The HCPCL Fixtures Secretary could not have planned it better. The top four clubs all playing each other on the last day of the season with the top three all having a stake in the outcome and the fourth club having a major influence on that outcome.
Before a large crowd of home and away support, the stars aligned last Saturday for 2024 HCPCL Division 1 Champions, Henley, as they overcame leaders Finchampstead whilst Aston Rowant’s late challenge wilted in the face of High Wycombe’s spinners, evaporating entirely just minutes after Henley had retired to their dressing room. The team’s reaction on hearing the news from Rowant shook the very foundations of the Pavilion. Champions again for the ninth time of asking in a season in which inconsistency across the board has been the byword, no more so than with the new champions. Until now, in the era of Timed and 50-over cricket, no HCPCL Division 1 championship has been won with less than eleven victories. Henley managed it with just eight, whilst High Wycombe with nine wins were left to rue the loss of 9 points for fielding unregistered players. All the more remarkable is that Henley achieved what they did without anyone scoring a century all season.
Torrential rain on Friday brought a late start late with the loss of just two overs a side. Finch won the toss and may well have missed a trick putting Henley into bat. More than content to bat, Henley got on with the task and made a brisk start before a disappointed Archie Carter was adjudged LBW. In came Mikey Roberts and he and Johnny Connell moved up through the gears until disaster struck with 66 on the clock, Roberts bowled by Josh Pistorius and Connell caught behind. Now Henley had two new batters both on nought and just ten runs later, a surprised and profoundly disappointed Charlie Dunnett was trudging off, adjudged caught behind. He was soon followed by Matt Dalrymple who came up short of the long on boundary. Henley were 85 – 5, Finch had their tails up and the innings was taking a shape all too familiar this season. But a valuable 30 from Ross Richardson steadied the ship and although skipper Tom Nugent was brilliantly run out by a direct hit and Jon Denning could not produce his usual fireworks, a solid 14 by Connor Lamsdale allied to 16 from Adam Searle and 9 from Declan Farland, not to mention the third highest score by Extras (20) brought Henley up to 149, regarded by some at least as a defendable and competitive total in the chill and evermore dank conditions.
Finch needed a solid start but their challenge was as good as snuffed out by the end of the sixth over by which time, the scoreboard, glowing in the gloom, showed 13 - 5. Nugent steamed in with an extra yard of pace, James Isbell was caught behind off his first ball and Josh Pistorius adjudged lbw off his third. 0 – 2 became 10 – 3, Denning clipping the top of off to remove Tommie Predgen. Michael O’Donoghue’s middle stump was demolished by Nugent and Denning repeated the feat with Ben Salter. After that, things settled down a bit as Jed Crerar and Stuart Parsons tried to consolidate. But Nugent turned to Lamsdale and Crerar departed stumped, Henley ‘keeper Richardson signing off his season second in the wicketkeeper standings. Farland struck to remove Parsons and Samm Daniel was caught in the covers. Lewis Sharp was extinguished by Searle and a spirited unbeaten 25 by James Woodford came to nothing as the last wicket of Liam Bulteel fell to give Lamsdale three for the day and that was that.
And so, for the first, last, and only time this season and the only time it really mattered, Henley headed the Division. An excellent achievement by a what was a very much a new side in 2024, not a realisation of their potential by any means, more work in progress and a milestone along the way to future seasons full of promise.