Thirds Collapse to Chalfont St Peter

On a bright and breezy afternoon at Nettlebed, Henley 3rds looked to build on last week’s fine win when they entertained Chalfont St Peter. Chalfont won the toss and elected to bat on a good looking track. Tight opening spells from Hopkins and Khan yielded a wicket apiece. Chalfont opener Z Khan was still there however, although he had given chances to the Henley fielders. Z Khan eventually fell to the medium pace of Mohammed but it was not until the post-drinks introduction of the leg-spin Sam Ranger and the experience of captain Jeremy Palmer that significant inroads into the Chalfont batting order were made. Ranger, exploiting the bounce and turn in the pitch through his variations, took 4-12 and Palmer, bowling with guile, took 3-24. Chalfont were bowled out for 137, a total that did not seem to suffice.

Openers Price and Kenworthy made serene progress to 37 with very little sign of the carnage that was about to ensue. Kenworthy fell to a fine slip catch off the off-spin Khan. Then came the collapse. Ducks for Verry, Homewood, Chappell, Palmer and Ranger left the hosts in dire trouble so that when Price perished they were 45-7. Hopkins then lobbed a catch to short-fine leg leaving Mohammed and Khan to provide defiant rearguard action that was not enough. Henley were eventually all out for 89.