CRICKET: Dredge was playing elsewhere

8:38pm Thursday 4th September 2008

Home Counties Premier League

One of the two players who failed to turn out for already-relegated Kidlington at home to Burnham in Division 2 West last week, was actually playing cricket elsewhere.

Tim Dedge, who along with Faisal Chaudhry was reported by the club to have arrved late due to a car breakdown, was in fact playing for Milford House 2nd in the Staffordshire Club Championship.

Kidlington took the field with only nine men, saying that the other two were on the way.

In fact, neither turned up before Kidlington's humiliating eight-wicket defeat by 2.30pm.

In fact, it was Chaudhry who travels from London to play for Kidlington, who was involved in the breakdown.

Because both were named on the teamsheet before the game, Kidlington were allowed to field substitutes for them, although they could not prevent their side suffering another depressing defeat.

For this week's final game away to champions Farnham Royal, Kidlington will be without Jamil Faruq and Nawaz Ali due to the Muslim Ramadan festival.

Dave Taylor was hoping to take the field with 11 players this week.

Skipper Rob Brooks has returned from his honeymoon in the West Indies and will lead Thame Town in their final match at Finchampstead.

Following last week's destruction of Wokingham, Thame require just three points to be safe from relegation from what has been a highly competitive division.

Indeed, Brooks said that he will be sorry for the club that finishes third from bottom in a ten-strong division and goes down.

"Some club will get relegated despite having played some great cricket this season," said Brooks.

Thame, themselves are at full strength with Luke Merry, who dropped out last week due to illness, also expected to return.

Kidlington (v Farnham Royal away, home): Shazad Rana, Howitt, Shahbaz Ali, Taylor (capt), Buckingham, Pearson, Liyanarachchi, Faisal Chaudhry, Kitson, Oliver, White.

Thame Tn (v Finchampstead, away): Brooks (capt), Parmar, Beard, Bhatti, Higgs, Meredith, Luxford, Mitty, L Merry, Lachlan, Hogan.