Skipper Dave Ridgley was almost overcome with emotion after Aston Rowant’s nail-biting three-wicket win over Horspath in the Oxfordshire final of the npower Village Cup.

Ridgley played a key role in supporting Paul Plumridge in a crucial 38-run seventh-wicket stand as Rowant edged towards a thrilling victory with a ball to spare.

And after seeing Plumridge complete the job with an unbeaten 45 off 63 balls, he said: “I’m just over the moon. It was a very tight and tense game.

“I think we timed the innings quite nicely, although we lost a few too many wickets doing it.

“I’m so happy I’m nearly in tears. It is a long time since we have got through to the later stages.”

In fact, it’s 23 years since Rowant were Oxfordshire champions and now they face a trip into the heart of Somerset on Sunday, June 28 to face Ashcott & Shapwick, who chased down Wembdon’s 166-8 for a four-wicket win in their regional final.

It completed a successful weekend for Ashcott & Shapwick as they also went top of the Bristol and Somerset Division of the West of England Premier League.

However, they should hold no terrors for Ridgley’s men, who made the most of their second chance in the competition after being reinstated when Oxford Downs, who had beaten them in the semi-final, pulled out for fielding an ineligible player.

“I think we have got a good side who could go a long way in this competition,” added Ridgley. “Hopefully it is our year.”

He was full of praise for Plumridge’s effort.

“Both of us are experienced cricketers in this competition and ones won us the game here and not the big shots,” he added. “Well done to Paul Plumridge.”

Seamers Tim Foster and Paul Humphreys had earlier helped keep Horspath in check.

And Ridgley said: “Taking six wickets between them was the difference in keeping the score under 200.

“They bowl wicket to wicket and when incoming batsman are looking to force the pace, both are hard to score runs off.”

One area Ridgley knows his side must tighten up on though is the 42 extras – which included 33 wides – which they conceded.

“I was not happy at the amount of extras we gave away,” he said. “We deserved it, but congratulations to Horspath for the way they played.

“They are a very good side and they gave us a good game,” he said. “They are creating a strong side.

“Hopefully for them they will get past the Oxfordshire stages one year and we will support them as I’m sure they will support us now.”

Horspath skipper Robbie Eason vowed that they would bounce back as a stronger unit in future years.

It was the fourth year running the club has suffered the heartache of finishing county runners-up, but he denied that they saw it as any sort of hoodoo.

“I don’t think so,” he said. “We have enough character in the changing room and we will be stronger in the next couple of years.

“We will come back stronger from this experience.”

He felt his side just came up short on the day.

“It was a really good effort from everybody, but it was the same as last year in that we didn’t quite do enough,” he added.

“On reflection, we probably didn’t bat well enough – 180 was competitive, but we needed to get around 200.

“It meant we had to bowl really well. Ben Cook was superb. He bowled us back into the game, but Paul Plumridge batted well for them, holding the innings together.

“I wish them all the best in the next round, especially to Dave Ridgley.”

Eason also felt that the absence of all-rounders Mark Skelton, who was on holiday, and Dean Creed, who suffered an Achilles injury in the drawn Cherwell League game against Oxford Downs the previous day, hit their chances.