BEVO HAS HIS TIME TO SHINE!

Bevan "The Finisher" Malloch gets Windsor

home in a nail biter at Finch

FINCHAMPSTEAD 9/260 (51 Overs)

lost to

WINDSOR 8/261 (48.5 Overs)
Malloch 77*
Weston 52

With the league already secure, Windsor travelled to Finchampstead to try and keep their 100% winning record at the venue in the last 4 seasons in tact. With young U/15's Kris Baumgartner and Jack Barton handed their 1st XI debuts, Windsor lost the toss and had to toil away first on a sublime batting surface.

With Nichols still incapacitated with a knee injury, Malloch and Kemp took the new rock. Malloch (2/55) was great as he probed away outside off stick as at the other end Kemp (2/61) bowled in a very intimidating manner hitting the splice often. The decks played true all day as Pike scored a deserved 100 for the home side as Harris (3/72) toiled away and in the process claimed his 40th league wicket with great support provided younster Barton (0/32) getting in 8 overs and showing in the feild and with the ball what an exciting talent he is.

At the beginning of the season Windsor were a poor batting side. Over the course of the season Windsor have well and truly put that to rest as they shot out of the blocks with Huggins (37) and Birch (27) bringing up 50 in the first 6 overs! U/15 Baumgartner (17) and Weston (52) managed to edge the score closer but the partnership between Harris (37) batting at 6 and Malloch was what pulled the momentum back into Windsors favour after Finch did well to apply the brakes.

As wickets fell the equation became 60 runs in 7 overs, it was good to see Windsors old sparring partner former Datchet skipper Mark Sheppard giving plenty of friendly banter on the sidelines regarding Windsor chances and the apparent embarassment it would feel if they fell flat!! The side was most pleased to prove the journeyman wicketkeeper wrong as Malloch proved a masterclass on finishing an innings scoring 50 runs in the last 5 overs with a massive array of sixes and timed singles and with 1 ball to spare, his partner Barton managed to score the winning runs! Funnily enough Shep wasn't as chatty after the win, as the skipper was more than happy to let him know!

Bevans knock was all class for a plyer who has tremendous talent and sadly due to injury has not had much of a chance to shine as he otherwise would in Windsors success. There is not a more important player in the first team set up and was great to see him contribute again as he as often done to a Windsor win.

Windsor play host to Datchet next weekend as the friendly local rivals will no doubt want to restore some pride after being comprehensively outplayed by the Windsor side over the course of the season. Win/loss or draw both sides will be sure to have a good drink and celebrate a great season in 2009, as it will be a shame that both sides won't get a chance to play against each other in 2010.

Fingers crossed Shep may turn up again to spur the Windsor side to another win with his friendly banter from the boundary rope, we may even buy him a beer if he gets us home again!!!

WINDSOR ARE TVL 2A CHAMPIONS!!!

Windsor celebrate in style, winning the league with 2

games to go!

WINDSOR 235/5
Nichols 97
Birch 69

Defeated

BAGSHOT 106
Harris 7/69

With a win required to guarantee the TVL 2A title, Windsor hosted Bagshot who on the back of consecutive wins, where full of running and confidence. With Nichols winning the toss, Windsor decided to bat on a wicket that might break up, as the game progressed.

San Jose who in his 2nd crack at topping the order failed, meaning Nichols and Birch where able to renew their consistent partnership. When Birch (69) departed, the pair had put on 117, and a big total was looking a chance. Huggins and Nichols then got together and as they have done to many sides this season, scored freely. Nichols closing in on a 100 then got a leading edge to mid off to fall for 97, but the work was well and truly done as Huggins (37) closed out the innings for Windsor and after 52 overs where 235/5.

Windsor could smell the league title, and knew if they could get 10 wickets would clinch it. Windsor then set about taking those 10 wickets as Harris (7/69) used the home conditions to his advantage as Nichols (2/29) now on one leg, hobbled in support at the other end. With Mohindru (1/7) getting in the act, there where scenes of jubilation as Windsor had claimed the title!!

The champagne flowed in the dressing rooms and that night as Windsor celebrated winning the league with 2 games to spare! Windsor now have a 74 point lead from 2nd place. That's a fair reflection of Windsors dominance in this competition. The league tables doesn't lie, they have been far and away the best side in the league.

Windsor travel to Finchamptead next week and will looking to blood some colts in the next 2 games as they prepare for life in Division 1.

LADY LUCKY SHUNS WINDSOR

Huggins scoring 67 was not enough for Windsor

to win the league as they are forced to wait another week

BEACONSFEILD 222/9
Nichols 4/39

Drew with

WINDSOR 173/4
Huggins 67

Windsor travelled to Beaconsfeild on the weekend to try and secure their Div 2A title. The lead up to the fixture could have been better with Hartridge presumably breaking a finger during the week, but deciding to play. That poor luck continued with Nichols losing the toss and Windsor having to bowl. From experience the Beaconfeild deck is very good to bat on first, very hard second, so it was important early wickets where taken. Luckily that was done as Kemp (1/18) and Nichols (4/39) got the early break throughs, but just as the deck flattened, Weston split the webbing in his hand from a tough chance and had to be rushed to hospital. This meant Windsor had to field with 10 players and 1 of them in Hartridge, nursing a broken finger!

