High Wycombe Cricket Club got their Home Counties Premier League Division One title defence off to a fine start on Saturday with a nail-biting win over Slough.

The visitors won the toss and elected to put Wycombe into bat, a decision which would prove costly as an imperious batting display saw their opponents amass 345-6 from their 50 overs.

Indeed, Wycombe’s opening pair Gavin Baker (90) and Garth Davson (95) put on 202 for the first wicket.

The loss of Davson sparked a mini revival for Slough as they removed both Baker and Nathan Hawkes in quick succession to reduce Wycombe to 215-3.

A blistering 77 not out from only 48 deliveries, which included eight fours and four sixes, from James Benning meant Wycombe rarely looked like losing control of matters, despite none of their other batsman scoring more than 20 runs.

Steven Green was the pick of the bowlers for Slough with figures of 2-53, while Shaan Khan (1-65), Feroz Baig (1-46) and Zaheer Sher (1-33) all took one apiece.

Focus is, of course, vital when chasing a big total, but that is exactly what deserted Slough as a lacklustre few minutes undermined a strong start to their response with the bat.

Firstly, Waqas Hussain committed the cardinal sin of cricket as he was run out by Hawkes for 51 with his side on 99.

The error would be compounded in the very next ball when Conner Haddow trapped Khan lbw for a duck.

Haddow snared his next victim 17 runs later as he caught and bowled Shah, who had batted smartly for his 56.

Lloyd Paternot did not last much longer before edging to wicket-keeper David Crainfield-Thompson off Alan Duncan to complete a collapse from 99-0 to 122-4.

A brief rally allowed Slough reach 150 before the rot set in again and they lost Sher and Baig in consecutive balls to Duncan.

A 24 run salvo from Green was cut short as Uzair Amjaid bowled him to leave Slough’s hopes on the shoulders of Shahid Yousef.

It was a task he set about with some gusto with a classy knock 96 form 81 deliveries which gave his side a chance of snatching a draw if not a win.

That hope would be extinguished, however, as Amjaid had him caught behind to leave Slough on 272-8 heading into the dying stages of the match.

They would not make another run though as Amjaid removed Iklaq and Ali Raja for ducks to claim victory with only one ball remaining.

Amjaid’s 4-49 made him the most prolific of the Wycombe bowlers, while Haddow finished with 2-54 and Duncan collected 3-50.