Windsor vs Perivale – Monday 29th May

Perivale 163 all out 35.1 overs
Windsor 164 for 4 29 overs (Davis 51*, Smith 27)

With sunshine and showers forecast, a sudden hail-storm prior to the start of the game and a missing groundsman, the Bank Holiday Monday fixture with Perivale was eventful even before it begun. After yet more heavy overnight rain, Windsor were again forced onto the nursery square and were, upon losing the toss, asked to bowl first on a drying wicket.

Perivale got off to a good start despite good bowling from Kemp and Holmes, putting away anything short with precision pull-shots. Kemp, did though manage to remove two wickets at the end of his spell, which help arrest the run rate. The introduction of the two left-armers Condon and Lines, further abaited the scoring, with Lines picking two wickets via a stumping by Davis and a well-judged catch by Kemp. Again though, Perivale looked to attack and managed to get the run rate up above five once again. Costly drops denied Kellard and Lines wickets, but the introduction of the experienced hands in Granger and Mohindru really put the shackles on Perivale via a brace of wickets (including two fine catches from Holmes and Lines). Wickets continued to fall to the re-introduced Kellard and Lines and with a calamitous final run out, Perivale closed their innings on 163 all out with five overs still to spare. This was a fine fight-back by the young Windsor side.

Windsor’s inning got off to a brisk start as Abe Smith played some flowing drives through the off side to see Windsor speed off to 40 after the first 8 overs. As with Perivale’s innings, a sudden brace of wickets saw Smith (27) fall via a leading edge and Granger trapped lbw for no score. With Noble (9) also falling within a few overs, Windsor were suddenly 51 for 3 after 12 overs. Davis then joined Hartridge and together they began to play Windsor out of trouble. Some lusty blows from the skipper and some deft drives from young Hartridge took the score past hundred with still some 20 overs to go. A rush of blood to the head saw Hartridge fall to some fine fielding by the Perivale skipper and was run out for 25. Davis continued to attack and with the injured Mohindru (batting with a runner) nurdling the ball around for singles, the chase continued at a rate. Davis finally reached his first fifty of the season with a fine glance for a single. Mohindru then ran the ball down for the winning runs and Windsor won by 6 wickets and many overs to spare.

Maidenhead Advertiser Sunday League
Windsor vs Chalfont St. Peter - Sunday 28th May

Windsor snatch last ball victory in thriller

Chalfont St. Peter 203-8 40 overs (Condon 3-27 Lines 2-49)
Windsor 204-8 40 overs (Condon 70 Huggins 47 Davis 27)

Windsor went into their second Sunday league game looking to continue their good form shown against Aston Rowant. Chalfont won the toss and elected to bat on a damp looking track. The decision looked to have backfired after tight bowling from Nicholls and Cornish backed up by Smith and Lines had the visitors struggling for runs as they stuttered to 44-2 off 15 overs. However, with the wicket drying batting started to become easier and the Chalfont batsman soon started to accelerate the scoring. Kellard in particular was expensive as he lacked his usual control. It took the introduction of Condon to the attack to stem the flow of runs as the Chalfont batsman looked to put the game beyond Windsor. With a flurry of late wickets from Condon and some big hitting from Panj the Chalfont inning closed on what would be a challenging 203-8 from their 40 overs.

In reply the Windsor innings got off to the worst possible start with the early loss of Bird. However, this brought Huggins together with Condon at the crease who together soon set about restoring order. Condon played the role of the aggressor hitting the Chalfont opening bowler out of the attack, while Huggins was content to play the support role and rotate the strike. Chalfont then introduced spin into the attack as they looked to slow the pace. However, the batsmen continued to keep the runs flowing with Condon sweeping the spinners to good effect reaching a well-deserved 50. As Windsor looked to up the scoring rate Condon fell to a sharp catch at mid-wicket from the bowling of Panj for 70, however, the partnership of 110 with Huggins had seemingly set Windsor well on the way to Chalfonts score. Abe Smith continued where Condon left off, but did not last long before been bowled through the gate. Huggins was then joined by Davis and together they added 40, as Windsor entered the last ten requiring a gettable 6 an over. However, Huggins then returned a soft caught and bowled as he fell just short of a hard-worked 50. Panic then ensued in the Windsor batting as Noble went cheaply, Davis was run out in a mix up with Lickley and Lickley himself then perishing in the cause. Nichols contributed a few lusty blows before holing out on the boundary as the game reached its climax. Windsor went into the last over requiring 13 for victory with youngsters Cornish and Lines at the crease. A quick run couple off the first and sweetly struck six over long on from Cornish off the second ball of the over swung things back in Windsor favour as they required 5 from 4 balls. Another couple and a scrambled single left Lines on strike requiring 2 from the final ball for victory. Lines then held his nerve as he chipped the bowler back over his head and he and Cornish completed the two runs required to seal victory for Windsor.

Next week, Windsor start their Sunday travels with the long journey to Tiddington in Oxfordshire

Windsor CC vs Aston Rowant
Maidenhead Advertiser Sunday League - Sunday 14th May

Windsor 284 for 5 40 Overs (Shafi 74, Huggins 70, Smith 75)
Aston Rowant 258 all out 40 Overs (Morgan 65, Watling 71, Kellard 6 for 36)

Windsor got their Sunday League campaign off to a winning start at home to Aston Rowant. On winning the toss Windsor captain Huggins had no hesitation in batting first on what looked to be a good wicket. However, things did not go according to plan when they lost Condon in the first over bowled by one that swung back from Siler. The wicket brought captain Huggins to the crease who together with debutant Shafi, quickly went about rebuilding the innings. Huggins found his rhythm and punished anything over pitched while Shafi was aggressive with anything on the leg side. Aston Rowant rotated their bowlers in search of the second wicket but the runs continued to flow. It wasn’t until the 26th over when Shafi perished trying to further accelerate the scoring with wickets in hand that the second wicket came, departing for a stylish 74 and a second wicket partnership of 153.

This brought South African Smith to the crease who was quickly into his stride dismissing any loose deliveries to the boundary. The wicket of Huggins then came as he too looked to up the scoring rate further departing for 70. Windsor colt Hartridge then provided some able support for Smith before been dismissed in the 35 over. With time running out Davis and Smith then put the Aston Rowant bowling to the sword adding 62 runs in 24 balls for the 5th wicket. Davis departed in the final over and with a few lusty blows from Kemp the Windsor inning finished on 284-5.

Aston Rowant's reply got off to a slow start due some tight bowling from Kemp and Griffiths and they soon found themselves falling behind the run rate. Windsor didn’t make the initial break through though until the introduction of Smith to the attack, removing Hicks after some sharp work from Davis behind the stumps. However, Morgan and Watling soon began to open there shoulders in an attempt to get back up with the run rate, with youngster Lines coming in for some rough treatment.

Windsor rotated the bowling in search of the break through but with the run rate climbing it came courtesy of a run out with some good work by Birch in the deep to run out Watling. The batsman had to continue with the big shots as the run rate continued to climb. Morgan feeling the pressure after the run out then offered a catch off Birch and wickets then began to fall at regular intervals. The introduction of colt Kellard’s leg spin soon had the batsman in trouble as they attempted to take him on. Shepard and Condon were smartly stumped by Davis of his bowling. Though the big shots continued wickets continued to fall at regular intervals and Kellard narrowly missed out on a hatrick as Siler managed to just avoid the out stretched hand of Kemp.

The Aston Rowant innings came to an end on 258 as Simpson was caught off the bowling of Kellard who finished with the impressive figures of 6-36.