DAN Lincoln was in cracking form at Banbury on Saturday, writes Dave Wright.

The in-form Finchampstead skipper smashed tiles on the clubhouse roof as he smacked successive sixes during his outstanding innings of 132.

He remains the top run scorer in Division One of the Home Counties League and now boasts an average of 96 from nine innings, three of which saw him unbeaten.

But his side just failed to win the match, setting their hosts a target of 296 and then having them nine wickets down for 267 with the last pair hanging on for the final 10 balls.

Lincoln had come to the crease after seeing openers Andrew House dismissed for 12 and Greg Smith for 26.

Lincoln and Adam Dewes lifted the total from 45-2 to 126, when the latter was caught for 52, his third successive half-century since rejoining the team from university.

Ryan Quinn was bowled for 13 with the total on 160 and, with just 15 overs remaining, Lincoln and Simon Bell knew they had to put their foot on the accelerator.

They did just that, the pair adding a rapid 97 before Bell was caught in the covers for 26, making it 257-5.

Ten runs later Lincoln's outstanding innings came to an end, having faced 156 balls, hitting nine maximums and eight fours.

Brother Josh also crossed the boundary ropes twice on his way to 20 not out off nine deliveries, with Tommie Predgen (8) being the other not out batsman when the innings closed on 295-6 off 64 overs.

Finch made a good start with the ball with Smith catching Lloyd Sabin (9) off the bowling of Rehan Akram and Darren Augustus having Ollie Clarke snapped up by Dan Lincoln in the slips for just four, with the total on 28 in the 11th over.

The experienced Craig Haupt and South African Qaasim Adams took the total to 82 before the former was bowled by Josh for 24.

Adams looked in no trouble as he eased to 61 off 47 balls, only to fall to sixth bowler Zafar Ali's first ball of the game, with keeper Bell taking the catch, making it 124-4.

John West and Chris Hill added 58 runs, a partnership which ended when Hill (34) was caught by Ali off the bowling of Josh Lincoln, leaving Banbury 182-5 with 14 overs remaining.

Josh Lincoln ran out Shazad Rana for two and Ali snapped up two more wickets, Steve Green for 28 and Graham Beer for five.

No. 5 Richard West continued to push the score along before being the ninth man out, being bowled by Quinn for 80, a knock that contained only one six and four boundaries.

However, the visitors were unable to take a further wicket in the remaining 10 balls and so had to be content with a draw, although gaining 16 very useful points in the process to keep them clear of the bottom two sides in the table.

In Banbury's 267-9, Ali finished with 3-29 in seven overs, Josh Lincoln 2-66 off 14, Augustus 1-37 (12), Akram 1-31 (7) and Quinn 1-36 (6).

Finch are away again this coming Saturday, visiting rock bottom Thame Town, whose only league win so far came at Finchampstead at the start of the season.