HORSPATH were unable to stop Harefield being crowned Home Counties Premier League Division 2 champions as they fell to a 45-run defeat at the Middlesex club.
The side shone with the ball to restrict the already-promoted hosts to 184-9 off 50 overs after they had elected to bat.
But batting has been Horspath's Achilles heel for much of the season and that once again proved the case as they slipped to 139 all out.
Paceman Justin Clarke was recalled to the side, and he got the visitors off to a brilliant start by reducing Harefield to 7-2.
That brought Nick Kelly, the league's leading runscorer this season, to the crease and he kickstarted the home side's innings.
He had made 37 off 36 balls, taking his tally for the campaign to 758 runs, when he was bowled by off-spinner Saqlain Choudhary to make it 53-3.
Putting the emphasis on spin, Horspath continued to hold Harefield in check with Lloyd Belcher accounting for Dan Ogden before the acting skipper ran out opener Matthew Ogden with a direct hit for a painstaking 25 from 110 balls to leave the home side 125-5.
However, the visitors were unable to dislodge Karanpreet Singh and he would go on to play a match-winning innings.
Amin Rafiq, Choudhary again and Imraan Manack, with a brace of victims off consecutive deliveries, reduced Harefield to 161-9, but Horspath were then frustrated as Tom Marshall joined Singh in an unbroken 23-run stand for the last wicket.
Singh went to his second half-century of the season before finishing unbeaten on 58 from 64 deliveries with five fours and a six. Horspath's bowlers could all reflect on tidy figures with the wickets shared between Clarke (2-24), Manack (2-30), Choudhary (2-36), Rafiq (1-27) and Belcher (1-31).
Dominic O'Connor came into the side for the first time this season to open the batting, and he helped provide some solidity at the top of the order.
He had taken Horspath to 69-2 with Pete Ades when the latter was caught by Jordan McLeod off Matthew Ogden for 27.
The visitors were still well placed at 105-4 in the 35th over when O'Connor was stumped by Singh off Ogden for a patient 40.
His dismissal sparked a dramatic collapse with the last six wickets falling for 34 runs to leave the home side celebrating their title triumph.
Matthew Ogden was the chief destroyer with 4-18 off 10 overs, while Jordan McLeod took 3-34 and Stephen Croft picked up 2-25 to take his wicket tally for the season to 40 - the second highest in the division.
Horspath slip two places in the table to sixth ahead of their final game at home to Great Brickhill next Saturday.
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