On Saturday 2 August 2025, a young Henley CC 2nd XI took on Uxbridge 1st XI at Matson Drive, having defeated the West London team by over 100 runs earlier in the season. The day got off to a stellar start with stand-in Captain, Biddulph, winning the toss and electing to bowl.

Team veteran, Simon Wheeler, started proceedings well for Henley, bowing a range of tidy overs with his usual, reliable and accurate outswing. But it was the young 14-year old debutant, Taimoor-Ali Baig, with his left arm swing bowling, that got the home team off the mark – Jai Sharma hitting one of Taimoor’s accurate in-swingers straight to 16-year old Tom Wellings at square leg. After an impressive catch behind the stumps by Adam Lubbock, giving Taimoor his second wicket and the scalps of both Uxbridge openers, he completed his allotted 5 over spell (a bowling limit imposed due to his youthful age) with impressive figures of 2-19.

With both openers gone and Wheeler removing Uxbridge wicket keeper, Pragji, for 23, in came Uxbridge’s skipper, the Bangladeshi Test Match player, Sabbir Roman. Having scored a chanceless 91 against Henley earlier in the season, he posed a threat on a day where one boundary only just exceeded the 30-yard circle. With all the confidence in the world, Biddulph gave the ball to his mystery 16-year old spinner, Wellings, whose majestic first delivery pitched outside off stump, and preceded to spin through the test batters’ gate, hitting his leg stump with an almighty whack. Elation, briefly, with a big job still to do.

On came the orthodox left arm spin of Captain Biddulph, quickly taking the off stump of Shaikh with just his second ball. Henley remained on top, despite a strong fight back by Hussain and Balbi, Biddulph finishing with a five-wicket haul off his 11 overs, and Uxbridge scraping to what was deemed a par score on a dry wicket, with 128 all out.

Henley 2nd XI went out with energy and zest in what they knew would be a difficult run chase, Hunt and Hammersley making a positive start with a range of boundaries in the first three overs. However, after Hammersley went for 17, the wickets started tumbling with some impressive bowling by Uxbridge left arm spin veteran, Mian, who finished the match with what ended up being a match-winning 5-26. Despite a gutsy effort by Biddulph (48) and an outstanding 10th wicket stand between Wellings and Dan Lubbock (who batted magnificently together with just a 31 years age gap!), an excellent catch by Haniel Robert at long-on after Wellings looked to seal it with a six, finished the match, Henley losing by 6 runs.

An excellent, close game at Matson Drive saw Henley 2nd XI take home an admirable 14 points, Uxbridge, a well needed 26. Henley 2nd XI face Ickenham 1st XI on Saturday 10 August and will be looking to bounce back stronger after their almighty close call.