Banbury's formidable batting line-up for once failed to produce the goods as they were held to a draw by mid-table Reading.

The home side were indebted to Tom Fray who held the innings together with an unbeaten 70 after they had lost four wickets for 67.

Harid Sana, with 50 from 54 balls, helped him put on 69 for the fifth wicket and then Zahid Saeed, with 40 off 46 balls, helped Fray add another 67 for the seventh wicket.

Neal Radford and Paul Hill were the pick of the Banbury bowlers, but the fielding was uncharacteristically sloppy at times, and Saeed's runs came after he had been dropped twice.

Chasing Reading's 224-7 made off 66 overs, Banbury's reply began badly as the first three, including in-form openers Andy Sabin and Craig Haupt, failed to reach double figures.

Although the middle order got the innings back on track, no-one managed to play a major innings, with Mark Barratt's 36 being the top score.

Radford and David Taylor shared a sixth-wicket partnership of 41 in five overs before both departed in the space of three balls.

Only one run came in the next half hour as Mark Rorich and Neil Megson were left with no choice but to stay at the crease for the final 18 overs, a task they achieved despite one or two alarms and constant appeals from the fielders.

At the close, Banbury were 163-7.

**Scores: Reading 224-6 (T Fray 70, H Sana 50, N Radford 3-48), Banbury 163-7 (54 ov, M Barratt 36). Reading 12pts, Banbury 8.