Sandun Dias struck his first half-century for Highgate – but it was not enough to prevent a home defeat against Barnes that tipped them into the Division Two relegation zone.

Dias top-scored with 67 as Highgate chased 250 for victory but, once he had perished, the innings soon folded and the home side fell 89 runs short.

Barnes won the toss and decided to take first knock, a decision that bore fruit as opening pair James Alder (20) and Alex Scott (28) reached 64 without loss.

Jonathan Bowley (2-16) made the breakthrough, having Alder caught by Jake Sharland, and that sparked a mini-slump as Will Brookes (2-37) removed Scott and James Drake-Brockman (1).

Bowley picked up his second wicket, dismissing Tom Smith for a duck and thereby reducing Barnes to 73-4, but Dean Bedson (61) and John Olive (70) swung the game back in the visitors’ favour with a partnership of 113.

Although Dias (1-36) finally accounted for Bedson, Mumtaz Habibullah (40) joined Olive and the pair steered Barnes towards a commanding total of 249-7 from their 45 overs.

Olive then opened the bowling when Highgate replied, inflicting further damage as he had the in-form Chris Arul (8) caught behind and bowled Sharland (10) to leave the home side in trouble at 27-2.

Muazam Ali hit a quick 16 before he fell leg before to Olive (3-31), but Dias kept his side’s hopes alive, building a partnership of 56 with Robin Glassberg (5).

But Glassberg departed, lbw to Richard Craig (1-24), and Scott (2-35) then dismissed both Dias and Craig Gourlay for a duck before Habibullah (3-31) swept through the tail.

Bowley (11), Brookes (20) and Freddie Barrass (0) all fell victim to the Barnes bowler and Alder (1-24) finished Highgate off for 160, dismissing last man Ed Foster (1) at the start of the 35th over.