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| Robbie Eason hit 71 not out. Picture: wwwsportsshots.org.uk |
The South African all-rounder went into the final game on 773 runs - four behind the leader, Slough's Shahid Yousaf (777), who didn't play in his side's clash at High Wycombe. And Horspath's overseas star briefly topped the 'Golden Bat' standings despite making only 16 against Rowant to take his tally to an impressive 789, only to be pipped by Henley's Richard Morris, who shot up from sixth place with a brilliant 138 against Tring Park to finish on 801.
Horspath, who finished eighth in the table, having secured safety a week earlier, but Rowant had much to play for as they still harboured outside hopes of being crowned champions. Starting the day in third place and needing to claim victory while at the same time hoping defending champions Henley and second-placed Slough would slip up, Rowant knew their titles chances were a long shot.
And so it proved as Henley's emphatic 172-run home triumph saw them retain the crown while Slough stormed to a 126-run win to finish runners-up. Choosing to bat, Horspath posted 223-4 from their 50 overs. Openers Robbie Eason and Tom Coleman found runs hard to come by against Rowant seamers Wes Morrick and Leo Bethell, who made the breakthrough in the 12th over by trapping Coleman lbw for ten with 25 on the board.
Tom Cosford was promoted to No 3 and he scored fluently to put on 91 for the second wicket with Eason. Cosford completed a fourth league half-century this season, and had moved on to 66 when in attempting to hit a delivery from left-arm spinner Dan Moriarty over extra cover he was well caught above his head by Will Pendered. His runs came off 60 balls and included a six and ten fours. It took him to 375 for the season - the side's second leading runscorer.
Brown, who made a top score of 118 against Oxford this season and also hit seven half-centuries, then joined the resolute Eason and was getting into his stride when he was caught on the square leg boundary by Bethell off Dom Whatman to make it 150-3.
Eason went to his half-century and shared a fourth-wicket stand of 65 with Will Hawtin, who had made 36 from 35 balls before he became Whatman's second victim with Adam Muttitt taking the catch. Eason was undefeated on 71 at the close from 148 balls, which included eight fours, while Whatman (2-42), Moriarty (1-31) and Bethell (1-40) were the Rowant wicket-takers.
Horspath made an explosive start with the ball as left-arm seamer Liam Manley bowled Tom Condon for nought with the third delivery of the innings to leave Rowant 5-1. And the visitors enjoyed further success in the second over with Asad Rafiq having Andrew Tolson caught behind by Hawtin for nine to make it 15-2.
But George Reid and Bethell then took the score to 79 before the latter was run out for 33 by Stephen Green. Reid completed a half-century and added 69 with skipper Josh Smith for the fourth wicket, before the home captain was bowled by Cosford for 24 in the 31st over.
Despite tidy spells from Cosford and Jehan Mohammed, whose ten overs cost just 32 runs, Horspath were unable to stop Rowant forging towards the target as Chris Watling joined Reid to put on 63 for the fifth wicket before he was bowled by Manley for 33.
And the game finished with the rare sight of Robbie Eason having his first bowl in the league against old adversary Morrick, who hit him for successive boundaries to take Rowant to victory at 225-5 with 3.2 overs to spare. Reid finished unbeaten on 85 from 132 balls with ten fours, while Manley (2-42), Rafiq (1-19) and Cosford (1-36) picked up wickets.
Left-arm spinner Lloyd Belcher was out of luck on this occasion, but finished as the Horspath's leading wicket-taker with 24 victims followed by Brown (22) and Cosford (19).
Posted by: Russ