restricted Hawley to 194-9 in their 45 overs before their match was abandoned.

Carl Delaney (81) top scored for the hosts, while Ed Batchelor (2-13), Dan Bird (2-22), Jack O’Neil (2-27) and James Birch (2-42) all impressed with the ball.

Osman Mahmood (45no) and Usman Ali (44) led West Reading 2nds to 144-4 before rain forced their game at Ibis Mapledurham to be called off after 37 overs.

Steve Clarke (55no) and James Wright (50no) guided Stratfield Turgis to 115-1 after 27 overs before rain ended their game with Goring-on-Thames.

Sohail Abbas smashed 75 as Berkshire County Sports reached 135-4 at Sulhamstead 2nds, but the weather again forced an abandonment.

The game between Bradfield and Checkendon was cancelled before it started.

Crowthorne & Crown Wood 2nds held their nerve to beat Peppard Stoke Row 2nds by four wickets in Division Two.

PSR never really recovered from a poor start which saw them slip to 23-4, eventually ending their 45 overs on 120-9. Doug Charman (3-16) and Dan Finucane (3-35) were the pick of the hosts’ bowlers.

Mike Brundish (24) and Dan Cartledge (26) put on 49 for the first wicket in reply, but Ian Jackson (4-34) reduced Crows to 103-4 before Charman (24no) took his side across the winning line.

Chris Pharo made a fine 68 for Sandhurst 2nds as they totalled 184-6 in 32 overs against Emmbrook & Bearwood 2nds. Finley Hunt took 4-35 for the visitors, who were 4-1 in reply when the game was called off.

Fakhir Ali (69) and Oliver Sankey (44) led Shinfield to 232-8 in 40 overs before their match with Earley was washed out.

Stratfield Turgis 2nds conceded their game at Farley Hill.

In Division Three, West Reading 3rds won by one wicket for the second week running with a dramatic success at Knowl Hill.

Matt Crawcour (63) helped the hosts to 145, with Munir Khan (4-45) the principle destroyer for Wests.

Opener Hammad Ali (46) and Kaseem Ali (36) anchored the chase, but it was left to the final pair of Arsalan Khan and Waleed Choudhry to add the final seven runs for victory.

Jordy Duffy (3-20) and Crawcour (3-23) were the pick of the Hill attack.

Fasul Nufail was the Purley-on-Thames 3rds hero in their three-wicket success at Woodley 2nds.

Anish Pandey (48) led the way for the hosts in their total of 183, while Sam Woodhouse took 4-39 for the Potters.

They lost two early wickets in reply, but Nufail’s 74 was vital in Purley securing victory. Updendra Deshpande (4-12) produced a superb 10-over spell for Woodley.

Harvey Fuller (5-17) was in fine form for Warfield as they dismissed Sulhamstead 3rds for 123, only for the rain to arrive during the interval.

Gurvinder Rhatore made a fabulous unbeaten 113 for Ruislip Victoria 2nds as they raced to 262-4 in just 36 overs against Welford Park 2nds, but the game was then abandoned.

There was no play in the game between Twyford & Ruscombe and Mortimer West End 2nds, with the same fate suffered by Falkland Development and Shinfield 2nds in Division Four.

Crowthorne & Crown Wood 3rds made 99-8 in their 45 overs against Bradfield 2nds before the match was called off, while Pradeep Kumar (48) and Mark Lambert (38) led Peppard Stoke Row 3rds to 197-7 in 41 overs at home to Hawley 2nds.

John Humphrey made an unbeaten 82 and Simon York contributed 56 in Binfield 3rds’ total of 215-3 against Waltham St Lawrence 2nds.