READING gave title-chasing Henley a couple of scares before succumbing to an inevitable defeat at the Brakspear Ground on Saturday.

Against a team of Henley’s strength – even though they were missing two top players – the relegation-threatened visitors were always going to lose.

Yet early in both innings, Reading just hinted they might cause a surprise.

They took the first four Henley wickets for 66, but were unable to maintain the initiative and Stewart Davison and David Allaway led a recovery with a stand of 102.

Davison hit 70 off 85 balls with a six and 10 fours before being caught in the deep by Chris Dishington off the bowling of Sam Gemmill, while Allaway, bowled by Martin Andersson, made 55 off 132 deliveries.

The home side, missing in-form batsman Richard Morris due to illness, were eventually dismissed for 216 in 60.3 overs.

Bowling honours were shared by Andersson, with 4-41 off 16.3 overs, and Jack Beaven with 4-83 off 21.

There was also a wicket apiece for Bobby Malik (1-64) and Gemmill (1-7).

The Sonning Lane men deserve credit for limiting Henley to that total, but it still looked a decent score when their lack of batting strength was weighed up against Henley’s formidable bowling attack, albeit who were missing paceman Tahir Afridi.

Pav Chima and Qasim Ali, the Reading openers, started cautiously and edged their way to 30, and there was a chance they could build the foundation of a reasonable total.

But that did not prove the case as both were dismissed in quick succession.

Chima was trapped lbw by Tom Nugent for 15 and Ali was run out by Allaway for 16 to leave Reading 31-2.

So much rests on Andersson’s young shoulders as far as the batting is concerned and, having made a century for Middlesex 2nds earlier in the week, Reading were hoping for another decent score from him.

But on nine he edged a Gurveer Singh delivery to Nugent at gully and it was 47-3.

Teenager Gemmill went for a duck, caught by Davison off Nugent, and the same Henley duo accounted for Asim Zaka for 21.

Beaven offered some resistance, scoring an unbeaten 28 off 41 balls, but he ran out of partners with the 10th wicket going down at 135 in the 44th over, leaving Henley the winners by 81 runs.

Singh finished with 4-40 off 13 overs and Nugent 3-37, also off 13. Both bowlers were supported by some excellent catches and fielding, departments where Reading need to improve.

Singh and Beaven have both taken 28 wickets in the league this season, leaving them second and third in the bowling averages behind Finchampstead seamer Jandre Coetzee on 35.

Reading, who remain second from bottom of the Home Counties Division 1 table, are away again this Saturday to Burnham.

Reading 2nds

READING 2nds were just edged out by Falkland 2nds in their Thames Valley League Division 2b match on Saturday.

Having restricted their visitors to 210-8, Khurram Mahmood led a spirited reply with a fine knock of 59, but it wasn’t quite enough as Reading were all back in the pavilion for 207.

Reading, who remain at the foot of the table, are home to third-bottom Yateley 2nds this Saturday.

Reading 3rds

In Division 5b, Reading 3rds suffered a 125-run defeat at the hands of new leaders Bagshot 2nds.

With openers Geoff Young and Dan Sutton both making half-centuries, the hosts posted a respectable 258-3 before declaring after 50 overs.

In contrast, Reading lost their top two batsmen for a combined total of six runs and never recovered despite a knock of 35 by skipper Graham Cassie.

They were all out for 133 in 37.1 overs and slip down to eighth in the table, a position they will be looking to improve when they visit Maidenhead & Bray 2nds this weekend.

Reading 4ths

The Reading club’s best individual batting performance of the day came from James Spruyt, who made an excellent 109 off 115 balls for the 4ths in their drawn game with Datchet 4ths.

He and Stuart Moulds (58) added 139 for the third wicket with Reading going on to make 252-8 in 47 overs.

Datchet stuttered from 10-3 to 83-7, but an unbeaten 65 from Kanul Bajpal saw the visitors hold out for a draw at 172-8, Patrick Holmes taking 4-71 off 18 overs.

Reading move up to eighth in the table ahead of a home game with ninth-placed Royal Ascot 4ths on Saturday.