CRICKET: Ban-buried!

Horspath were three down after only six overs, but Shahbaz Ali (50) and Pat Foster (44) saw them home by four wickets with almost nine overs in hand.

Horspath 25pts, Banbury 2nd 9

Jason Hunt hammered a quick-fire 85 to set up Shipton-under-Wychwood’s impressive run chase at home to Thame Town.

Hunt had already taken 3-77 in the visitors’ 230-8 before going on the rampage at the start of Shipton’s reply.

Ross Barrett chipped in with 38, and a four-wicket win was secured from the first ball of the final over.

The efforts of Sam Lachlan (3-53) and Mike Higgs (3-58) were therefore in vain.

Thame’s innings had been built around Deon Laubscher’s 90, while left-arm spinner Shaun Miller pouched 4-86.

Shipton 25, Thame 11

Oxford Downs won for the second week running to climb into mid-table. Victory at Leighton Buzzard Town looked unlikely when they were reduced to 94-7, but Mark Wingfield Digby’s 32 took Downs to 155 all out and gave them something to defend.

Tom Light (4-45), Alan Priestley (3-39) and Jack Kempster (3-41) shared the wickets. Lester Smart then bagged 4-13 and Richard Beer 4-22, but Kempster’s 49 left Town needing 14 to win with three wickets in hand.

However, they managed only two more runs and were bowled out with eight balls of their innings remaining.

L Buzzard 7, Oxford Downs 25

Philip Evans took 3-19 and Stefan van Dyk picked up 3-22 as Oxford 2nd restricted Great Brickhill to 161 all out.

Arran Aris top scored with 50. Oxford’s in-form batsman Alex Morgan then hit 36 to get the ball rolling, while Naeem Bardai struck an unbeaten 30 to steer Oxford to 162-5 from 36.2 overs.

Great Brickhill 8, Oxford 2nd 25

Twyford seemed well set on 115-3 in the 37th over after being put in at Buckingham Town.

But their innings fell away to 170 all out as a succession of batsmen got in and got out, with Jack Parish (3-35) and James Gear (3-42) sharing the spoils. Rob Large (87) and Ash Pearson (63no) turned the run chase into a procession, which ended on173-3.

Buckingham 25, Twyford 6

Challow & Childrey won a thriller at home to Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts on Saturday and moved above their opponents in the Division 2 table.

Nondies needed 11 to win from the final over, with experienced skipper Mark Strong and an injured Chris Day at the crease.

But they managed only a single before Strong was caught behind to hand Challow maximum points.

After electing to bat, the home side had started brightly through opener Ryan Gordon (31), but he fell in Strong’s first over and Nondies wrestled back control.

However, Challow plundered 41 from the final six overs, which was to prove crucial. Nondies played positively after tea and were well placed while Pablo Mukherjee (44) and Owen Venables (38) were together.

But the match was back in the balance after Mukherjee was stumped and then the big-hitting Venables fell to an outstanding catch on the boundary from a leaping Alex Lynch.

Nondies suffered another setback when Chris Day had to retire hurt, and they were left requiring 28 from the final three overs with four wickets in hand.

Day returned to the crease after the fall of the ninth wicket, but Strong perished to leave Challow celebrating.

Challow 25, Oxford & Bletch 6

Ashley Haw hit a magnificent 132 not out as Aston Rowant 2nd took out an impressive eight-wicket win at home to Cropredy.

The visitors had posted a highly respectable 228 all out, mainly through the efforts of Mitchell Darville (84) and Luke Cherry (45).

Dominic Whatman took 3-28. Rowant were 43-2 from 14 overs, but Haw was then joined by Ben Mills (36) and Alex Shoff (49no) as Rowant raced to 229-2 in the 40th.

Aston Rowant 2nd 25pts, Cropredy 7

David Dyer notched 111 as Abingdon Vale racked up 210 at Bledlow Village, the club’s highest score of the season by far.

