Sahaan shines as Slough seal promotion in style with 124-run win over Falkland

Slough’s Sahaan Sahaan

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Slough’s title and promotion back to the top table of the Home Counties Cricket League was confirmed by their impressive 124-run victory over Falkland at home on Saturday, however, they won’t be meeting Wargrave or Stoke Green next season after both teams were relegated from Division 1.

Nadeem Syed’s side were heavy favourites to wrap up the title heading into their final match - despite a disappointing setback at Gerrards Cross the previous weekend.

With results having gone for them that weekend, and other matches abandoned due to the weather, Syed’s side simply had to beat Falkland in their final home game to secure the title and promotion back up to Division 1 - their natural home according to the captain.

This they did with impressive ease, reaching 299 from 49.5 overs before being dismissed with the penultimate ball of their innings.

After a slightly shaky start with the bat, they settled into their innings thanks to a couple of solid knocks from Saqlain Basharat (57) and Sahaan Sahaan (79). Their discipline at the crease carried the home side close to the 300-run mark.

Falkland couldn’t get near their target, despite the best efforts of opener James Bird who smashed 74 runs off just 45 balls. Fortunately for Slough, no one else could match that sort of hitting and with Sahaan taking 4-45 in a man-of-the-match display, they were able to dismiss their visitors 124 runs short of their target in the 31st over.

The result meant Slough would be champions, irrespective of what second placed Wokingham managed to do at home to Gerrards Cross.

The hosts won that match by 44 runs but finished nine points behind Syed’s side at the end of what’s been a gripping title race.

Sadly, Slough will be the only team on patch in the top division next season after Wargrave and Stoke Green were demoted back down to Division 2.

They will join Datchet in Division 2. Joe Thomas’s side finished fourth following a five-wicket victory over Horspath on the final day.

Stoke Green’s relegation fate was largely cemented ahead of their final day trip to Wargrave, however, Toby Greatwood’s side still had a chance of survival if they managed to win and closest rivals Great Brickhill were beaten by Aston Rowant.

Wargrave fulfilled their side of the bargain with a 45-run victory over Green, but sadly, they didn’t get any favours from Rowant who were beaten by seven wickets at Great Brickhill.

Those results, and Harefield’s 23-run defeat at Banbury, ensured Wargrave were relegated on 199 points, just six points behind Harefield in eighth place.

Wargrave excelled with the bat in their final home game on Saturday, scoring 317-6 from their 50 overs after being put into bat by their visitors.

Openers Rhys Lewis (130) and Rob Farina (75) got them off to a magnificent start with a first wicket stand of 126, while Andrew MacEwen carried the fight with a further 56 runs to leave the home side in a commanding position at the changeover.

Green did pretty well themselves, with Chetan Sharma top scoring with 95 from 96 balls and Farhaan Habib Khan making 43 further down the order, but Jack Clark (3-41) and teammates Mark Firth (2-44) Nilesh Bhandari (2-61) and Neal Robinson (2-42) kept them behind the run rate with the visitors eventually bowled out for 272 in 48.4 overs.

Wargrave finished the season on 199 points, six behind Harefield, while Stoke Green finished bottom on 180 points 25 points from safety.