Finches secure league status with victory
High Wycombe (203-9) Finchampstead (206-9)
FINCHAMPSTEAD overcame the absence of influential captain Dan Lincoln to beat High Wycombe and secure their Division 1 status for another year.
Also a talented footballer once on the books of Reading FC, Lincoln missed out for Finch for the first time this season to play in goal for Bognor Regis Town for the opening game of their Isthmian League campaign, a 2-2 draw with Haringey Borough.
But two early wickets from stand-in skipper Craig Hodges put the away team on the front foot from the off.
Former Finchampstead man Dan Marles was next at the crease, but he was caught off the spin bowling of Josh Lincoln for 18. Fellow spinners James Woodford and Adam Dewes came to the crease and wickets steadily tumbled before the scoreboard read 83-5.
Hodges came back on strike and took his tally to three wickets while Darron Augustus led the charge with figures of 3-40 as High Wycombe closed on 203-9.
In reply, Finch got off to a fine start in Buckinghamshire.
Openers Dewes and Greg Smith put on an opening stand of 61 before the latter fell for 20.
Ed Oliver soon followed for a duck but debutant Mac Keast added 20 before being run out.
Dewes eventually departed after making it to 58 and the game was in the balance at 121-5 when Simon Bell was trapped lbw for a watchful four.
But Andrew House shaped the remainder of the innings, powering to 61 off 60 balls while Lincoln added 22 before a late flurry of wickets set up a grandstand finale.
Needing eight more runs to win and with no wickets to spare, House cracked two fine boundaries to see the victory over the line with four balls remaining.
Finch sit seventh in the table, 71 points clear of the relegation zone with just three games to play ahead of a home clash against leaders Slough on Saturday.
FINCHAMPSTEAD batting: Dewes 58, Smith 20, Oliver 0, Keast 20, House 61no, Bell 4, J. Lincoln 22, Augustus 1, Ali 2, Hodges 3, Woodford 0no. Extras 15.
Bowling: Augustus 3-40, Hodges 3-51, Woodford 1-27, Ali 0-8, Lincoln 1-39, Dewes 1-31.