IT has been rather a long time to happen and even then it came rather unexpectedly, writes Dave Wright.

Finchampstead have at last registered their first Home Counties Premier League Division One home win of the season.

They defeated Buckingham Town in a nail-biting finish on Saturday after a low-scoring, rain-affected game by just six runs.

Finch were bowled out for just 131 and defeat looked on the cards when the visitors reached 62-3.

However, Dan Lincoln's men hauled themselves right back in the game, taking five wickets in the space of six runs, with Connor Corlet and James Woodford causing most of the damage.

But the game was back in the balance as the visitors rallied to 101-8 and then, in a tense finish, Zac Jones cleaned up the tail and Finch sealed a much-needed 25-point win.

It also gave them a double over Buckingham, who came into the game lying fourth in the table after a six-match unbeaten run.

The game itself hung in the balance due to wet patches following Friday's torrential rain and it did not get underway until 2pm, with the game being reduced to 43-35 overs.

The hosts, put in to bat, lost both openers, Greg Smith and Ryan Bone, for ducks, but Oli Soames (17), Billy Rogers (29), Toby Albert (21), Lincoln (26) and Josh Lincoln (11) all made reasonable totals before the last three wickets went down for four runs.

Several of the dismissals were down to the wrong shot selection and poor shots, while a couple were just unlucky.

But most of them struggled against the left-arm spin of Sri Lankan Tharindu Rathnayaka with Buckingham's new overseas recruit taking 7-46 from 15 overs.

With the visitors being given six extra overs, making it 41 in all, the odds looked stacked against Finchampstead, who have struggled to bowl sides out in recent games.

But they produced their most complete bowling performance of the season, with paceman Corlet and young spinner Woodford both being given long spells at either end.

Woodford took the first wicket and in the final over before tea off-spinner Rogers took over from Corlet and bowled Mark Hubert with his fifth delivery.

Buckingham progressed to 62-3 and still looked favourites to win. However, that all changed as Corlet and Woodford got to work with five wickets tumbling in the space of six runs.

Hampshire's Soames also superbly run out opener Leigh Tomlinson for 23, hitting the stumps as he dived down to stop the ball wide in the slips.

Jack Deal and Rathnayaka worked hard to regain the initiative and a stand of 44 threatened to turn the game back in Buckingham's favour.

But, with the total on 112, the Sri Lankan was brilliantly caught by Soames in the slips off the bowling of Jones and the same bowler trapped George Humphries lbw for six to end the innings on 125 in the 39th over, leaving Deal unbeaten on 28.

Aussie Corlet finished with 4-44 off 13 overs, Woodford 2-42 off 15, Jones 2-22 off 6.5 and Rogers 1-15 from four.

This coming Saturday, Finch are away to a High Wycombe side who are fourth in the table, two places and 14 points better off than Finch.

Finch will have home advantage when they take on Wokingham in the Bracknell KO Cup final this Friday evening and next Tuesday evening, they play Basingstoke & North Hants in the Aylward Cup final at Hartley Wintney.