FINCHAMPSTEAD must have been pleased to see the rain on Saturday, as it almost certainly saved them from a home defeat at the hands of High Wycombe, writes Dave Wright.

When the game had to be abandoned with five overs remaining, the Division One leaders were on 201-5, just 14 runs short of their target.

Finch were asked to bat first in the first of this season’s nine timed games and suffered two early blows with Greg Smith caught behind for two and skipper Dan Lincoln bowled, offering no stroke, when he was also on two with the total on 47.

Opener Andy House looked in good form, hitting 40, including eight boundaries, but his innings ended at 69 and two runs later it was 71-4 with Ryan Quinn caught in the slips.

Steady batting from Simon Bell and Josh Lincoln saw the hundred up, but the former was bowled for 35 at 118 and Lincoln was caught for 30 to leave the hosts 133-6 off 32 overs at lunch.

Craig Hodges went for eight, but Tommie Predgen made 32 before being caught by former Finch skipper Dan Marles, while Darren Augustus remained 35 not out when the innings ended on 214 with 62 overs used.

Conner Haddow was the pick of the visiting bowlers with 4-52 off 17 overs, while the returning Marles took 1-21 off 7.2 overs, having trapped last man James Woodford lbw for four.

Wycombe, who had won four of their five 50-50 games, had 58 overs for their reply and by 20 were on 70 with two wickets down.

Spinner Woodford had Ed Callis caught for 14 for the first of his two wickets and then Rehan Akram yorked Marles when he was on seven.

Opener Teddy Casterton stayed firm and with skipper Nathan Hawkes saw the hundred up in 32 overs.

At 107 Hawkes was run out by Hodges for 19 and Josh Lincoln bowled Casterton for 75, which had come off 121 balls.

Further fluent batting from George Russell (29) and Luke Webb (50no) produced a stand of 77, taking the total to 199-5.

Light rain became heavier and at 202-5 with five overs remaining players left the field with by 7pm it was clear the match could not continue, both sides finishing with 11 points.

Finch remain seventh in the table ahead of their visit to third-placed Slough on Saturday.

  • WOKINGHAM moved up to third in the Division Two table with an emphatic 147-run victory at early joint-leaders Great & Little Tew.

The hosts won the toss and asked Wokingham to bat, making a relatively early breakthrough when James Bird was caught by Henry Woodward off the bowling of Lloyd Brock for 22.

Stuart Parsons continued to look in good touch, and he put on 68 for the second wicket before Dan Housego was adjudged lbw for 36, Lawrence Brock the wicket-taker to make it 104-2.

That was the final wicket to fall, however, as Parsons (87no from 166 balls) and Simon Myles (75no from 61) took the score to 229-2 in 58 overs.

Tew suffered a disastrous start to their run chase as Iain Muirden ran through the top order in taking the first five wickets to leave the hosts reeling on a mere 31-5.

Opener Robbie Catling and Tim Wyatt offered some resistance – both scoring 22 – but Tew were eventually dismissed for a meagre 82, Muirden returning superb figures of 6-40 and Jack Clark 4-12.

Wokingham are at home to Harefield this Saturday.