COOKHAM Dean CC are just two games from a history-making Lord’s final after they reached the quarter finals of the National Village Cup with a 70-run win against Shipton-Under-Wychwood on Sunday, writes Richard Ashton.

Captain and opening batsman Ben Millar led from the front with 55, and aided by Jake Richardson’s 61 and a hard-hitting 46 from just 23 balls by Simret Mangat, the hosts were able to posted an imposing 271-8 in their 40 overs – although they also benefitted by Shipton delivering an eye-watering 31 wides.

The Oxfordshire side’s reply began steadily, but with the required run rate rising throughout, there was an inevitability that at some stage something would have to give.

And that proved the case as Mangat (3-39) and Simon Foster (4-42) worked their way through the lower and middle order – with Tom Bibby contributing two stumpings – to eventually bowl two-time champions Shipton out for 201.

Cookham Dean will host Welsh side Miskin Manor in the next round on Sunday, July 25.

l ESWAR Krishnamurthy struck a superb 101 not out as Datchet beat Cookham Dean by 94 runs in their Home Counties Premier League Division Two encounter on Saturday.

Chris Peploe added 56 as the hosts totalled 256-5 in 49.4 overs, and the Berkshire all-rounder then took 5-46 as the Dean were dismissed for 162.

Patrick Castleden top scored for Cookham with an unbeaten 69, while the only other significant resistance came from Manish Chaudhary (34) and Yasir Qureshi (26) as Gareth Harte took 4-41 for Datchet.

Cookham Dean have slipped to the foot of the table ahead of a tough trip to table-topping Oxford this Saturday (11am).

In their Thames Valley League Division 4b clash, Cookham Dean 2nds (114 all out) were thrashed by six wickets at Fleet (117-4).

Cookham Dean 3rds took 25 Division 7b points after Marlow Park conceded their game.

In Division 9b, Will Sherriff took 3-29 for Cookham Dean 4ths as their hosts Hayes 4ths declared on 219-9 from 41 overs.

He also top scored – albeit with just 15 – as his side were shot out for just 82 in a heavy 137-run reverse.