Veteran opener Tom Pollard scored 37, while Mark King claimed 3-41.

The division’s most prolific batting line up then went up against its most miserly bowlers, with the latter coming out on top.

Adam Mould (47) and Charlie Downes (43) got starts, but seamer Graham Charles-worth (6-21) and spinner Paul White (3-42) worked their way through the card to reduce Bledlow to 136 all out.

Bledlow Vill 5, Abingdon Vale 25

Cumnor’s inspirational all-rounder Carl Thompson top scored with 34 and then took 5-70 to take the leaders to a 21-run win at Wolverton Town.

The visitors were struggling to build a competitive score against Zaheer Khan (3-22) before Thompson’s intervention.

He then joined Tom Ingram (4-47) in dismissing Town for 142 – which was still their highest score of the summer.

Wolverton Town 7, Cumnor 25

Tiddington are up to second after becoming the latest team to enjoy an easy win over Bletchley Town and so collect their fourth straight victory.

Matt Maule mustered 49 and Will Cooper hit an unbeaten 69 in Tiddington’s 181-5, which also featured another steady spell from Wasim Fayyaz (3-76).

Matt Shepherd then hit 67 for Town, but no one else made any runs of note in their 138 all out.

Sam Hollingshead continued his great form with 4-35 while Ian Pykett picked up 3-38.

Bletchley Town 4, Tiddington 25

Wes Bartlett, top-scorer in Oxford Downs’ first team, turned out for the seconds on Saturday and smashed 126 not out in their Division 3 clash.

He shared a winning opening partnership with Paddy Daniel (46) as Downs dashed to 207-1 in reply to Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd’s 203-4.

They are now top. David Bugge (72no) and Ian Lewis (50) inspired the visitors.

Oxford Downs 2nd 25, Shipton 2nd 5

Mark Robey (50no), Charlie Beeson (43) and Jim Howe (32) were key to Sandford St Martin’s 213-5 at Bicester & North Oxford, for whom Daniel Clark claimed 3-64.

Sandford declared two overs early to give themselves 12 extra deliveries after tea, but Bicester earned a draw through Mike Simpson (64) and Kevin Hicks (41).

Bicester & N Oxford 4, Sandf’d St Martin 17

Mark Skelton (4-17) and Mohsin Rana (3-21) were too good for most of the Bledlow Ridge batsmen, who were blown away by Horspath 2nd for 103.

Philip Brooks (53) scored more than half their runs. Steve Green’s unbeaten 30 took Horspath to 104-3 in the 23rd over.

Bledlow Ridge 4, Horspath 2nd 25

Banbury 3rd made it five defeats in a row at Dinton 2nd. Neil Spicer took 4-39 and Najam Rehman 4-40 as the visitors reached 143 all out. Ollie Clarke made 39.

The home side fared little better against James Risbridger (4-47), but Faisal Ali (33no) just saw them over the line as they reached 147-8.

Dinton 2nd 25, Banbury 3rd 10

Cublington won their crucial clash with Long Marston.

Marston were reduced to 80-6 through good bowling by Phil Rice (3-26) and Andy Lane (3-38), before recovering to 155.

Daniel Catt then hit 72 in the visitors’ 158-5 from 33.5 overs.

Long Marston 7, Cublington 25

Martin Shepherd hit a magnificent 142 not out to cement his place as the highest run scorer in the Cherwell League’s modern history.

Shepherd is the only batsman to pass 9,000 league runs since the Cherwell was reorganised in 1994.

His effort took Kingston Bagpuize to 220-8 at home to Chearsley and overshadowed Ken Baker’s fine figures of 7-64.

Matt Warner (4-32) and Ben Jefferis (4-36) then dismissed the visitors for 143, Only Neil Davies (50) showed any resistance.

Kingston Bagpuize 25pts, Chearsley 5

Didcot stay top after edging Buckingham Town 2nd.

