Binfield Cricket Club's 1st XI drew away at Theale and Tilehurst CC on Saturday 25 July 2026, James Muir carrying his bat for an unbeaten 74 across 126 deliveries to close out a Thames Valley Cricket League (TVCL) Division 2A afternoon in which Theale had earlier made 288 for 9. Binfield finished on 170 for 5 and remain top of the division.

A draw, my dear old thing, can be every bit as hard-earned as a win - and this one was quarried out of the Theale clay over the best part of a day. Sam Kennett won the toss on a warm Saturday, chose to field, and then watched his side spend fifty-two overs in pursuit of a very good home batting line-up. What followed was not a victory, but it was very far from nothing.

Theale were given a superb start by Rehan Akram, their captain, whose 62 came from 53 balls with eleven fours, and Waqas Ahmed, who occupied the crease for a hundred deliveries in making 49. Their opening stand of 103 was the biggest of the match. Thereafter Binfield fought back handsomely - Thomas Williams was the pick of the attack with 4 for 62 from fifteen overs, and there was a stretch through the middle where four wickets fell for 71 runs and the innings looked containable.

It was Baber Hussain who would not go away. He anchored the innings through every one of those dismissals, and his 88 from 74 balls - nine fours and two sixes - eventually steered Theale past 250, helped along by a thrillingly brief 36 from 21 balls by J Jackson, who struck three fours and three sixes before falling. Dylan Wood, it should be said, went for just 30 from his nine overs with two maidens and three-quarters of his deliveries dot balls. Good heavens, that is proper bowling on a day like that.

Two hundred and eighty-nine to win in forty-eight overs was always a tall order, and Theale's own attack made it taller. Akram and Jayden Viljoen opened up with figures of 2.56 and 2.88 an over, and Binfield had only 18 on the board after nine overs. Once Arno Hattingh was run out for 13, the question quietly changed from whether Binfield could win to whether they could avoid losing.

The answer was James Muir. He batted, and batted, and batted - 185 minutes, 126 balls, 74 not out - and around him the innings was held together in stages. Mac Dsouza was the one man who played with real freedom, 42 from 44 with five fours and a six, in a second-wicket stand of 70. Kennett then dug in for 24 off 68 balls in a stand of 59 that took nineteen overs, and although the captain's dismissal was followed two balls later by Ollie Lovegrove's golden duck, there were always enough wickets in the bank.

The last three overs produced seven runs, which tells you everything about the intent: Binfield were not chasing by then, they were closing the door. Baber Hussain finished with 12 overs for 26 and Akshay Balaji took 2 for 23, and still the door stayed shut, Muir and Elliot Coggins together at the end. Eleven points from a hard day away, and the 1st XI stay top of Division 2A on 246. A thoroughly satisfying way to not win a cricket match.