Finches season stutters despite Smith returning from injury
Slough (161-5) Finchampstead (160-10)
FINCHAMPSTEAD continued their stutter towards the end of the season with a comprehensive defeat against Slough.
Finches, who officially relinquished their Home Counties Premier League title last weekend, could not raise their game to see off Slough and have now won just one of their last seven matches, albeit two of those were abandoned due to the rain.
Captain Dan Marles made just one change from the side which tied against Banbury the previous week, but it was a significant one with youngster Tommie Predgen replaced by opening batsman Greg Smith, who made his first appearance since fracturing his finger in June.
Still chasing a top two finish, Finch lost the toss and were put in to bat first.
And that appeared to be an inspired decision by Slough as they claimed the wicket of Andrew House with the first ball of the innings.
The returning Smith quickly followed having made just eight, but Marles and Billy Rogers steadied the ship.
A tight run-out call saw the skipper dismissed for 25, leaving Finchampstead sitting on 51-3. But Rogers and wicketkeeper Simon Bell took the score into three figures before the latter was trapped lbw for 23.
Rogers then followed having scored 61, which triggered a batting collapse from 126-5 to 160 all out.
Finches got off to a good start in reply with in-form Matt Carter quickly removing opener Nabil Shah.
But that proved to be as good as it got with Slough patiently ticking off the overs to win by five wickets after 44 overs. Max Uttley (2-20) and Carter (2-27) were the pick of the bowlers.
Finchampstead, who now sit fourth, 20 points off second and only four clear of fifth, end their campaign at home to third-placed High Wycombe on Saturday.
FINCHAMPSTEAD batting: House 0, Smith 8, Marles 25, Rogers 61,
Bell 23, A. Dewes 16, Coetzee 13, Carter 3, J. Dewes 1, Woodford 0no, Uttley 0.
Bowling: Coetzee 0-29, Carter 2-27, A. Dewes 0-9, Marles 1-23, J. Dewes 0-35, Uttley 2-20, Woodford 0-18.