From here Beaconsfeild found the gaps easy to identify and plundered 222/9 in 52 overs. Harris 2/28 done very well in trying conditions, and Windsor could only wonder what could had been, as Beaconsfeild must have scored an extra 30/40 runs through the gaps the man down created.

Windsor had to re-shuffle the batting order to deal with Westons absence, and with Hartridge unable to put a glove on, let alone bat! Windsor where effectively 2 men down. Birch (14) and San Jose (18) done their best and Gould (25) showed his promise, but it was left to Huggins (67) and Nichols (45*) to combat the very good Beaconfeild attack.

At drinks it was 101/3 and game on. But Beaconsfeild started bowling stump to stump on the up and down wicket and the partnership could never get going again, Windsor had to settle for batting points. with only 9 players able to bat

It was quite bemusing to hear the chirp from the Beaconsfeild side about "not going for it" when they had a long on/long off and sweeper in place from the first part of the innings!

Although their frustrations where valid, in the reverse position, it would be guaranteed Windsor would not have been so defensive with feild placing! This scribe thinks you need to "earn" a win, not wait for an opponent to hand it to you... Windsor with 9 x 25pt wins "earn" victory through positive feild placing and an aggressive mentality. At no time did Huggins and Nichols feel like the oppostion where looking to take their wicket, they seemed to be merely waiting for them to make a mistake. That wasn't going to happen!

Maybe with a couple of back pads instead of a players riding the boundary to take advantage of a poping pitch, it could have been a different outcome?

Windsor would also like to take the time to thank Beaconsfeild for helping Weston to hospital after his webbing was split. The manner in which the home side came to his aid was very much appreciated by Windsor, and showed the spirit the game should be played in, hard on the feild and friendly off it.

So with a draw secured, Windsor look forward to hosting a bullish Bagshot this weekend, and hopefully with 11 fully fit players ready to go, can secure the title! Maybe!

WINDSOR MAKE IT 4 IN A ROW

Nichols (7/29 & 33) with Huggins 79 combine to bring

down Marlow as Windsor leap towards the League

WINDSOR 159 All Out
Huggins 79

defeated

MARLOW 80 All Out
Nichols 7/29

Windsor took a giant leap towards the TVL Division 2A title with a much needed win against Marlow at Home Park on Saturday.

In a gutsy move Nichols won the toss and decided to bat first, hoping to take advantage of the up/down surface bowling 2nd on the wet deck and to put pressure on a youthful Marlow outfit chasing a target.

It was expected to be extremely difficult batting first though, and this was highlighted by Birch falling 2nd ball of the day! From here Gould (11) defied his youth and managed to rebuild the innings and but when he departed, it was left to Nichols (33) and Huggins (79) to get a score of 120+ which was expected to be par.

Huggins was majestic and has come full circle in the space of 1 year. He is very close now to the finished article, and living up to the potential he has always had. His powers of concentration and maturity under pressure, the areas that where lacking in his game 1 year ago, where sublime, and the fact he more than doubled the next highest score on the day tells the story. It was the knock many have been waiting for him to play.

A score of 159, was probably 20 less than what was achievable, but Lee Atkinson (6/56) made life terribly hard to get any further.

Windsor went into the break pretty confident knowing the pitch still had a bit of life in it and the gamble of batting first would pay off, if Windsor could put enough balls in the right areas. That was certainly what happened as Nichols (7/29) and Harris (3/41) bowled unchanged to hand Windsor the 25 pts after 24 overs.

Windsor are now 68 pts clear at the top of the ladder and with 4 games in hand are favourites to clinch the title. Windsor travel to Beaconsfield next week in a quest to keep the run going to 5 in a row.

WINDSOR WIN 3 STRAIGHT!

Birch plundered 73 as Windsor knock off

a plucky Cove to get one step closer

WINDSOR 201/4
Birch 73

Defeated

COVE 186 All Out
Nichols 5/69

Windsor where lucky to keep their winning run going with an entertaining 15 run win against Cove on the weekend.

With rain falling heavily in the morning, and the outlook for the rest of the day far from promising, Windsor won the toss and batted, hoping to score as quick as possible. Nichols (43) and a brilliant Birch (73) put on 107 for the first wicket and were scoring at 5 an over. The 16 year old Gould (27) and Huggins (37*) managed to keep the flow continuing and San Jose (19) managed to provide the cherry on top with 3 big sixes to push the total over 200 in the 38th over.

A gutsy declaration was then called, giving Cove another 14 overs to chase a more than gettable target. The skipper was mindful of not only the time remaining in the game with inclement weather fast approaching, but keeping Cove interested in chasing down their first win of the season, as not to allow them to "shut up shop".

After a few overs the first stop to the game was called as rain tumbled down. The wet ball and dark skies played havoc with Windsor behind the wicket as 5 chances went down. Luckily Nichols (5/69) managed to hit the stumps.

After the 2nd rain stoppage, Randall (66) launched a fine rear guard action until Birch took a magnificent catch as mid on diving to his left, to swing the game back in Windsor's favour. Another brilliant snare by Malloch at short leg, again off Mohindru (2/23) meant Windsor needed 2 more wickets. Tom "Action Man" Hartridge (3/29) duly completed the job, handing Windsor its third win on the trot with 15 runs to spare.

Windsor play host to Marlow next week whose ability defies their position on the ladder. Windsor need to field considerably better if they are to knock over this very good side.