WOKINGHAM's hopes of overhauling the top two sides in Division Two of the Home Counties Premier League look set to go to the wire.

Fourth in the table with 256 points, the Oaks are 22 points behind leaders Thame Town (278), 17 adrift of Oxford (273) and one point short of Harefield (259), the side they defeated by five wickets at Sadlers End last Saturday.

Wokingham, who can finish no lower than fourth, are away to second-bottom Amersham this coming weekend before finishing against mid-table Burnham at home on September 7, while Harefield are home to promotion rivals Thame this Saturday.

Oaks put Harefield into bat and, though conceding 10 runs in the first over, they were soon among the wickets thanks to Lewis Sharp, Callum Creighton and Simon Myles.

The visitors, who lost four of their first six wickets to lbw decisions, slumped to 77-7 before an eighth-wicket stand of 61 lifted them to 138.

Their ninth wicket went down one run later and the 10th at 169, the last three batsmen making 76 between them, with Will Hatton top-scoring on 28.

All five bowlers used by Wokingham got among the wickets with Jacob Clark taking 3-44 off 10 overs, Max Uttley 2-23, Myles 2-33, Sharp 1-32 and Creighton 1-35.

As has happened quite often this year, the Oaks top-order batsmen failed to fire, with James Bird going for a duck after facing 21 balls, fellow opener Stuart Parsons managed just seven runs and Dan Housego five, all three being dismissed by Jordan McLeod (3-21).

But once again, young Archie Carter came to their rescue with a marvellous innings of 75 from 106 balls, hitting a six and nine fours

He lost Myles (3) with the total on 51, but Carter and Sukhi Kang put the Oaks on their way to victory with a partnership of 82, which came to an end when Carter was caught behind by Hatton.

Kang went on to finish unbeaten on 39 and Ben Myles 16 to get their side across the line off the first ball of the 47th over for a very a comprehensive victory over the side immediately above them in the table.