Thame Town dropped into the Serious Cricket Home Counties Premier League Division 2 West relegation zone for the first time this season on Saturday, after they picked up only two points from their nine-wicket defeat at Dinton.

After a disastrous serious run of results, and a ten-point deduction for fielding an ineligible player, Thame are in ninth place with just one game to play.

And that match is at home to bottom club Horspath this Saturday.

Gerrards Cross, whose game like Horspath’s was abandoned on Saturday, stand two points clear of Thame, while Reading and Aston Rowant are not out of danger.

Thame, who were comfortably placed in mid-table a few weeks ago, crashed to 102 all out against Dinton, losing their last seven wickets for just 19 runs.

In a reduced overs match, Thame were 83-3 after being put in thanks to useful but not sizeable contributions from Sam Lachlan, Pratik Patel and Jaydeep Bhatti.

The main destroyer was Dinton’s former Pakistan Test left-arm-spinner Shakil Ahmed, who captured 6-27 from 14 overs as the innings disintegrated.

In reply, Mike Sutliff soon took the game away from Thame by blasting 79 not out as Dinton cruised across the line in just 18.4 overs as rhe match finished before tea.