SECOND-PLACED Kidmore End kept up the pace with Thames Valley League Division 2a leaders Windsor after beating Maidenhead & Bray by 68 runs on Saturday, writes Richard Ashton.

The visitors won the toss and chose to bowl, but Jake Leach and Tom Sheldon made steady progress until the former was bowled by Henry Grover with the score on 37.

Jeff Sheldon fell cheaply and when his brother Tom became Grover’s (3-47) third victim, Kidmore were rocking on 62-3.

However, a fabulous 115-run stand between Guy Ashby and Jake Easton (49) turned the game in favour of the hosts, and Oscar Fountain kept the momentum up with a useful cameo of 26.

It was Ashby who dominated the innings though, continuing his fine recent form with an excellent unbeaten 92 from 128 balls. Kidmore ended their 52 overs on 246-5.

Maids started well and it was only on 56 that they lost their first wicket, Charles Rodger trapped lbw by Jeff Sheldon.

James Frost bowled Vijay Kalalbandi for two, but Faizal Aziz joined Cunliffe in taking the score to 137 until he was caught by Jeff Sheldon off the bowling of Ashby.

That prompted a major collapse, and once Cunliffe fell for 73, Frost (6-28) and Ashby (3-36) worked their way through the middle and lower order to dimiss the away side for 178.

Kidmore End remain two points behind Windsor, and visit the table-toppers in an important tussle on Saturday (1pm).

In Division 7a, Kidmore End 2nds had the better of their draw at Eversley 3rds.

Captain Chris Pigden (52), Duncan Grant (47), Callum Driscoll (38) and Greg Clark (30no) impressed as Kidmore declared on 244-6 off 44 overs, but despite Azhar Udeen’s 5-36, Eversley survived on 190-7.

Kidmore End 3rds suffered a bad day at the office as they were thrashed by nine wickets at Yateley 4ths in Division 9a.

Nine-man Kidmore were skittled for just 75, and it took just 11 overs for the home side to knock the runs off.