Cookham Dean and Wokingham set for title-decider showdown on Saturday

Sohil Mangat hit 100 for Cookham Dean in their win over Wargrave 2nds.

--

Cookham Dean will travel to Wokingham on Saturday in a match that will surely determine this season’s Thames Valley League Division 2A title and promotion back to Division 1.

The two teams have been matching each other stride for stride throughout a compelling campaign and although Dean lead heading into the final two fixtures, they are separated by just four points at the top of the table.

The next best side, Finchampstead 2nds, is a further 49 points back from Wokingham 2nds, so the title race will come down to this clash and it promises to be a rip-roaring affair.

Both sides got the job done once again at the weekend, with Dean defeating Wargrave 2nds at home by seven wickets for another comfortable win, while Wokingham weren’t given much more of a test as they swatted aside Aldershot by eight wickets away from home.

So, the title and promotion hinges on this game, just as Dean skipper Greg Davis suspected it might several weeks ago.

On Saturday, visitors Wargrave won the toss and elected to bat, making 194 before they were bowled out in 38.1 overs. Dean top scored for them with 36 with Finn Reid - a breakout player for Dean this season - taking 3-37.

In reply, Sohil Mangat ensured there would be no wobbles with the bat, scoring 100 from 98 balls and there was adequate support from his teammates to ensure Dean got to their target with many wickets and overs in hand. They finished on 195-3 in 32.4 overs.

Over at Aldershot, Wokingham won in similarly convincing fashion. Having got to grips with Alex Farr (87) and Jack Bromley (83) - who had threatened to take the game away from them at one stage - Wokingham managed to limit their hosts to 216-6 in 50 overs.

A decent total but one which Wokingham polished off in 40.5 overs, with Hanson Martin scoring 104 and Michael Cowdell scoring 58 and taking 4-38 with the ball.

Looking to join them in the top division are Maidenhead & Bray and Stoke Green 2nds who are embroiled in a similarly close and exciting title race in Division 2B.

Bray hold an even narrower three-point lead over Green with two matches to play after they thrashed Amersham 2nds by 128 runs on Saturday.

Green were also convincing eight-wicket winners at home to Windsor whose own promotion hopes have fallen away over the second half of the season.

Having won the toss, Bray dominated this game with the bat, scoring a humungous 358-3 from their 50 overs, with Robert Viney hitting 149 of those runs. Wayne Witson chipped in with 61 and Jacques Wessels also got to his half century with 56.

In reply, Amersham batted reasonably well further down the order but there was little chance of them ever getting close to Bray’s total. Arpan Jaiswal took 4-30 for Bray.

Green’s home game with Windsor saw far fewer runs scored. Having elected to bat, visitors Windsor were bowled out for 112 in 27.1 overs. Vihaan Parashar scored 43 but it was an undefendable total given Green’s form this season.

Najib Khan (53) and Imran Syal (41no) did the lion’s share of the work as openers with Green winning comfortably.

Green visit Chesham on Saturday before finishing at home to Amersham on the final day, while Bray host Hayes this weekend and finish on September 6 with a trip to High Wycombe 2nds.