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| Lloyd Belcher claimed 41 victims. Picture: www.sportsshots.org.uk |
Belcher, who broke his own club record last week by taking his tally to 39, led by two from Tom Nugent going into the final round of matches. With Horspath's left-arm spinner bowling Tom Condon in his first five-over spell while the Henley paceman completed his ten overs with 3-34 as the champions bowled out Datchet for 149 the pair were tied on 40.
But Belcher returned to Horspath's attack to bowl Chris Watling for 49 and secure top spot - an achievement that is even more impressive considering Horspath were relegated with two games to play.
Watling's knock helped fire Rowant to 249-8 after they had elected to bat with opener Andrew Tolson hitting 73. Will Robertson made the breakthrough when George Reid edged behind to Will Hawtin for nine with 19 on the board, before Belcher struck for the first time by removing Condon for 12 to make it 43-2.
There was no keeping Belcher out of the action and his catch off leg-spinner Kyle Hopper spelt the end of Rowant captain Josh Smith after he had made 25 and put on 55 with Tolson for the third wicket. The Rowant opener completed his half-century before Hopper enjoyed more success with former Horspath player James Fitzjohn being caught by Tom Cosford to leave the hosts on 126-4.
Robertson came back to end Tolson's fine knock, which came off 106 balls and contained 11 fours, with Cosford again taking the catch to make it 155-5. Watling and Hayden Rossouw added 58 for the sixth wicket before Belcher claimed his all-important 41st victim of the season when the former was bowled around his legs.
Cosford then took two wickets in two balls by bowling both Rossouw, who had made 21, and Adam Muttitt to make it 219-8. However, Leo Bethell ensured the innings finished with a flourish by smashing an unbeaten 29 off 17 balls with two fours and two sixes in an unbroken ninth-wicket stand of 30 with Gordon Harris as Rowant posted a challenging total.
Hopper finished with 2-39, while Cosford picked up 2-42 and Robertson 2-53 to join Belcher as the wicket-takers. Horspath's record-breaking left-arm spinner's wickets this season have come at an average of 22.32 off a massive 257.5 overs, which have included four five-wicket hauls and season's best figures of 6-47 at home to Tring Park.
The visitors' hopes of chasing down the runs suffered an early setback when Dominic O'Connor was caught behind by Rossouw off Gordon Harris for six with 14 on the scoreboard. Fellow opener Tom Coleman then went for 13 to the same combination to leave Horspath 27-2.
Cosford continued his consistent run of form with some fluent strokeplay in taking the chief role in a third-wicket stand of 54 with Hopper. The big-hitting all-rounder made 45 from 31 balls with six fours and a six to cement his position as the club's leading scorer this term with 461 runs when he was caught by Reid off Fitzjohn, who then trapped Robbie Eason lbw without scoring to make it 81-4.
Six runs later, Stephen Green was caught by Smith as Fitzjohn claimed a third victim. Hopper and Hawtin moved the score on to 126 before the latter was caught and bowled for 21 by Dom Whatman, who repeated the feat with his next delivery to remove Mark Skelton for nought. Just three more runs had been added when Robertson fell to a catch by Watling off Fitzjohn to leave Horspath 129-8.
Skipper Will Eason, who subsequently announced he is stepping down after six years at the helm, made 11 before he was lbw to Reid with the score on 162. And Hopper was the last man out for a watchful 45 when he was caught by Tolson off Harris as Horspath succumbed for 164. Fitzjohn finished with 4-32, while Harris picked up 3-24, Whatman 2-43 and Reid 1-4.
The bonus points Horspath collected from the defeat saw them move above Slough at the bottom of the table to end the season in ninth place.
Posted by: Russ