MINOR COUNTIES CHAMPIONSHIP

OXFORDSHIRE need a strong batting performance today to beat Wales MC in their Western Division clash at Abergavenny.

The visitors will begin their second innings with a target of 226 after a topsy turvy second day’s play.

Both sides held the initiative at different times, while each put on more than 80 runs for their final two wickets.

Resuming on 118-3, Oxon slipped to 148-8 before Chad Keegan led their fightback with 50 off 42 balls.

His knock helped the visitors to 231 all out and a first-innings deficit of just eight runs.

The day then looked very good for Oxfordshire as they had Wales in real trouble at 123-8. But No 10 Jonathon Denning was the home side’s hero as his 53 not out saw them recover to 217 all out.

Denning and Dewi Jones put on 53 runs for the final wicket, which dented Oxon’s hopes and could prove crucial in the long run.

Lloyd Sabin top-scored for the visitors with 71, but could add only eight runs to his overnight total.

Jonny Cater, Richard West and Luke Ryan fell cheaply before Keegan led the recovery.

He put on 61 for the ninth wicket with Francois Vain-ker, hitting nine fours in a morale-boosting knock.

Keegan hammered four successive fours at the start of one Dewi Jones over, but the latter produced some batting resistance of his own.

Seamer Aneurin Norman returned the remarkable figures of 6-16 from 17.2 overs.

Sean Griffiths and Dion Holden made starts in Wales’ second innings, but they were pegged back well.

Left-arm spinner Vainker claimed three wickets, helped by a superb one-handed jumping catch from his captain Luke Ryan to remove Garth Davies.

Keegan claimed two close catches, while Richard Kaufman, the fourth spinner used by Oxon, took two wickets.

Denning’s 53 not out came off exactly 100 balls with six fours.