CCS Home Counties League Division 2: A tension-packed game between two potential Division 2 West title challengers ended in a draw when Gerrards Cross failed to hit the necessary six for victory off the last ball against Thame.

Thame were asked to bat and immediately lost star batsman Manoj Parmar as he chopped a wide ball into his stumps.

But aggressive half-centuries from Adam Krol, Rob Brooks and Andy Wynd, who reached his 50 with an effortless six out of the ground, helped Thame to reach 242-6.

Gerrards Cross lost two early wickets, but skipper Alan Duncan, dropped early on, led his side's reply with 90, sharing a third-wicket stand of 126 with Luke Shepherd.

Thame were hampered when Luke Merry had to withdraw from the attack with shin-splints.

However, wickets fell steadily as the chase mounted, and at the start of the last over, Cross required 12 for victory with three wickets remaining.

Partik Mehta was twice hit on the hand, stopping fierce blows, and was unable to bowl the final ball.

His replacement Sam Lachlan prevented Stefan Read hitting a six, and the game ended in an exciting draw.

THAME

S Lachlan lbw Duncan...16

M Parmar b Hughes...9

A Kroll ct Butterworth b Mohammed...63

R Brooks ct Duncan b Read...64

A Wynd ct Butterworth b Read...63

P Mehta b Hughes...1

L Merry not out...14

C Sellwood not out...1

Extras...11

Total (6 wkts, 60 ovs)...242

Bowling: Read 18-3-62-2, Hughes 15-2-65-2, Duncan 12-5-38-1, Thomas 7-1-30-0, Mohammed 8-1-39-1.

GERRARDS CROSS

M Shepherd ct Wynd b L Merry...2

J Hughes lbw L Merry...15

L Shepherd b S Merry...40

A Duncan lbw Mehta...90

D Cranfield-Thomson b S Merry...34

W Butterworth b Mehta...15

R Muchal ct L Merry b S Merry...11

A Hales not out...12

S Read not out...13

Extras...6

Total (7 wkts, 50 ovs)...238

Bowling: L Merry 14-2-49-2, Lachlan 9.1-1-31-0, Mehta 13.5-2-74-2, Merry 11-0-58-3, Brooks 3-0-22-0.

Thame 13 pts, Gerrards Cross 8

An early burst of four wickets by Tauqeer Hussain put Bicester in control of their Division 2 West match at home to NPL Teddington.

Another mammoth spell of 26 overs by Paul Jeacock, with support from Richard Lynch, kept the visitors' score down to 185.

In reply, Alex Jewell batted brilliantly, ably assisted by Darryl Woods, before Hussain scored 21 off nine balls to put the result beyond doubt.

NPL TEDDINGTON

B Crockford c Hawtin b Tauqeer Hussain...42

J Feltham c Jeacock b Tauqeer Hussain...1

C Churchman c Jewell b Tauqeer Hussain...1

S Garvie b Tauqeer Hussain...1

B Wooster c Jewell b Jeacock...14

M Hegg st Hawtin b Jeacock...25

J De La Pena b Lynch...2

C Binney not out... 58

I Broady c Tauqeer Hussain b Jeacock...28

A Miller not out...3

Extras...10

Total (8 wkts, 60 ovs)...185

Fall: 1-10, 2-12, 3-34, 4-53, 5-71, 6-80, 7-110, 8-157.

Bowling: Tauqeer Hussain 17-5-56-4, Mason 9-0-43-0, Jeacock 26-4-67-3, Lynch 8-5-13-1.

BICESTER & NORTH OXFORD

D Woods b Churchman...45

G Sansom b Broady...18

A Jewell not out...75

I Hawtin c Ford b De La Pena...4

Tauqeer Hussain c Crockford b De La Pena...21

S Lyon not out...10

Extras...16

Total (4 wkts, 44.2 ovs)...189

Fall: 1-47, 2-124, 3-143, 4-167.

Bowling: De La Pena10.2-2-38-2, Broady12-2-56-1, Binney 5-1-17-0, Crockford 6-0=26-0, Hegg 7-1-19-0, Churchman 4-0-18-1.

Bicester 25pts, NPL Teddington 6

Aston Rowant, who were happy with total of 232-8, found it woefully inadequate as they slipped to a nine-wicket defeat in their Division 2 West game at home to Tring Park.

In excellent batting conditions, Chris Eaton led the way for Rowant with a well-made 67, while Treve Brown hammered three sixes in a rapid 32.

Four dropped catches cost Aston dear as the Tring openers Matt Bowyer and James Steptoe posted 185 for the first wicket.

Tring got home with four overs to spare

ASTON ROWANT

C Watling run out...20

T Morgan b Brooks...20

C Eaton b Stanway...67

T Bant c Steptoe b Stanway...44

T Brown c Stanway b Taylor...32

P Plumridge run out...0

L Lewis b Stanway...1

M Walker run out...1

T Foster not out...7

Extras...40

Total (7 wkts, 60 ovs)...232

Fall: 1-46, 2-116, 3-136, 4-177, 5-186, 6-196, 7-199, 8-232.

Bowling: Stanway 20-6-53-3, Brooks 14-3-54-1, Abrahams 8-2-25-0, Taylor 5-2-24-1, Kempster 6-1-21-0, Steptoe 7-0-36-0.

TRING PARK

M Bowyer not out...102

J Steptoe c Plumridge b Needham...98

A Pusey not out...29

Extras...4

Total (1 wkt, 45.5 ovs)...233

Fall: 1-185.

Bowling: Foster 8-1-35-0, Bant 8-0-43-0, Walker 3-0-27-0, Needham 12.5-2-58-1, Sheppard 5-0-22-0, Eaton 4-1-17-0, Wating 5-0-28-0.

Rowant 4 pts, Tring Park 25