BINFIELD CC began their Chilterns League Division One campaign with a disappointing 48-run defeat at home to Taplow on Saturday, writes Richard Ashton.

The visitors won the toss and elected to bat but they suffered an early double blow, losing Darren Grist and Ben Dalglish to Alex Jackson and Tim Vines respectively as they crashed to 5-2.

Nagghi Butt and Habib Khan rebuilt until the latter became Vines’s (2-47) second victim, trapped lbw.

Saeed Bhukari (59) joined Butt in adding 98 for the fourth wicket, a stand eventually ended with the total on 149 when he became the first of Mikey Allan-Canty’s (3-52) three victims.

Taplow captain Simon Goodhram chipped in with a brief cameo and Javed Khan added 42, but the innings was centred around Butt, who went on to score a magnificent unbeaten 118 before the visitors declared on an impressive 272-6 after 45 overs.

The Binfield reply also started badly as Chris Morgan was trapped in front by Asif Khan with the score on 7, but Allan-Canty (47) continued a fine all-round performance by steadying the ship with Adam Marshall (56).

However, that pair departed along with captain Sean Ennis (20) as Binfield collapsed from 99-1 to 141-6, Rob Court (3-34) the chief destroyer.

Adam Carson became the first of Mohammed Yahiya Khan’s four victims to reduce the hosts to 171-7, but Vines (37) was joined by wicketkeeper Greg Simmonds (25) in taking the score past 200.

Any hopes of a stunning run chase were ended after Vines and Roberts Carson both departed with the score on 209, and when Simmonds edged behind off Yahiya Khan (4-37), Binfield were dismissed for 224.

Binfield visit Littlewick Green this coming Saturday (1pm).

In Division Two, Binfield 2nds endured a disastrous start with an eight-wicket hammering at the hands of Braywood.

James Sackley (23) and Kamal Gupta (17) were the only players to make it into double figures as Binfield were routed for just 51, and it took just 8.2 overs for the hosts to race to an emphatic victory.