Henley CC U13 Leopards claimed a hard‑fought four‑run win over Peppard & Stoke Row Maharajas on a worn Shiplake College surface, where runs were never easy to come by. Sent in to bat, Henley were put under immediate pressure by some tight, disciplined Peppard bowling in the opening overs, slipping to 34–5. Aadi Bhatt’s patience and resilience kept the innings afloat and, alongside captain Jaxson Mackinnon, helped steady the ship before handing over to the lower order. A crucial late partnership between Fynn Ellison and Alastair Taylor added 30 valuable runs. Alastair’s clean striking, combined with Peppard’s 44 extras, lifted Henley to 108–7 – a total that felt defendable given the conditions.

Peppard began their chase confidently, and Henley’s early energy in the field was noticeably flat, with singles and twos being conceded when perhaps they shouldn’t. But a renewed sense of purpose soon emerged as the bowlers settled into their work and the fielders lifted around them – helped by Jaxson’s calm reminders that one breakthrough could change everything, Toby Barlow’s lively encouragement, and Harry Ellison’s acrobatic leaps that twice put him inches from spectacular catches. With spirits rising, Fynn Ellison and Alastair Taylor bowled well in tandem, slowing the run rate. This pressure told when Archie Thomas struck to break a 48‑run partnership for the second wicket. With Peppard still well up with the rate, it was Seb Lavers and Henry Manwaring who turned the game: Seb produced a superb wicket‑maiden, and in the very next over Henry followed it with a maiden of his own. This stalled Peppard’s momentum and at one stage they went 15 balls without scoring, a squeeze that completely shifted the tone of the innings.

Wickets then began to fall regularly. Harry Ellison struck next, this time capitalising on a moment of ambition from Angus Harvey, who tried to force the pace but succeeded only in looping the ball to Alastair Taylor at mid‑wicket. Though the run rate had slowed, Peppard kept edging towards the total. Enter Wilf Oseman, who delivered two crucial breakthroughs in three balls. Throughout the innings, Matthew Bollinghaus kept things tidy with a superb display behind the stumps, ensuring nothing loose slipped through to release the pressure on the batters.

The nip‑and‑tuck nature of the run chase boiled down to Peppard needing just six from the final over. But Seb Lavers held his nerve, backed by sharp fielding and the renewed intensity that had transformed the innings. He took the wicket of the dangerous Benjie White but, more importantly, conceded only two runs, sealing a dramatic victory.

It was a win built on resilience, discipline, and perfectly timed pressure in the field – a proper team effort on a challenging surface.