ASTON Rowant saw their outside hopes of being crowned Division 1 champions dashed despite ending the season with a five-wicket win at home to Horspath.

Going into the final game 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 triumph at home to Tring Park saw them retain the crown, while Slough stormed to a 126-run win at High Wycombe to leave Rowant in the same position as they started the day.

Choosing to bat, Horspath, who had made sure of staying up the previous week, posted 223-4 from 50 overs.

Opener Robbie Eason top-scored with an unbeaten 71 from 148 balls with eight fours, while Tom Cosford made a fluent 66 from 60 deliveries, which included a six and ten boundaries, before Will Hawtin weighed in with 36.

Darryl Brown made 16 to finish taking his runs tally to an impressive 789.

However, he was pipped as the top-flight’s leading scorer by Henley’s Richard Morris, who scored a brilliant 138 in his side’s win to finish on 801.

Rowant slipped to 15-2 in reply, but George Reid dug in to make an unbeaten 85 from 132 balls with ten fours to steer Rowant home at 225-5 with 3.2 overs to spare, supported by Leo Bethell and Chris Watling, who made 33 apiece.

Oxford finished a disappointing season on a high note with a 131-run victory at home to Thame Town in a contest between the two relegated clubs.

Choosing the bat, the hosts were given a good start by opener Owyn Tong-Jones, who made a brisk 51 off 71 balls with eight fours.

But the innings was faltering at 137-5 before a run-a-ball unbeaten 72 by Shami Mendis, who struck 11 fours, lifted them to 239-9 from their 50 overs. Spinner Mike Higgs was the pick of the Thame attack with 3-42.

Once skipper Michael Beard was run out for 28, the visitors never looked like getting remotely near their target, before Chris Humphreys returned the remarkable figures of 4-4 from 22 balls to send them crashing to 108 all out.

Lloyd Sabin struck a magnificent 127, but that could not prevent Banbury losing by four wickets at Finchampstead.

After choosing to bat first, Sabin dominated the visitors innings, scoring a sparkling 127 from just 129 balls with 12 fours.

He shared a fourth-wicket century partnership with Richard West (62) as Banbury posted 268-6 from their 50 overs.

Finchampstead slipped to 9-2 in reply, but a third wicket stand of 123 between Greg Smith (630 and Simon Bell put them on the road to victory.

Bell, who finished 102 not out, then received fine support from Ryan Quinn (64) as the hosts got home with ten balls to spare.

An unbeaten 88 from Tom Price gave Great & Little Tew a seven-wicket victory at home to relegated Shipton-under-Wychwood in the last match of their Division 2 campaign.

The visitors, put in to bat, produced one of their best batting displays of the season, even though no batsman reached 50.

Craig Wood top-scored with a dogged 47, but a Shaun Cross (37), Ian Lewis (32) and skipper Anupam Sanklecha (31) all made starts as Shipton totalled 212-9 from their 50 overs.

Lawrence Brock, with three wickets at the end of the innings, finished with 4-42, while Robbie Shurmer kept it tight with 2-31 from his ten overs.

Lloyd Brock (30) gave the hosts a fine start to their reply, but the game was in the balance as they slipped to 83-3.

Tom Price then took charge scoring a scintillating 88 not out from 77 balls with three sixes and 11 fours.

He received great support from Joe White, who made 48 not out from 48 balls, in an unbroken fourth-wicket partnership of 130 that saw Tew pass their target in just the 35th over.

The victory meant that Tew finished fifth in the table, while Shipton ended a depressing season bottom of the pile.