Southgate 199-7 (45 overs)

Jamie Jouning 41*, Phil Dunnett 34, Shiv-Raj Sharma 31

Eastcote 200-5 (36.1 overs)

Ravi Desai 4-43

Defeat in their final game and with Barnes achieving a rare victory on the same day, Southgate, sadly, ended up bottom of the league and were finally relegated to the third division of the Middlesex County League.

Yet again, with important players missing, this time bowlers, Southgate needed a total of 240 or thereabouts to trouble Eastcote with their host of teenage stars.

Captain Phil Dunnett (34) and young Shiv (31) batted well with the latter staking his claim for a regular 1stXI place next year. Jamie Jouning (41*) steered the side to a respectable total of 199 with some of his trademark drives through and over extra cover, but a final total of 199 was never going to be enough with the weakened bowling attack available.

So it proved, and although James Dangerfield made an early breakthrough and Ravi Desai (4-43) was his usual skilful self, Eastcote reached their target comfortably.

Dunnett, as usual, led from the front and bowled five steady overs with the new ball. A couple of catches went down but the result was inevitable.

A difficult season for the Club ended in disappointment.

If we had won the eighth game of the season against Enfield when victory beckoned so loudly, Southgate would have won 4 out of 7 completed matches at that stage and been 3rdin the league.

Thereafter there was not one victory to celebrate despite four very, very, close finishes.

All credit to Phil Dunnett for his dedication during his two years as captain.

He has made a considerable contribution and you don’t always get what you deserve.

Nonetheless, this season he was the team’s leading run scorer with 435 runs at 33.46 and, with 28 victims, the leading wicketkeeper in all three divisions of the Middlesex League.

Peter Jouning