Slow left-arm spinner Paul Hill picked up his first Premier League five-wicket haul, including the club's first hat-trick at this level, to help Banbury to a tense victory over Reading on Saturday.

It keeps them in second place in Division 1 behind runaway leaders Finchampstead, who won again to stay a massive 83 points clear at the top.

After a delayed start for rain, Banbury inserted the visitors and struck in the second over courtesy of stand-in skipper Neal Radford.

Jon Perkins then got on top of the bowling with 37 from 42 balls, which turned out to be the highest score of the match.

Paul Hill took 5-30 for Banbury, including a hat-trick The introduction of Hill turned things in Banbury's favour as he struck with the last ball of his second over and the first two of his third.

Another wicket in Hill's next over left the visitors at 66-5 at lunch, and with Radford and David Taylor working through the lower order, Banbury were left 52 overs to chase 123.

Hill finished with 5-30 from 17 excellent overs.

Banbury made a slow start to their reply, before Tim Smith and Mark Barratt put on a bright stand of 28.

However, both fell in successive overs just before tea, and at 53-4, the game was well-poised.

Shahbaz Ali and Taylor put Banbury on top with a stand of 40 before a silly run-out saw the former become the first of five wickets to fall for 14 runs.

With 17 needed and 16 overs available, last man Jimmy Phillips joined fellow 18-year-old Ashley Pearson, the Stowe School captain making his debut, and these two steadily edged the score closer before Phillips's pushed single secured a nail-biting win.

READING

J Perkins st Smith b Hill...37

N Harvey b Radford...0

T Fray b Hill...17

B Mordt c Ali b Hill...3

S Patel c Smith b Hill...0

P Lansdale c Phillips b Hill...14

S Harrison c Smith b Taylor...0

Z Saeed c Smith b Taylor...15

M Simmons not out...14

D Hartley c Smith b Radford...14

G Edwards c Haupt b Radford...0

Extras...9

Total (45.2 ov, all out)...123

Fall: 1-2, 2-51, 3-60, 4-60, 5-63, 6-69, 7-91, 8-95, 9-123.

Bowling: Adams 6-0-34-0, Radford 10.2-2-21-3, Hill 17-6-30-5, Taylor 12-2-37-2.

BANBURY

A Sabin c Mordt b Patel...13

C Haupt b Hartley...7

T Smith c Harvey b Edwards...13

M Barratt lbw Hartley...18

S Ali run out...6

D Taylor st Harvey b Hartley...34

N Radford b Saeed...1

A Pearson not out...13

A Hill c Mordt b Saeed...5

I Adams st Harvey b Hartley...0

J Phillips not out...9

Extras...9

Total (9 wkts, 42 ov)...124

Fall: 1-17, 2-25, 3-53, 4-53, 5-93, 6-95, 7-97, 8-102, 9-107.

Bowling: Saeed 15-3-28-2, Hartley 16-3-36-4, Patel 5-0-28-1, Edwards 6-0-32-1.

*Banbury 25 pts, Reading 10