Oxford Downs blew the chance to climb off the foot of the table when they lost by two runs in a low scoring thriller with Oxford 2nd.

Downs were well set when they rolled over the visitors for only 139, with all six bowlers used enjoying success.

Joe Claasen’s 30 and the 17 wides were to prove crucial later in the day as Downs collapsed in disarray following a decent start.

Callum Biel took 3-31 and Claasen collected 3-34, and two run-outs sealed Downs’ fate.

  • Oxford Downs 7pts, Oxford 2nd 25

Tiddington conceded 263-7 at Great Brickhill, but just managed to cling on for a draw.

Doug Aris top scored with 68 for the hosts, while Matt Maule (4-69) shone for the visitors.

Tiddington put up a decent fight after tea, with Nick Pykett hitting 82 and Tom Rowley 61, as they reached 202-9 at the close.

  • Great Brickhill 20, Tiddington 7

Cumnor were shot out for 105 after electing to bat against league leaders Buckingham Town, but still made the visitors fight for their four-wicket win.

Wayne Platts continued his good form with 4-38 and Jack Parish took 3-15 as none of the home batsmen ever looked comfortable.

Town lost wickets to Andrew Russell (3-26), but Callum Price (45) produced the highest score of the match as the visitors made their way to 106-6.

  • Cumnor 7, Buckingham Town 25

Thame Town eased their relegation fears by beating Twyford at a canter.

Hassam Mushtaq took 4-26 as the visitors tumbled to 142 all out in 41 overs.

Thame turned the run chase into a procession, with James Crichton compiling an unbeaten 46 in their 144-3.

  • Thame Town 25, Twyford 5

Banbury 2nd veterans Neil Megson and Paul Hill batted out for a draw as the visitors put a dent in Wolverton Town’s title ambitions.

Put into bat, Town managed 179 before being bowled out. Atif Akhlaq (57) and Zahoor Malik (37) had laid the platform for a bigger total, but Olly Wright (5-35) and Hill (3-40) swept away the lower order.

Banbury never got going against Idrees Butt (3-27) and closed on 128-9.

  • Wolverton Town 18, Banbury 2nd 6

Horspath 2nd lost ground in the Division 2 promotion race when they were beaten by leaders Leighton Buzzard Town.

Andrew Roberts (74) and Harrison Ward (58) saw the home side to 215 all out, Tom Light (5-65) keeping them in check.

Graham Beer took 3-25 after the interval, but Phil Whatmore (65) and Chris Thompson (55) led Town to 218-5.

  • Horspath 2nd 9pts, L Buzzard 25

Cropredy are nearer the drop after losing at Long Marston.

James Beesley took 5-11 as the visitors crumbled to 103. Marston made 105-1 in 13.5 overs as Matt Shepherd (49no) and Beesley (40no) ran riot.

  • Long Marston 25, Cropredy 2

Leigh Lewis (61), Andrew Tolson (45) and Ben Knowler (31) helped Aston Rowant 2nd to 214 all out at home to Challow & Childrey.

Ross Packham’s (4-54) kept the scoring in check, and his efforts were rewarded when Ryan Gordon (64), Nigel Hill (61) and Justin Penrose (35) took Challow to 217-5.

  • Aston Rowant 2nd 9, Challow & Childrey 25

Manoj Parmar hit 101 not out in Bledlow Village’s five wicket win over Abingdon Vale.

Adam Mould chipped in with 50 as Bledlow edged home.

Vale prospered through Tom Price (32) and Amith Premkumar (31),while Jonathan Jenkinson got 37, but their score of 215-8 was not enough.

  • Bledlow Village 25, Abingdon Vale 9

Pip Webb and Sam Carter both scored 46 and Ben Orchard hit 56 not out as Cublington reached 200 at Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts.

Sanjay Vinjimoor took 3-23 and Arfan Ahmed 3-62 for Nondies, who looked set when Pablo Mukherjee (43) and Garry Adamson (38) were in.

But Greg Jenkins (4-47) sparked a collapse as Ahmed (42no) steered the hosts to 180-8.

  • Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts 10, Cublington 16

Great & Little Tew 2nd moved to the edge of promotion from Division 3 after handing out a thrashing to fellow contenders Didcot.

Tew chose to bat and made 191 all out, with Michael Darby (36), Kevin Taylor (33) and Jack Haggett (30) all making starts while Ian Demain took 3-47.

Lawrence Brock then took 4-23 and Josh Garrett 3-20 as the hosts were dismantled for 98.

  • Didcot 5pts, Great & Little Tew 2nd 25

Dinton 2nd opener Neil Roberts had a day to remember as he hit a magnificent 141 from 133 balls in his side’s 307-7 declared at morning leaders Sandford St Martin.

He added 189 for the third wicket with Phil Gregory (63) as only Tom Goffe (3-45) did much to stop the carnage.

Sandford then reached 252-5 through Tim Lowe (65) and Colin Simpson (49no).

Dinton were docked five points for failing to provide a scorer.

  • Sandford St Martin 8, Dinton 2nd 11

Ollie Murrey took 5-43 as Banbury 3rd restricted Bicester & North Oxford to 201-8.

