The Saturday 1st XI went down by eight wickets in an away match at Aldershot. We batted first on a slow, damp pitch and were skittled out for just 97 in 35.5 overs, Shahid Din top scoring with 47. Aldershot passed our total with little difficulty, reaching 98-2 in 32 overs, with the only bright spot a good run out from Mudo Ahmed.

The Saturday 2nd XI won its first league game of the season at home to High Wycombe 3rd's by a convincing 7 wickets. Winning the toss and electing to bat in the hot sunshine, Wycombe amassed 205 for 8 and declared after 47 overs. Martin Cartledge (2-52) deserved better but Wycombe looked set for a much bigger total until 3 quick wickets by Rob Machin (3-37) in his second spell checked their progress. A run out by Tom Richardson and David Peters (2-41) accounted for the other wickets to fall. In reply, Chalfont started very positively with the fifty coming up very quickly for just the loss of Martin White (21). At the loss of the second wicket, James Mallinder (55 not out) - who batted throughout the innings - was joined by Cartledge (101) and they proceeded to put on 134 runs for the 3rd wicket. Cartledge bludgeoned all the bowlers he faced and his knock included 14 4's and 5 6's, including one to bring up his ton. Chalfont won with more than 10 overs to spare.

The Sunday 1st XI played its first MASL match of the season, away at Aston Rowant, and clinched an exciting five wicket victory with just three balls to spare. Aston Rowant won the toss and batted first, making 210-6 in 40 overs. Shahid Din, Zamir Khan and Rhys Mander all bowled well, and our fielding was sharp, too, but we did let our opponents off the hook a bit, conceding 90 runs in the last ten overs! In reply, Matthew Stevenson gave us a good start with an innings of 59, and a sparkling 48 from Zamir Khan put us into a winning position. However, a couple of wickets and a few tight overs left us needing 21 to win from the last two overs. But some good batting from Tony Hewston (24 not out) and Rhys Mander (7 not out) saw us home to a morale boosting victory after the debacle at Aldershot.

The Sunday 2nd XI had another win, this time by 81 runs in a home match against Marquess, a roving pub side from North London. The home side lost the toss and were put in to bat, but were never really troubled by some exceedingly average bowling. Neal Collins (82) and Martin White (21) put on a stand of 115 before they were both out in quick succession. Andy Amor (28) and Chris Yoxall Jnr (22) pushed the home team's score above 200, then got themselves out on instructions from the skipper so everyone else could bat. We declared on 226-9 just before tea. In response, Marquess got off to a bad start when their opening batsman gloved a ball to the keeper off Dan Webb's bowling. In an unprecedented show of stamina and spin bowling, Webb bowled 19 straight overs and took 7 wickets for 84 runs. Chris Yoxall Snr (12-2-33-1), Martin White (again!) and Neal Collins took the other wickets to bowl out Marquess for 145, 81 runs short. Another win for the Sunday 2nd XI, and just one more short of having the skipper shave his beard off!

This weekends fixtures are as follows:

Saturday 1st XI:
Chenies & Latimer, TVL2B, home, 1.30pm start

Saturday 2nd XI:
Kidmore End II, TVL4B, away, 1.30pm start

Sunday 1st XI:
North Maidenhead, MASL, home, 2pm start

It has to be Martin Cartledge, 101 for the Saturday 2nd XI, with honourable mentions for James Mallinder, 55 not out in the same match, Matthew Stevenson, 59 for the Sunday 1st XI, Neal Collins 82 for the Sunday 2nd XI and Dan Webb 7 for 84 in the same match.

Batting:
Martin Cartledge, 101, Sat 2XI v. High Wycombe (31/05)
Neal Collins, 82, Sun 2XI v. Marquess (01/06)
Zamir Khan, 81, Sun 1XI v. Harrow Town (11/05)
Neal Collins, 77*, Sun 2XI v. Old Owens (11/05)
Zamir Khan, 69, Sat 1XI v. Falkland II (24/05)
Matt Stevenson, 59, Sun 1XI v. Aston Rowant (01/06)

Back row, left to right: Rob Freeman (former Gerrards Cross swing bowler), Nick Davenport (new wicketkeeper), Dan Webb (captain and scorer of Sunday's winning runs), Dave Andersen (opening bat), Levi Jones (former football coach, hadn't played cricket since school). Front row: Pat Nagle (never gets out), Kriss Collins (15, has his best years in front of him), Neal Collins (42, ditto), Stephen Baker. Jonathan, the guy who took the picture, refuses to have his photo taken and he doesn't drink. He claims to be a nuclear reactor maker. Honest.

Dan Webb, the new Sunday captain, has modelled this side on the successful Three Pigeons Sunday football team (who hope to base themselves at the club, playing at Alcan, next winter). Two years ago they were the worst side in the bottom division of the Chesham Sunday League. But coach Webb (with Freeman, Davenport and Collins Snr among his footballers and cricketers, plus Robbie Graham, who played last week too, bringing the Three Pigs contingent to five) guided them to the title last season, the only unbeaten side in the area.

Last season the Sunday seconds won twice, this season they've won four and drawn one so far... two of those games were against significantly superior opposition (ie, they all had proper whites and had clearly played at least once in the last five years). Miraculous stuff. Webb says when we win five games he's going to shave his beard off and wash his cricket kit. Both are urgent requirements. Webb also leads a quiz team (called, cunningly, INSERT NAME HERE) to regular victories in the White Hart quiz on Thursday nights, although the Hockey Club have been known to defeat us!
 

Baby news
Sarah and Martin Cartledge would like to announce the birth of their son Connor Guy on Monday June 2nd at 4.36am. He weighed in at 8lbs and 11oz. Mother and baby are both well.

Signatures required
It has come to light that the Old Hare in Beaconsfield (venue for many a post training and match drinks) is in the process of being closed and sold off to become part of the restaurant chain ASK. There is a petition running against the closure and Adrian Halliday would like to hear THIS WEEK from anyone who would like to sign the petition. He will also be at the Mixed game at Windsor on Tuesday evening (3rd June) and also the Mens 1st Summer League game at Beaconsfield High on Thursday. Adrians email address is adrian100halliday@hotmail.com.