DATCHET took a major step towards sealing promotion from Division Two after hammering rivals Burnham by 148 runs.

The result saw James Morris’ men climb above Wokingham into second spot in the table with one game to play, the Oaks eight points adrift following their defeat to champions Buckingham Town.

Burnham skipper Fahad Raja elected to bowl after winning the toss, and they gained a relatively early success when Vishal Aeri was caught by the captain off Adnan Malik for 13.

Joe Thomas fell to Haveer Gandam with the score on 63, and the same bowler then took a return catch to account for Chris Peploe for 50, Datchet now 81-3.

A match-winning fourth-wicket stand of 150 between Jonty Jenner and Morris put the visitors in control, however, the pair taking the score to 231 before Morris was bowled by Sulaiman Javed for 62 from 67 balls.

Tim Alldis retired hurt after adding 11 from seven balls, and Jenner was then deprived of a century when he fell for a brilliant 96 from 99 balls, Gandam ending his innings with Raja taking the catch.

Ollie Birts was run out cheaply, but with Max Stevenson adding an unbeaten 16 from only 10 balls, Datchet closed their 50 overs on an imposing 281-6, Gandam the pick of the attack with 3-50.

Rizwan Nadeem made a breezy 26 from 29 balls at the start of the Burnham innings, but he was caught by James Rogers off the bowling of Tom Lambert with the score on 35.

Jarryd Wallace dismissed Gandam for a duck, and when Raja was caught by Peploe off Lambert (2-32), Burnham were wobbling on 65-3.

Adnan Shabbir became the first of Birts’ (3-33) three wickets, with Karan Kumar then falling fifth ball and Nehman Nadeem bowled to make it 108-6.

There was very little resistance from the lower order, with opener Omer Siddique carrying his bat for an unbeaten 42 as Stevenson (2-16) sent Burnham spinning to 133 all out.

Datchet will seal promotion if they beat visitors Harefield tomorrow (Saturday), while eighth-placed Burnham – whose survival was guaranteed with Dinton losing to Shipton under Wychwood – end their season at Dinton.

Slough CC

SLOUGH’s Division One title dreams seemingly struck a fatal blow as champions and new leaders Henley beat them by 54 runs.

In a game which if Slough had won would have seen them crowned champions, they made a dream start when Muhammad Haroon had England Under 19 star Jack Davies caught by Faisal Noor for one.

Matt Rowe (49) and Euan Woods (47) rebuilt the innings, however, although Ali Raja bowled Woods, with the score on 100 before Slough skipper Bobby Sher (2-49) repeated the trick to remove Cornwall captain Rowe to leave the visitors 126-3.

Shahid Yousaf (2-41) bowled Andy Rishton cheaply, but Richard Morris made a magnificent 78 to help Henley to 254-5 in their 50 overs.

Slough lost key man Conrad Louth for a duck – bowled by Tahir Afridi – and were right up against it when Daniyal Akhtar, Yousaf and Shaan Khan also departed to make it 63-4.

Lloyd Paternott (82) and Sher put on 59 for the fifth wicket, but when they both departed, the writing was on the wall with the hosts 123-6.

Haroon (29) led some brave resistance from the lower order, but with Woods (3-31) and the returning Afridi (3-25) bowling well, they were eventually dismissed for 200.

Slough – who are now six points behind the new leaders – must hope Henley slip up at home to Tring Park, while also securing a victory of their own at High Wycombe in order to pull off a final-day heist and a first title since 2006.