High Wycombe have been crowned the 2021 Home Counties Premier League, Division 1 Champions.
The final day of the season saw Wycombe start eleven points clear of their title challengers Henley, the side who had won the league on the previous three occasions.
The only two games that had anything, other than sporting pride, riding on them were Wycombe and Henley challenging for the Division 1 crown, with their opponents, Thame Town and Finchampstead respectively, the two sides battling to stay in the top tier.
Having won the toss, Wycombe skipper Dan Marles elected to bat first at Thame’s picturesque Church Meadow ground.
Eliot Callis brought a calmness to the proceedings as he stroked a classy century opening up for the visitors. The former Yorkshire batsman reached three figures from 119 balls before finally being dismissed for 112 having found Australian overseas Harvey Brennan (44) and Teddie Casterton (29) solid support.
Wycombe posted 256 for 9 from their 50 overs to put them in strong position at the break.
Meanwhile in Henley, the home side were dismissed for a surprising 146 against their Finchampstead opponents who were putting up a determined fight to stay up.
AJ Woodland took three Thame scalps in his opening spell while Finchampstead openers Gregory Smith (61) and Madhawa Fernando (50) were putting on 120 for the first wicket in their run chase.
Despite a wobble as Finchampstead lost five wickets for just eleven runs, including three ducks, their victory all but assured their survival and, in doing so, gave Wycombe the title.
Dinushka Malan made 53 for Thame as wickets tumbled at the other end.
Sam Parry also claimed three wickets, the final one being an excellent catch by Casterton to start the celebrations.
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There was contrasting emotions as Thame were relegated to Division 2 but their good young side will bounce back.
It was the first time that Henley (2017, 2018 & 2019 winners – 2020 No league played due to Covid) had not won Division 1 since 2016. It was Finchampstead who lifted the title that year, their skipper being Dan Marles, who again leads his side to the trophy in 2021.
2021 Home Counties Premier League Division 1 – Final table
Elsewhere, Banbury finished in third place just four points above Aston Rowant, who they lost to by three wickets on Saturday.
After being inserted, Banbury posted 174 for 9 with Lloyd Sabin (44) and Joe Thomas unbeaten on 33. Hayden Rossouw took four for 20.
In reply, Robin Pritchard made 43 not out and Oliver Shaw made 30 as Rowant produced a successful run chase.
Buckingham Town defeated Oxford by two wickets in a run fest at Bourton Road.
Michael Wells, who recently debuted for Buckinghamshire, made 97 before cruelly being run out by the bowlers finger tips backing up at the non-strikers end. George Humphries blasted 40 not out to get Town across the line after Adam King (34) and Shane Shillingford (31) batted well.
Earlier, Oxford posted 272 for 7 with Robert Craze (84) and George Tait (73) putting on 140 for the third wicket, with the visiting skipper Muhammad Ayub (70) making late innings runs.
Bottom side Tring Park won their second successive game as they defeated Datchet by one wicket at the Wally Gage Memorial ground.
Datchet skipper Joe Barrett made a 56-ball 68 runs as the home side posted 168 all out. Steven Clark took three for 14 and Jack Rodnight picked up three for 52.
The chase started badly as Tring’s top five totalled just 15 runs between them before Rodnight (67) backed up his performance with the ball to earn victory. Ollie Haley claimed five for 36 and Ben Brookes returned with three for 41.
