OWs Ross Buchanan and Sam Mendes (both 1983) starred as Oxfordshire over-50s B team completed a historic treble by winning the Southern Counties Seniors Championship for the third year in a row.

The team, which has only been in existence for three years, scored a 65-run victory over Bedfordshire in September to extend an impressive record of 34 wins and just three defeats against other county sides since their creation.

They become the first county side in history to win the Southern Counties Seniors Championship three years running.

Mendes was the second-highest run scorer, collecting an impressive 31, while Buchanan captained the side.

OWs Chris Hutton (1985) and Mike Barrow (1983) were also involved in the team, with Hutton forming part of the squad for the title-winning match and Barrow joining Oxfordshire for their tour to Barbados in the spring of this year.

After the match, Buchanan told the Oxford Mail: ‘We are all incredibly proud to achieve this victory wearing our County’s badge on our chests and dedicate this Treble to the memory of our manager Chris Bishop, who we continue to honour by playing our cricket in the same spirit as he taught many of us, hard fought and fully committed whilst showing respect to our opposition.

‘A personal heartfelt thanks must go to my talented squad of players for their passion and dedication to their team and daring to dream that the Treble was possible – it’s been a magical three year journey to achieve history together and we needed to be at our very best today to beat a strong Bedfordshire side.

‘Thanks also to the OCB and our sponsors Chadlington Brewery for their continued excellent support’