FINCHAMPSTEAD were left frustrated after Horspath had turned Saturday's Home Counties Premier League Division One match into simply a battle for survival.

Put in to bat, they were bowled out for 235 following half-centuries from Dan Lincoln and Oli Soames.

But despite three early wickets for Connor Corlet, Finch were never able to get themselves into a strong position, and the game ended in a tame draw with the visitors making 149-7.

It was a match that will not stick in the memory for long, although it will still go down in the Finch history books as the day they fielded three players who have played first-class cricket this season.

Skipper Lincoln is in Middlesex's Vitality Blast squad, Soames has played for Hampshire and Adam Dewes made three appearances for Durham MCCU earlier this year.

After Greg Smith had been bowled for 19, Soames and Lincoln came together at 26-1 and lifted the total to 120 before Lincoln departed for 52, which came off 58 balls and included two sixes and five fours.

Billy Rogers was bowled first ball and Dewes only made six before falling to Lloyd Belcher, who then dismissed Tommie Predgen for 11 before claiming the scalp of Soames, whose 72 came off 117 balls.

Ryan Bone (9) and Craig Hodges (7) didn't stay long at the crease, leaving their side 192-8, but that was raised to an all-out total of 235 thanks to Zac Jones hitting 26 and Corlet's unbeaten 16.

Left-arm spinner Belcher claimed 6-76 off 22.5 overs and Tom Cosford 3-66 off 21.

Aussie paceman Corlet shot out the top three Horspath batsmen for 19 to raise his side's hopes of going on to beat the side rooted at the foot of the table.

But from then on, the visitors showed no desire other than holding out for a draw and they achieved it without too many alarms.

They did lose further wickets to Hodges (2-29), Corlet (4-34) and Dewes (1-14), but Will Hawtin, with 33 from 101 balls, and Belcher, 13 from 58, stuck there until the end, with just 32 runs coming in the last 15 overs.

Corlet has now taken 17 wickets in his last five games at an average of 12.58.

Finch, who remain seventh in the table, are away to runaway leaders Henley this Saturday.

FINCHAMPSTEAD defeated Basingstoke & North Hants by 56 runs to win the Aylward Cup in the final played at Hartley Wintney last Thursday.

Craig Hodges hit 69 and Scott Osler 31 in their side's 168 all out after 15 eight-ball overs. Finch then restricted their opponents to 112-8 with Ollie Armstrong-Wood taking 4-23, making them the winners of the competition for the first time since 2005.