Highgate dropped back into the Division Two relegation zone after they failed to kill off champions-elect Finchley and were edged out by two wickets.

Defending a total of 224, the Shepherd’s Cot side reduced Finchley to 149-7, only for Keerthi Ranasinghe and Sunil Tailor to turn the match with an eighth-wicket stand of 61.

Highgate skipper Jake Sharland won the toss and chose to bat, adding 65 with Chris Arul before giving a return catch to Jake Milton (2-31) just one short of his half-century.

Arul (16) soon followed, but Sandun Dias blasted 72 from just 50 balls as he shared a century partnership with Muazam Ali (33).

Both eventually fell to Hassan Khan (3-36), along with Ed Foster (13), but Craig Gourlay’s swift 25 ensured that Highgate posted a challenging 224-6 from 45 overs.

Dias (3-48) struck with the second ball of the Finchley reply, removing Phil Hughes leg before for a duck, but the visitors recovered to reach a steady position at 126-3.

Dias captured the wickets of Khan (32) and Thomas Powe (0) and, with Robin Glassberg (2-43) dismissing Sumeet Sharma (53) and Jamie Powe (3), Finchley suddenly appeared to be in trouble.

But Ranasinghe went on the offensive, hitting 29 from 20 deliveries before he fell to Gourlay (2-47) – enough for his side to regain the impetus, and Tailor (29 not out) saw them home with nine balls to spare.