BCMB review: Braywood keep their noses out of trouble with victory over Mortimer

Jagsit Dhillon scored 59 in Pinkneys Green’s victory over Frieth on Saturday

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Braywood picked up a useful 62-run win over Mortimer on Saturday to keep their noses out of trouble towards the bottom end of the BCMB Championship.

A topsy-turvy summer has seen the side win three and lose four of the eight matches played so far, with one no result, but Saturday's victory keeps them 50 points clear of the bottom two and within striking distance of the top four.

Having been put into bat, the home side made 276-9 from their 45 overs, with Samuel Charles (81) and Sharoon Azad (100) both in excellent form at the crease.

In reply, Mortimer looked capable of chasing with a fine stand between Ben Cape (60) and Adam Telford (103 from 79) keeping them up with the required run rate. However, having bypassed the 150 mark for the loss of only two wickets, they lost their last eight batsmen for the addition of barely 60 more runs. Mohammed Waheed took 4-40 and Raza Farooq 3-22 as Braywood gradually took a vice-like grip on the contest to claim their third league win. They're seventh in the table ahead of Saturday's trip to eighth=placed Chalfont St Giles, who are just a point behind them.

In the Premiership, leaders Braywood 2nds took advantage of Holyport's slip up against Monks Risborough to move 34 points clear at the top.

The league leaders proved too strong for Cadmore End, winning by 111 runs in a relatively routine victory - their sixth of the season so far.

However, closest challengers Holyport had an afternoon to forget as they lost by 58 runs to Monks Risborough.

Having won the toss, hosts Risborough elected to bat and made 180 before being dismissed in the 46th over. Arshid Mahmood contributed their biggest individual score with 67 while Riyaz Ali took 3-27 for the visitors.

In theory it was a chaseable score given the conditions, but after a steady start - with Saif Abbas scoring 22 and Harsham Singh scoring 21, they began to stutter and stumble. While Adrian Mumtaz and Saif Ur Rehman both fell for ducks, Obaid Ur Rehman managed 30 and Mohammad Qasim 20. But the tail was swept up for precious few runs as Holyport were bowled out for 122. Muhammad Irfan took 6-29 in a fine individual display for Risborough.

Elsewhere in the division, Pinkneys Green are on a run of three games without defeat after they defeated Frieth by 46 runs on Saturday to move to seventh on 154 points.

Batting first, the visitors made 155 from 36.5 overs before being dismissed, with the best of their knocks coming down the order through Jagsit Dhillon (59).

Tayab Ilyas took 5-26 for the hosts.

The visitors, though produced an impressive display with the ball, bowling out their hosts for just 109 in 25.1 overs. A few of the home side's batsmen made starts, but none were allowed to go on to score big with Saleem Ahmed (3-49) and Harry Reddy (4-19) doing a lot of the damage.

Hurley set three new club records -with Adnan Shazad smashing 202 not out from 129 balls - as they were held to a draw at Harpsden on a bat friendly wicket. Having declared on 354-4 after 43 overs, Hurley failed to dislodge all the Harefield batsmen as the hosts got through their 47 overs for 238-5. Despite the draw, Hurley claimed 20 points and remain 30 points behind Ruislip Victoria who beat Emmbrook & Bearwood by five wickets at the weekend. Hurley host The Lee this Saturday while Ruislip are home to Littlewick Green.

See Mike Walton's report of the Hurley match on the Maidenhead Advertiser website.

After three matches without a win, Littlewick Green retuned to winning ways with a seven-wicket victory over Fulmer on Saturday.

Having bowled out their visitors for just 98 in 27.3 overs, Green chased their total with few issues, getting to 101-3 in 19.1 overs.

Their key performers were Oliver Todd (3-13), Ben Duxbury (2-37) and Zackary Sullivan (2-26) while Tom Maskell top scored with 36 not out in a comfortable chase. Victory lifts the side to sixth in the table,

Struggling Little Marlow also claimed a crucial win at the weekend as they beat Winchmore Hill (Penn) away from home by 65 runs to move 10 points clear of the bottom two.

Having elected to bat on winning the toss, the visitors put on 248-8 from their 47 overs, with Uzair Hassan smashing a brilliant and undefeated 139.

Vishal Gounda came close to matching that for Winchmore, with 118, but he had fewer supporting acts and the hosts finished up on 183 all out in 33.2 overs. Faisal Ahmed took 4-38 for Marlow.