READING CC’s relegation from Division One of the Home Counties Premier League was confirmed on Saturday when their game at Banbury was abandoned due to bad weather, writes Dave Wright.

But it had been on the cards since mid-season when the only team they were able to beat were Harefield, who will be joining them in Division Two next season.

The loss of several key players, plus their main sponsor, had a devastating effect on the team that had finished fourth in the table last year.

But they are determined to halt their slide and not slip out of the HCPL completely like some clubs have done in the past.

Skipper Bobby Malik said: “We will be looking to do what Horspath and Oxford have done this year after being relegated last season.”

Horspath have already won Division Two and Oxford will bounce back with them if they win their final game this Saturday.

But Reading know if they are to follow suit, then there will need to be changes in personnel.

“We definitely need to strengthen both the batting and bowling,” added Malik.

“There are some talented young players at the club, but we need to bring in one or two people with more experience.

“Next year we will need players to show more commitment as availability has been a real problem and it is hard to remember when we were able to put out the same side two weeks running.

“It is easy to enjoy your cricket when you are winning, but not easy to accept defeat.”

Reading’s fragile batting was again exposed at Banbury before a storm came to their rescue.

Pav Chima (6) and Martin Andersson (27) put on 40 for the first wicket, only to depart in quick succession.

Raj Singh and Asim Zaka lifted the total to 74, but then Zaka (13), Amardeep Singh (0) and Jack Beaven, with a first ball duck, were all dismissed in an over from Luke Ryan.

When Singh was trapped lbw by Richard West for 16, Reading had lost four wickets without any addition to their total and the dismissal of Salam Malik (1) saw the collapse continue.

Bobby Malik (4) and Waqas Ahmed (2) took the total to 83-7 in the 35th over before torrential rain led to the game being abandoned.

Reading complete their fixtures at Sonning Lane this Saturday against High Wycombe, who are fighting it out with Banbury for third place in the final standings behind champions Finchampstead and Henley.

  •  READING 2nds – playing in Division 3a in the Thames Valley League – are in danger of emulating their first team by finishing second from bottom.

They did beat bottom club Eversley 2nds by six wickets last weekend after restricting them to 177-8 off 52 overs, but are 10 points below the side immediately above them, Yateley 2nds.

The final day of the season takes Reading to champions-elect Aldershot (12.30pm), while Yateley visit Eversley 2nds.

Reading 3rds, all out for 155, lost to promotion-chasing Boyne Hill 2nds by nine wickets with Najib Khan scoring 111 not out for the home team.

This defeat leaves Reading bottom of Division 5b and means they must beat fourth-placed Aldershot 2nds at Sonning Lane this Saturday and hope other results go their way, to be in with a chance of finishing out of the relegation zone.

Reading 4ths will finish in the bottom two of Division 8a after crashing to mid-table Bagshot 3rds by 157 runs.

They were bowled out for 143 (Stuart Moulds 61, Kishore Naha 28, Jack Wright 27) as they replied to Bagshot 3rds’ 300-3 (Richard Rowlett 146no).

Reading’s final fixture is away to third-bottom Kew 4ths this weekend.