HIGH Wycombe CC might be in the bottom half of the table, but they’re one win off top spot and captain Matthew Eyles says if they can stay there for the next six or seven weeks he’ll be quite happy.

Wycombe drew a high-scoring match with Tring Park last Saturday and further draws during the timed period of the season are almost unavoidable.

But Eyles believes if Wycombe can eke out enough points to remain within striking distance until the 50-over, win/lose format resumes on August 16 they will have a decent chance of their fifth title in a decade.

He said: “I think we’ve had the worst of the weather and we’re probably a win behind everyone else now.

“But we’ve just got to hang in there for the next four or five games.

“It’s very hard to win games in this format because a lot of teams play for a draw against us.

“But if we’re within striking distance, maybe 30 points, with about four or five games left then we’ve got a chance.

“That would be within range. We’d have a chance to capitalise on the win/lose format and I’d take that.”

Ironically, after bad weather hamstrung Wycombe’s start to the season, it was good weather that frustrated them on Saturday when the unbroken sunshine turned the London Road track into a batters’ paradise.

Between them, Wycombe and Tring managed 609 runs for 13 wickets.

Eyles top-scored with 116 from 110 balls, after Alex Morgan had plotted his way to 64 at the top of the order.

Gavin Baker and Adam Dobb then added 43 and 46 not out at quicker than a run a ball further down the order.

It all added up to 308-7 which, Eyles insists, wasn’t quite enough.

He said: “It was always going to be a tough day to force a win with those conditions but we’re slightly disappointed – we’re just desperate for a win.

“I think we were probably 20 or 30 runs light.

“We got enough runs not to lose the game, but a few more runs would have enabled us to set a more attacking field.

“We tried to keep the game open with attacking fields for as long as possible, but we had to be more defensive to make sure we didn’t lose the game because that would have been a disaster.”

Tring replied with Robin Pritchard’s 69 in 49 balls at the top of the order and Michael Payne (95) and Thomas Helm (51) kept them in the hunt until time ran out for both teams.

Eyles said: “They had a bit of a go at the end and it was close, but I think a lack of cricket showed with our batting and bowling.

“The bowlers looked a bit rusty from a lack of overs, and the middle order wobbled a bit.

“We played 120 overs on Saturday – we’ve probably not played that many all season.”

Wycombe host Harefield on Saturday.