CHAMPIONS Finchampstead’s start to the season has got worse with disciplinary problems and three successive defeats in the Home Counties Premier League and disciplinary problems as well.

Incidents during the previous week’s game at Tring Park, which saw them concede five penalty runs to their hosts, led to skipper Dan Marles being banned for five games, two of them suspended for ‘failing to control’ his players.

Other bans and unavailability due to holidays also ruled out Anthony Parson, Dan Lincoln and Darren Augustus, while wicket-keeper Sukhi Kang is still injured.

The general feeling within the club is that the punishments are harsh, particularly the one for Marles as they considered the alleged dissent incidents at Tring were minimal.

That said, the HCPL umpires have been told to clamp down on players not meeting the required spirit of the game following a number of incidents last year.

So it was a much-changed Finchampstead side which took to the field against Horspath last Saturday.

And, in a matched reduced to 36 overs a side following rain, they lost by five wickets after being put in to bat.

With club chairman Gary Loveday taking over the captaincy from Marles, the game started badly with Matt Carter, promoted to opener, being bowled third ball by former Reading paceman Ian Slatcher and Andrew House losing his wicket to Will Eason, making it 10-2.

Greg Smith and Billy Rogers lifted the total to 43 before the former was out for 23.

Loveday (3) and Jandre Coetzee (1) soon followed, leaving Finch 62-5 off 19 overs.

Josh Lincoln – Dan’s younger brother – and Rogers lifted the total to 110, when Lincoln was out for 29.

Craig Hodges contributed 16 and Andrew Lazenbury was run out for one, leaving Rogers unbeaten on 67 off 89 deliveries when the innings ended on 154-8.

Coetzee struck early, bowling Rob Eason for two and the seamer went on to finish with 3-31 off 7.2 overs.

Horspath had four wickets down for 66, but Rameez Raja and Mark Jefferson put them on the victory trail with a partnership of 77.

Jefferson (40) became Coetzee’s third (3-31 off 7.2 overs) but Raja remained unbeaten on 44, off 42 balls, as Horspath reaching their target at 157-5 in the 31st over.

Finch now find themselves bottom of the table ahead of their trip to fourth-placed Henley this Saturday when Lincoln and Augustus are expected to return to the side.

Due to first-team call ups, Finchampstead 2nds were left weakened for their Thames Valley League Division 1 match at Gerrards Cross.

They bowled their hosts out for 247 after a late flurry of runs, with Dylan Augustus taking 3-56 and Sam Taylor 3-32.

But Finches could only make 146 in reply, with Tommie Predgen batting well for 51. They host Henley 2nds this Saturday (1pm).

Finchampstead 3rds were without a fixture due to their scheduled opponents, Yateley 2nds, having withdrawn from the league. They are away to Wokingham 2nds on Saturday.

Finchampstead 4ths’ match away to Reading 3rds was called off due to rain, while a shortage of players forced them the fifth team to concede their fixture at Theale & Tilehurst 3rds.

Their respective games this weekend are home to Yateley 4ths and Reading 4ths.