Ben Stafford hit 51 while David Slade took 3-33 and Jordan Morrison 3-36 in Town's competitive 176 all out.

Ian Demain (47) and Simon Pritchard (32) then steered Didcot towards

177-7.

Didcot 25, Buckingham T 2nd 10

Wallingford were indebted to Ben Denton (64) for their 167 all out at home to East Oxford.

Ali Malik (4-37) and Ejaz Khan (3-40) took wickets at regular intervals.

The visitors then used only 31.1 overs in reaching 168-5, with Manzoor Abbasi (34) and Mursaleen Siddiqi (32) on song.

Wallingford 8, East Oxford 25 Horley reached 264-7 against Witney Mills, with Nick Tarrant (58), Jamie Abbotts (55) and Jon Hart (44no) shining.

Steve Kelly took 3-89 conceding more than his team scored, as they were out for 87. Darren de Bruyn bagged 7-14.

Horley 25, Witney Mills 3

Division 5 promotion-chasers Abingdon Vale 2nd and Oxford 3rd slipped further behind the leaders after playing out a draw.

Oxford’s 162-9 featured 44 by Mark Sheehan and 3-19 from seamer Jason Cardy.

Sam Chilvers (63) and Andrew Price (32) kept Vale interested, but Gareth Langley (3-18) and Mark Murfett (3-44) kept them to 143-8.

Abingdon 2nd 8, Oxford 3rd 15

Thame Town 2nd look doomed after losing for the seventh week running, this time at home to division leaders Leighton Buzzard Town 2nd.

Daniel Patey (41) and Guy Holmes (40) scored most of Thame’s 141 runs, while Gareth Benger collected 3-10.

Riaan Krynauw improved his average with 55 not out in the visitors’ 142-3. Thame T 2nd 5, Leighton Buzz T 2nd 25

Cumnor 2nd climbed into the top half courtesy of a win at home to Challow & Childrey 2nd, their third win in four matches.

Alex Kidd took 4-24 in Challow’s 134 all out, Harry Kent was left stranded on 42 not out. Harry Ackland (62no) and George Glew (54no) stuck around to take Cumnor to 135-1.

Cumnor 2nd 25, Challow 2nd 3

Spinner Bradley Rose (5-30) out-bowled dad Adrian (4-13) as Kimble dismissed Tiddington 2nd for 106.

Ben Mooney made 58 in Kimble’s 162, while Phil Wood (4-32) and Ben Smith (3-60) sparkled.

Tiddington 2nd 6, Kimble 25

Talented teenager Jordan Garrett hammered a magnificent 113 for Great & Little Tew 3rd against Cropredy 2nd in Division 7.

Garrett helped Tew reach 237-6, but they were unable to force victory as Cropredy hung on at 157-9.

Abingdon Vale 3rd suffered a seven-wicket defeat against Long Marston 2nd. Dennis Lanham top-scored for Vale with 42 as they were dismissed for 115, Conor Dale taking 4-25.

Long Marston ended on 119-3.

Paul Humphreys rolled back the years with a match-winning display for Aston Rowant 3rd in their Division 6 game against Brackley.

Rowant were bowled out for 133, Rob Timmis doing the damage with 6-33. But he was upstaged by Humphreys, who took 6-28 as Brackley were shot out for 76.

The unluckiest batsman was Richard Hart, who was dismissed for 99 playing for Horley against Shipton-under-Wychwood 3rd in Division 8.

Hart helped Horley to 246-7 to set up a 49-run victory as Shipton were dismissed for 197.

Kingston Bagpuize 2nd drew with Oxford Nondescripts 3rd. Harrison Ward (82) led Kingston to 187-7, while Nondies were 153-9 at the close after a spell of 4-28 from Phil Hickman.

In Division 10, fine bowling by Ben Cox (5-12) shot out Shipton-under-Wychwood 4th for 55 to set up a six-wicket success for Challow & Childrey 3rd.