WOKINGHAM CC were well and truly caught out in their Thames Valley League match at Stoke Green on Saturday, writes Dave Wright.
Seven batsmen were snapped up by the safe hands of wicket-keeper Karan Singh as the Oaks were dismissed for just 147.
And it took the home side less than 32 overs to seal a six-wicket victory.
Wokingham, having elected to bat first, were soon in trouble, with Stuart Parsons being caught by Singh for five and skipper Stuart Hayter bowled for a duck.
Dan Housego and Archie Carter lifted the score from 6-2 to 39, when the former was caught behind for 13.
Three runs later Carter became Ali Nadeem Abbasi’s third victim of the game, bowled for 17, with the total on 42.
Michael Bates (25) and Jack Wood (9) added 29 for the fifth wicket, but both edged Raja Ifraz Khan deliveries into Singh’s gloves.
Jack Fisher (2) and Tom Wood (10) fell in the same manner as Khan completed his 10 overs with an excellent return of 4-36.
At 90-8, Wokingham were in serious trouble, but the tailenders did offer some resistance, with Simon Myles and Paul Dewick putting on 46 for the next wicket.
Dewick fell for 17 and Myles was the last man out having made a defiant 34 off 64 balls before becoming Singh’s seventh victim of the match.
Karan Singh took seven catches behind the stumps for Stoke Green.
Needing just 148 to win, Stoke Green always looked comfortable.
Last season’s Division 1 runners-up did slip from 62-1 to 70-3, but Ali Abbasi (35) and Kasif Abbasi, with 44 not out off 39 balls, then shared a stand of 75 and the hosts were home and dry.
Dewick took 2-44 off nine overs, Wood 1-44 seven and Fisher 1-8.
With two defeats and two losses in their last four games, the Oaks find themselves third from bottom of table, but they are only four points behind third top Marlow.