Thames Valley Cricket League Division 4a: Hayes 241-6 dec (25pts) Beat Bagshot Ii 143 (5pts) by98 Runs,

A century from Steve Cooper helped Hayes strengthen their grip on the title as they beat Bagshot away to move 17 points clear at the top.

Cooper's knock helped negate the absence of Steve Forey and Keith Wallis, although Umar Farooq returned and Bob Cooper made his debut, helping Hayes set a target of 242 for victory.

That total looked unlikely when the hosts put Hayes into bat and they trapped Simon Green LBW second ball, Mike Green followed after making a quick 22, Ramneth scored just eight before being bowled and Bob Cooper was caught for nine to leave Hayes on 61 for four.

However, all this time Steve Cooper was slowly building a score and when he was joined by Chris Frost they dominated the bowling, adding 123 for the fifth wicket until Frost went for 55 with the total at 184. Cooper had already passed his 50 and he and Rex Kumar added another 57 for the sixth wicket when Kumar was bowled for 23 but Steve Cooper remained not out on 117 at the finish when Simon Green declared at 241 for six in the 50th over.

Bagshot suffered a similar fate early on as Hayes reduced them from 37 for one to 46 for five, with Rex Kumar taking four of the wickets, before a brief flurry of runs took Bagshot to 98 at which point Simon Green took a catch off Mike Green's bowling.

Two more wickets fell at 111 including top scorer Joshi (41), caught by Farooq off Mike Green's bowling. Nine wickets were down at 115 but last batsmen Atkinson proved a thorn as he and Budd kept the scoreboard rolling over and time was ticking on. They reached 143 when Green again forced a lobbed catch, this time to an injured Ramneth who had only just returned to the field following treatment for a back injury and Atkinson departed for 19.

Kumar (4-25), Mike Green (4-30), Claudius Way-land (1-49 and Tom King (1-13) got the wickets to keep Hayes on track with two games to go, although bottom side Chalfont St Peter, who are due to visit Wood End on Saturday,refused to play last weekend so there are questions over whether the game will take place at all. [25a0] The seconds scraped home by the skin of their teeth against high-flying British Airways.

Having bowled out BA for 89 led by Max Jason (3-12) and Sulamon Toor (4-17), Amin Muyassur top-scored with 16 as Hayes won by one wicket.