So, in the end it was not quite enough. Second place in the Western Division was the best Oxfordshire could do, despite five victories from nine matches their most wins in a season since 1979 and despite their highest points total since the Minor Counties Championship began in 1895.

In another year the Western might have been won.

In fact, it definitely would have been in 1991 the last time Oxfordshire were divisional champions and in five of the subsequent eight seasons.

Phil Garner's side won three times in 1991 and topped the table with 100 points, but Rob Williams's class of 2000 finished behind Dorset with 124 points.

Play began yesterday with Berkshire 9-2 in their second innings, 18 runs ahead of Oxfordshire.

The home side soon lost nightwatchman John Emburey, the former England spinner popping up a bat-pad catch to Ben Thompson off the bowling of Ian Curtis. Oxon's hopes were high at this point, but they gradually subsided.

Last year, umpire Ross Wood scuppered Wiliams's men's chances of victory over Berkshire with some questionable decisions.

This time around it was Wood's son, Julian, who proved to be the thorn in Oxfordshire's side.

Wood Jnr and Tom Fray put on 149 for the fourth wicket to give the hosts the upper hand.

Requiring 251 to win in a minimum of 52 overs, Oxon lost Craig Haupt early on, but were in with a shout until they lost three wickets in the space of just 11 balls.

Patrick Jobson was out to the last ball before tea, Stewart Laudat a centurion in the first innings fell to the second delivery after the interval, and skipper Williams then holed out in the deep moments later.

When Ben Thompson was bowled by Emburey, the visitors were 43-5 and seemingly out of the title race.

But Charlie Knightley and Adam Cook hung around stubbornly, and when it emerged that Dorset were losing wickets chasing 304 to beat Wiltshire, Oxon began to suspect that they were back in it.

The necessary maths was done and an equation was formulated. If Oxon could reach about 130 or 140 for six or seven, and if Dorset lost at least eight wickets in the process of drawing with, or losing to Wiltshire, then Oxfordshire would almost certainly be Western Division champions. It was tense stuff, especially after Knightley had slashed a catch to cover.

But Cook and Ian Hawtin kept their wickets intact, only to find that their resitance had been in vain Dorset had got home with four balls to spare.

Keith Arnold's five-wicket haul in the second innings took his total for the season to 62 by some way the most in the Championship.