Henley 4th XI returned to winning ways and reclaimed third place in Division 8B with a comprehensive 65-run victory over Pinkneys Green 2nd XI at Nettlebed.

Depth was the story of the day for Henley, with important contributions throughout the batting order followed by another impressive display from their varied bowling attack.

Captain Albiston won the toss for the second consecutive week and elected to bat on another hot, dry summer afternoon. Having fallen just short against Earley seven days earlier, the message was simple: bat through the 40 overs and trust the bowlers to defend whatever total could be posted.

Albiston opened the innings alongside Oseman, getting Henley underway with a boundary from only the second delivery. Oseman quickly followed suit, clipping a full toss through mid-wicket to open his account.

The pair settled into their work and put the Pinkneys Green fielders under pressure with a mixture of well-timed boundaries and positive running between the wickets. Their partnership had reached an excellent 84 before Albiston top-edged spinner Bandla to mid-on shortly after the first drinks break.

The Henley captain departed for a well-paced 30 from 43 balls, having helped provide his side with the strong platform they wanted.

Price joined Oseman, who was closing in on a deserved half-century. Despite the variable bounce, the left-handed Price immediately looked composed, holding his shape and waiting patiently for opportunities to score.

Oseman soon reached his milestone, acknowledging the applause from his teammates after completing an excellent fifty. He was unable to build much further, however, chipping another delivery from Bandla into the air and departing for a well-made 54 from 73 balls.

Kock, who had scored a century on his previous appearance for the fourth team at Nettlebed, arrived with Henley well placed. He made a promising 14 from 16 balls before finding a fielder in the deep with the score on 151.

Bowlby then struck a brisk 15 from 13 deliveries before being beaten by an excellent delivery from Vadivel. Naik was run out for five following some confusion over a single, but Price remained calm while wickets began to fall around him.

Playing particularly well through the off side, Price reached a deserved half-century and went on to make 60 from exactly 60 balls, including eight boundaries. It was a measured and valuable innings which kept Henley moving towards a competitive total.

The Manwaring family then added another subplot to the innings. Henry made four on his fourth-team debut, while father Tom earned the family bragging rights by finishing unbeaten on five. Useful late contributions from Ellison, Raymond and Chinn helped Henley complete their 40 overs on an imposing 218 for nine.

Bandla was the pick of the early Pinkneys Green bowlers, taking two for 26 from eight overs, while Vadivel finished strongly with three for 21 from five.

Henley’s objective after tea was to claim at least two wickets during the opening ten overs. Naik and Albiston more than delivered, reducing the visitors to 31 for four.

Naik bowled with excellent accuracy and claimed three early wickets, dismissing Balachandar, Heyes and Vadivel. All three were bowled, underlining the control and threat he maintained throughout his opening spell.

Albiston also produced an outstanding piece of fielding off his own bowling, diving low to his left to dismiss Pinkneys Green captain Hemmings for three. The catch reopened a wound on the Henley captain’s leg and briefly brought substitute fielder Chris Ellison into the action.

With Albiston temporarily leaving the field, Chinn was introduced earlier than planned and immediately complemented the opening pair. As consistent as ever, he made scoring difficult and induced several mistakes from the Pinkneys Green batters.

Chinn dismissed Tikoo for 18, had Dhillon caught by Kock for nine and then removed Avery for four courtesy of a catch by Tom Manwaring. His three wickets left Pinkneys Green reeling at 79 for seven and seemingly heading towards a swift defeat.

Tariq and Bandla had other ideas. The pair launched a spirited counterattack, adding 56 for the eighth wicket and briefly reviving memories of the damaging lower-order partnership Henley had encountered the previous week.

Price bowled a tidy five-over spell for just 21 runs and was unfortunate not to claim a wicket, while Ellison and Raymond came under pressure as Tariq and Bandla began finding the boundary regularly.

With the partnership growing, Albiston brought himself back into the attack. The decision paid off with only his second delivery, as he produced a superb ball to beat Bandla and strike the top of off stump. Bandla departed for a lively 26 from 23 balls, having hit six boundaries.

Naik returned in search of a five-wicket haul but had to settle for the excellent figures of three for 37 from eight overs. Albiston completed another economical spell with two for 23 from seven.

Raymond was then handed another opportunity to finish the innings and did not disappoint. He bowled Kumar for one with a full delivery that dipped late and crashed into the base of the stumps.

Two balls later, Raymond sealed the victory when Tariq drove into the covers, where Albiston completed the catch. Tariq’s excellent innings of 52 from 60 balls, containing eight fours and two sixes, had given Pinkneys Green hope, but his dismissal left the visitors all out for 153 in 29.4 overs.

Raymond finished with the remarkable figures of two for 11 from just 1.4 overs, while Naik and Chinn collected three wickets apiece.

Henley’s 65-run victory moved them back into third place and set up an important Division 8B encounter next Saturday, when second-placed Binfield host third-placed Henley.