Town hold off Wycombe for draw

Reported By Andrew Holland

Buckingham travelled to top of the table High Wycombe on Saturday, their hosts winning

the toss and opting to bat first.

Eliot Callis and Alexander Woodland opened the batting for Wycombe and made a fast

start. They put on 50 in the first 9 overs, forcing Buckingham to turn to spin early on.

The pair maintained a steady run rate after that, both passing 50 (Callis 56 balls,

Woodland 64 balls) as they took the score past 100. In the build-up to lunch

Buckingham pulled the rate back, bringing it down to about 5 an over, before skipper

Leigh Tomlinson brought himself on for the final over of the session and trapped Callis

lbw for 89 to break an opening stand of 152.

Wycombe captain Dan Marles joined Woodland after the break, and the pair maintained

a steady run rate following on from the morning session. Marles was the more dominant

of the pair, bringing up his own half-century (52 balls) as they put on 110. With the

score past 250 Wycombe began to accelerate the run rate. Marles was caught behind off

Shane Shillingford for 68 followed by Conrad Louth being bowled in his next over for 10,

but Woodland batted through to bring up a century from 167 balls. He finished 106 not

out as High Wycombe declared on 305 for 3 from 59 overs, leaving a minimum of 59

overs to bowl at Buckingham.

The Buckingham reply started badly as Cameron Parsons picked up two wickets in his

opening spell, reducing the visitors to 20 for 2 in the eleventh over. Tomlinson and Jack

Deal steadied the innings, taking minimal risks and putting safety first as the required

run rate grew rapidly. By tea they had reached 41 for 2 from 24 overs, leaving just two

results possible.

After tea, Connor Haddow struck early to remove Tomlinson for 24, and this was followed

up by a wicket for Tom Hampton and another for Haddow as they reduced Buckingham

to 73 for 5 with 24 overs of the match remaining, putting the hosts in the driving seat.

Deal was still at the crease, and was joined by Will Woodley who, after a watchful start,

began to score more fluently. Wycombe tried various bowling combinations but Deal

and Woodley looked more and more comfortable, batting for 18 of the remaining overs

and putting on a stand of 74. Deal brought up his second consecutive half century (118

balls) before a final burst from Hampton saw him caught behind for 51. In the next over

Parsons removed Adam Bone for a duck and the Wycombe mindset changed as they

needed three wickets with 29 balls remaining. Woodley (59 not out) stood firm though,

bringing up his own half-century (63 balls) and was supported by the experienced Steve

Beck as the pair saw Buckingham over the line to secure the draw.