Thame Town Cricket Club’s first XI concluded their league campaign in convincing style with an emphatic win away to Leighton Buzzard on Saturday.
After winning the toss, Thame captain Sam Lachlan chose to bat first, and changed the regular batting order to give youngsters Dan Patey and Harry Thomas experience in the team.
Patey and Mike Higgs duly put on 41 for the first wicket and Patey was eventually out for 24 before the rest of the Thame line-up took the score up to 186.
This total looked to be a challenge for the home side as the pitch was not a good one. Deon Laubscher and Will Sutcliffe scored 27 each, and Will Taylor hit 34 with Leighton Buzzard spinner Tom Light taking 8 for 77.
When the home side got their reply under way, Thame seamers Lachlan and Rooney applied pressure from the outset and the score was soon 29 for 3 and then 56 for 7.
The introduction of spinner Mike Higgs soon wrapped the innings up and he finished with excellent figures of 5 for 7 off 5 overs, as Leighton Buzzard were all out for 73 in 26 overs. Sam Lachlan also took 5 wickets for 17 runs in 11 overs with 7 maidens.
For Leighton Buzzard, defeat meant relegation to Division 2. However for Thame, the result means they finish third in Division 1, only one point behind second placed Shipton, marking a successful league season for the club following the team rebuilding last winter.
The second XI had the better of a draw at home to Challow, as Paddy Harris hit 79, Guy Holmes 88 and Chris Harrison 54 not out in a total of 273. Challow reached 190 for 7 in response.
The Third XI lost an exciting game at Shipton, where the hosts reached Thame’s total of 174 for 7 in the 41st over. Angus Lachlan hit 46 and Joe Phippen also scored 33 for the visitors.