PAUL Dewick, batting at No. 11, scored a half-century for Wokingham in their first home match since being promoted to Division Two of the Home Counties Premier League.

He and fellow tailender Lewis Sharp dug the Oaks out of a big hole, lifting the total from a very unpromising 73-9 off 34 overs to a reasonably respectable 152 against Datchet before Sharp was bowled by Berkshire county coach Tom Lambert for 17.

Former Bracknell player Dewick remained unbeaten on 64, his highest score for the club. It came off 54 balls and included four sixes and six fours.

But rain started before the beginning of the Datchet innings and it continued into the late afternoon, leading to the match being abandoned as a draw.

There were, however, dark clouds over the Wokingham innings from an early stage, with all their top-order batsmen flopping to left-spinners Ollie Birts and Chris Peploe, who took seven wickets between them.

Having been put into bat, Oaks openers Stuart Parsons and James Bird made eight and six respectively, Danny Housego went for seven and Michael Bates four, while Ben Myles was bowled for four as the hosts slumped to 45-6 in 20 overs.

Skipper Stuart Hayter was the first batsman to reach double figures, only then to be trapped lbw for 10 and, at the midway point of their innings, Wokingham had only 57 runs on the board with seven wickets down.

Simon Myles departed with just three to his name before Iain Muirden was stumped for 13 and schoolboy Shiryar Ahmed fell for five, the ninth wicket tumbling at 73-9 with 16 overs remaining.

By now Datchet’s two destroyers had completed their quota of overs, Birts finishing with 4-16 and fellow Berkshire county player Peploe 3-19.

The visitors fielded with great enthusiasm, but their chirpiness started to taper off as Dewick decided to go on the attack.

He and Sharp added 79 in 47 minutes for the last wicket before the latter was bowled by Lambert (1-15 off 9.1 overs) off the first ball of the final over.

The Oaks were also scheduled to host Burnham on Sunday in the first round of the HCPL T20 competition, but were awarded a walkover as their opponents were unable to raise a side.

Wokingham are home again this Saturday (11.30am) when the visitors are Shipton-under-Wychwood, who have been heavily beaten in both their opening games.

Wokingham 2nds’ Thames Valley League Division 2b clash at Royal Ascot (113-4) was finely poised before the rain arrived. Jack Lunghusen top scored for Ascot with 50.

In Division 5b, Jake Turner (52) impressed for Wokingham 3rds as they reached 148-6 in 31.1 overs against Boyne Hill 3rds.

Fleet 2nds were 113-6 from 27 overs when their Division 7a game at home to Wokingham 4ths was rained off.

Simon Eldridge (37) and Dave Marles (35) led Finchampstead 5ths to 139-8 in 40 overs against Wokingham 5ths in Division 9a.

Arvind Bhat (3-18) and Andy Bishop (3-56) impressed for Wokingham.