Cricket round-up: Datchet and Cookham Dean in relegation peril after weekend washout

Cookham Dean captain Greg Davis

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Chilterns League

Across the various local leagues, only a handful of cricket matches managed to beat the bad weather on Saturday, one of them being Pinkneys Green's nine wicket win over Frieth in the Berkshire, Chilterns and Mid Bucks Premiership.

How they managed to play when other sides were defeated by the wet conditions remains a mystery, but the two teams found enough of a weather window for Green to chase down Frieth's score of 116 for the loss of just one wicket.

Elsewhere in the Chilterns Leagues, there are a few titles and promotion / relegation places still to be decided with one weekend of the season remaining.

In the Championship, Penn & Tylers Green have been confirmed as champions with Bracknell United finishing runners-up.

In the Premiership, Braywood 2nds are champions with either Fulmer or Pinkneys Green in second place.

In the Chilterns League Division 1, Hurley will be crowned champions if they can win at The Lee this weekend. They can, however, still be caught by second placed Ruislip Victoria or Emmbrook & Bearwood should they fail to claim a winning haul of points.

In Division 2, Penn & Tylers Green 2nds are also champions and Hurley 2nds can take the runners up spot if they win their final match this Saturday. If not, Denham could still overtake them by beating The Lee the following week.

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Home Counties League

The wet weather also wasn't particularly kind on some of our local clubs competing in the Home Counties and Thames Valley Leagues.

While Datchet's game at bottom club Wokingham fell foul of the weather, their main relegation rival Banbury did manage to play, picking up a crucial five wicket win at home to High Wycombe.

Back-to-back victories for Banbury have lifted them out of the bottom two - and 16 points above Billy Mead's side - with two games left to play.

Datchet also have two matches left to save their season, at home to Wargrave this Saturday and away to Oxford Downs on Saturday, September 7. Should they finish in the bottom two alongside already relegated Wokingham, they'll be demoted into Home Counties Division 2 next season.

Elsewhere in Division 1, sixth placed Wargrave saw their game at Aston Rowant cancelled. Neal Robinson's side are sixth on 205 points and are unlikely to make a late challenge for the top four or be drawn into the relegation skirmishes below. They finish off their season with a trip to Datchet this Saturday and a home game with Great Brickhill on September 7.

In Home Counties Division 2, both Slough and Stoke Green remain in promotion contention, however their respective matches at home to Thame Town and away to leaders Harefield this weekend were cancelled because of the weather.

With two matches left, both third placed Slough and fourth placed Stoke Green will be hoping to leap above second placed Gerrards Cross and claim the division's second promotion spot behind champions Harefield. Cross holds a three-point advantage over Slough and a four-point lead on Stoke Green going into this Saturday's matches. Slough are set to visit Cross this weekend, in what looks like being a decisive clash, while Stoke Green host Chesham.

The following week, Stoke Green visit Amersham, Slough host table toppers Harefield and Gerrards Cross go to Buckingham Town.

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Thames Valley League

In Thames Valley League Division 1 Cookham Dean are in a similar predicament to Datchet.

Having slipped into the bottom two over the course of the season, Greg Davis’s face relegation to Division 2 unless they pick up enough points from their final matches at home to Beaconsfield on Saturday and away to Eversley the following week to move above eighth placed Eversley or seventh placed Henley 2nds - both still within reach if results go their way.

As it stands, they trail Eversley by 14 points and Henley by 18 points.

No matches were possible in the top division this Saturday due to the weather, meaning Boyne Hill remain fourth on 246 points, just above Marlow in fifth on 242 points.

Boyne Hill see out their season at home to Tring Park on Saturday and away to Ickenham on September 7, while Marlow finish off what's been a creditable season back in the Thame Valley League's topflight with games at Falkland on Saturday and home to Henley 2nds on September 7.