Graham Savin hit 50 and Joe Moorman 43.

The hosts then struggled against Jack Hobbs (5-44) and limped to 137-7, Will Hawtin top-scoring with 46.

  • Banbury 3rd 5, Bicester & North Oxford 17

Alex Barras took 4-47 for Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd, who dismissed Bletchley Town for 151.

Tim Senior then scored 57 and with Jeremy Kirby (37) and Paul Hemming (32) took Shipton to 155-3 in 31.2 overs.

  • Bletchley Town 5, Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd 25

Oxford Downs 2nd had no answer to Richard Pengelly (5-48) as they succumbed for only 99 at Buckingham Town 2nd. Earlier the hosts had been held to 155 by Nick Rivett (3-22) and Gus Watts (3-24).

  • Buckingham Town 2nd 25, Oxford Downs 2nd 5

Young all-rounder Matthew Warner showed why he is being chased by so many local clubs by producing another fine performance for Kingston Bagpuize in Division 4.

Oxford Mail:

  • Dave Warner in action for Kingston Bagpuize

Warner turned down various offers to move during the winter, but Kingston will surely struggle to hold on to the league’s leading wicket taker for much longer.

Against East Oxford he hit an unbeaten 60 from 61 balls and then took 4-58 from 13 overs as his side dominated throughout but could not force the win.

Kingston won the toss and made a good start through Toby Ricks (84) and Warner’s father David (49), who added 139 for the first wicket. Their final total of 250-5 was never threatened once Warner had removed the top three East Oxford batsmen to leave the visitors floundering on 37-3.

But the home side’s lack of other bowling options was then exposed as Urfan Ahmed hit a painstaking 43 not out from 97 balls in his team’s 137-5.

Neither side is yet out of relegation danger, although one more win from the remaining four matches would probably be enough.

Scott Harris took 7-16 in 15.2 overs as Blewbury & Wallingford crushed Witney Mills to all but secure a top-two finish.

Charlie Sutton claimed 3-40 as Mills were ousted for 59.

Mark Carey then hit an unbeaten 30 as the hosts reached 60-1 from 14 overs.

  • Blewbury & Wallingford 25pts, Witney Mills 1

Horley won in similar fashion and now need only ten points from four matches to guarantee a promotion place.

Pete Papenfus (3-25) and Dave Eaton (3-38) did the damage as visitors Great Brickhill 2nd were dismissed for 95. Steve Palmer (46) then helped Horley to 96-3.

  • Horley 25, Great Brickhill 2nd 3

Andy Smith took 5-20 from ten overs and Greg Cooper pouched 3-15 to send Bledlow Ridge from 60-1 to 128 all out.

Leighton Buzzard Town 2nd openers Andy Smith (45) and Riaan Krynauw (30) put Town in command, and despite a wobble induced by Geoff Tombs (4-33) the home side made 129-6.

  • Leighton Buzzard T 2nd 25, Bledlow Ridge 7

Neil Davies hit 51 and Bradley Rose took 4-39 in Chearsley’s 186-9 at Kimble.

The home side struggled after tea and closed on 111-9.

  • Kimble 5, Chearsley 18

Oliver Price took 4-15 and Graham Charlesworth claimed 3-16 to bowl Abingdon Vale 2nd to victory against Bledlow Village 2nd.

Only Ed Furniss (44) put up much resistance as Bledlow were blown away for 105.

Earlier Rob Hood had hit 41 and Tom Pollard 35 in Vale’s 194-7.

  • Abingdon Vale 2nd 25, Bledlow Village 2nd 4

Nabeel Khan hit a fine 106 in Oxford 3rd’s 204 all out against Cumnor 2nd, but still finished on the losing side.

Dave Ackland took 5-51 for the visitors and then watched Joe Dale (50), Joel Washburn-Calcutt (40) and Jamie Douglas (36) take them to 208-5.

  • Oxford 3rd 9, Cumnor 2nd 25

Chris Penny (4-63) helped Thame Town 2nd dismiss Tiddington 2nd for only 129.

Guy Holmes then hit 51 as Thame eased to 130-5, despite a fine spell from Merlin Vaughan (4-59).

  • Tiddington 2nd 6, Thame T 2nd 25

Twyford 2nd racked up 262 all out from 45 overs against Didcot 2nd, with Lee Hodges (51) and Ed Selby Lowndes (46) among those in the runs.

Viraj Perera (3-24) and Tim Allen (3-55) shared most of the wickets.

Selby Lowndes then took 4-9 as Didcot were reduced to 15-5 and eventually 83 all out.

  • Twyford 2nd 25 Didcot 2nd 5

Stefan Read took 6-50 and hit 33 not out from 19 balls in Stokenchurch’s three wicket home win over Brackley.

The visitors made 229 all out, thanks in the main to Michael Cartwright’s 68.

Arshad Latif smashed 78 from 62 balls for the hosts, Rob Cartwright (4-70) brought Brackley back in it, then Read won it.

Stokenchurch 25, Brackley 7

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