SLOUGH returned to their winning ways by beating Tring Park by 42 runs in the Home Counties Premier League Division One, writes Dave Wright.

Having been easily rolled over at Reading the previous week, Slough produced a much improved and disciplined display at Upton Court Road on Saturday.

Put in to bat, the hosts did not make the best of starts with Shaan Khan being caught at the wicket by Robin Pritchard for six with the total on 15.

However, Waqas Hussain and Feroz Baig added 60 for the second wicket, with the former the more dominant partner.

After Baig had been stumped by Pritchard for 19, Hussain and Lloyd Patermott continued to push the score along and moved on to 126 before Hussain was trapped lbw by Duncan Maddinson for 76.

The Berkshire county star faced 106 balls, hitting two 6s and eight 4s.

Both Patermott and Shahid Yousaf reached their half-centuries, only to fall shortly aftewards.

The former went for 53 (off 79 deliveries) and Yousaf for 52 (44) with Shelvin Gumbs being the bowler on both occasions.

Slough looked well placed at 202-5 but, in trying to push the score along, the lower order batsmen were dismissed cheaply.

Skipper Bobby Sher, who had missed the Reading game, lasted only two balls before being trapped lbw by Gumbs for a duck as the last five wickets fell for the addition of only 29 runs, leaving Slough all out for 221 off 50 overs.

Gumbs, whose family have strong links with the Slough club, finished with 4-41 off 10 overs, while Tring skipper Michael Payne produced even better figures of 10-2-33-4.

While Khan failed with the bat, he was more successful with the ball, taking two quick wickets.

And, wWith Raja Nawaz also striking early, Slough had their relegation-threatened opponents in big trouble at 17-3.

Payne and Gumbs worked hard to improve the Hertfordshire side’s position, and the Buckinghamshire county team duo lifted the total to 75 before the latter was bowled by Yousaf for 34 after facing 46 balls.

Another 60 runs followed for the fifth wicket with the partnership being ended by Baig, who took a catch off his own bowling to send back Pritchard for 30.

Baig was also responsible for the dismissal of Maddison for 17 before the Tring innings ended on 189-6, leaving Payne unbeaten with a carefully-constructed 65 after facing 137 balls.

Khan finished with 2-29 off his 10 overs and Baig 2-45, also off 10, while the other wicket takers were Nawaz (1-15 off seven) and Yousaf (1-19 off eight).

Slough, with 20 points in the bag, remain fifth in the Division 1 table, 20 points behind Reading, the side immediately above them.

This Saturday, Slough entertain Horspath in their final home game of the season.

The Oxford-based side recovered from a bad start to hammer visitors Reading by 133 runs last weekend.

Naveed Akhtar took seven wickets and Faisal Khan produced a tremendous innings of 117 not out for Slough 2nds, but they still ended up on the losing side in their Thames Valley League 2b game away to Wargrave 2nds.

Akhtar finished with 7-82 in Wargrave’s innings of 239-9 off 52 overs, with Luke Taylor bowled by Akhtar when just two runs short of his century.

Apart from Khan (117 off 135 balls), Slough batted dismally and were shot out for just 165, having been 55-5.

Khan dispatched 22 balls to the boundary but Omar Jamshad (17) was the only other Slough batsman to reach double figures.

Slough 3rds won by seven wickets at Purley-on-Thames 2nds to boost their hopes of finishing runners-up in Division 5b.

After dismissing the home side for 165, Slough reached their target in 37 overs.

Slough 4ths beat Chalfont St Peter 2nds by 27 runs to increase their chances of securing promotion from Division 6a.

Third-in-the-table Slough scored 290-6 in just 40 overs, and the visitors were then dismissed for 263 in 55 overs in an entertaining affair.