STOKE Green returned to winning form in Division One this season after an eight-wicket victory away at Henley 2s on Saturday.

Stoke had failed to win in their two previous matches but the comfortable success sees them remain in fourth position in the league table.

Bottom side Henley won the toss and elected to bat first, the home side making 205 runs all out off 46.5 overs.

Captain and number four Charlie Homewood carried his bat through for an unbeaten 53 runs from 71 boundaries, which included five boundaries.

Opening batsman Chris Ellison (35) and Matt Dalrymple (38) put on 70 runs for the first wicket, before Cameron Jacobsen added 27 at number seven.

Zulfi Butt was the best of the six Stoke Green bowlers with figures of 4-40 from 8.3 overs, which included the wicket of Dalrymple.

Gagan Singh claimed the wickets of Alex Johnson and Liam Hilditch for ducks in his 2-29, while Faisal Yasin chipped in with 2-35.

The visitors reached 207-2 off 19.4 overs in response and for their seventh win in 15 league matches this season.

Opener Dan Simpson top-scored with 67 runs from 40 balls. His second half-century of the summer included 10 boundaries and three maximums.

Luqman Butt carried his bat for an unbeaten 55 runs from 37 balls, while Singh remained at the crease with 46* from 27 balls at an impressive strike rate of 170.37.

The pair put on 82 runs in an unbeaten third wicket partnership after Simpson and Butt had made 84.

The wickets went to Nigel Dunstan (1-39) and Jonathan Trist (1-57).

Stoke Green host second-placed Cove this Saturday (12.30pm).

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