Simon Lewis hits 93 as Thatcham lose high-scoring home match
Thatcham lost at Brownsfield on Saturday after Simon Lewis made 93 from 139 balls and still finished on the wrong side of a 247-5 chase by White Waltham. Lewis shared a 102-run opening stand with Michael Klichowicz, but White Waltham reached the target with nearly eight overs to spare in Thames Valley League Division 2A.
Brownsfield batting effort
Thatcham won the toss and chose to bat, then built their innings around Klichowicz and Lewis. Klichowicz made 59 before he fell to t Sreekanth Surendran, while Lewis struck 11 boundaries and a six in an innings that came within seven runs of a century.
Odhinn Moore added 35 from 17 balls late in the innings, giving Thatcham a final total of 243-8 from 50 overs. That score gave White Waltham a demanding chase, but not one they could not finish.
White Waltham chase
White Waltham replied with 247-5, led by Matt Furness, who made 85 not out from 97 balls, and Ben Scarborough, who scored 62 from 54 balls. The pair shared a 115-run partnership for the fourth wicket after Usman Butt had made 28 and Cloudesley Long 38.
Once Furness and Scarborough settled in, the chase moved beyond Thatcham’s total despite the home side’s large opening stand and Lewis’s near-century. The result left Thatcham with a strong batting effort but no points from a match where their total was competitive and still not enough.
Other weekend results
Theale and Tilehurst also won on Saturday, beating Kidmore End at Douai Abbey after Kidmore End were dismissed for 188. Rafae Farooq took 3-32 and Robert Dimmack 3-12, before Theale and Tilehurst reached a revised target of 190-4 in 31.4 overs, with Oliver Buckle finishing 53 not out from 71 balls.
Purley on Thames had a tougher afternoon at Goosecroft, where Aldershot made 332-6 after batting first. Alex Farr scored 133, Corne Botes 57 and Rob Hislop 64, while Usman Ijaz took 2-65 for Purley on Thames.
