Henley 3rd XI produced a spirited performance but were narrowly beaten by two wickets against Falkland 3rd XI after an entertaining contest at Nettlebed.

Batting first, Henley made a solid start thanks to Mani Atwal, whose well-crafted 47 laid an excellent platform for the innings. However, Falkland hit back with a devastating spell, reducing Henley to 112-7 and leaving the hosts in danger of being dismissed for a below-par total.
Showing great composure under pressure, Aarian Atwal (38) and Sean Taylor (32) combined in a mature partnership to rebuild the innings. Their sensible approach steadied the ship before adding valuable late runs, helping Henley recover to a competitive 196-8 from their 45 overs.

Henley fought hard in the field and kept Falkland under pressure throughout the chase. Falkland batted sensibly and after losing a wicket in the 2nd over they rebuild the innings and were cruising at 140-2. However a change of bowling from the captain picked up the wicket of Grinham (66) and Storrar (41). Mehar Ali was the standout bowler, producing an outstanding spell to finish with 4-47, with Joshua Ellison supporting with 2- 25 giving Henley every chance of defending their total as wickets continued to fall.

Despite Henley's determination and Falkland slipping to eight wickets down, the visitors eventually reached 199-8 to seal a narrow two-wicket victory. While the result didn't go Henley's way, the resilience shown in recovering from 112-7 and the late disciplined bowling display provided plenty of positives to take into the next fixture.