LEG-SPINNER Hassam Mushtaq took 5-33 as Thame Town sent Oxford 2nd crashing to 89 all out in their Cherwell League Division 1 opener to set up an eight-wicket win at Church Meadow.

The visitors’ innings spanned 40 overs after they elected to bat first on a good pitch, but none of the Oxford batsmen hung around for long.

Thame captain Mike Higgs (43) and Will Sutcliffe then showed that scoring quickly was possible as the hosts raced to 92-3 in only 15 overs.

Thame Town 25pts, Oxford 2nd 3

Tiddington opener Tom Rowley was left stranded on 99 not out but was still celebrating as his side cruised to a convincing opening day home win over Wolverton Town on Saturday.

The hosts won the toss and restricted Town, last year’s runners-up, to 160 all out from 42.4 overs.

Sam Hollingshead led the way with 4-35 as the visitors slumped from 66-1 to 102-7, while Matt Maule played his part by taking 3-34.

Rowley then hit 14 fours and two sixes from 116 balls after tea, only to run out of time to reach three figures, as Tiddington used only 40 overs in reaching 162-5 to seal a five-wicket success.

Tiddington 25, Wolverton Town 8

Veteran opener Andrew Sabin is back for another season – and back scoring runs for Banbury 2nd.

The left-hander’s 78 and Justin Lambden’s 39 swept their side to 199-5 and a comfortable five-wicket win at Cumnor.

Earlier Alex Shortt had taken 3-26 as the home side were bowled out for 198, of which Joel Washbourn-Calcutt contributed 72.

Cumnor 9, Banbury 2nd 25

Doug Aris (107) scored the first century of the season in the top flight in Great Brickhill’s draw at promoted Leighton Buzzard Town.

Jack Kempster (4-62) was the only home bowler to exert much control as Brickhill declared two overs early after racking up an imposing 272-6.

Julian Blackwell took 4-33 to leave the home side floundering on 88-5.

But Town fought back through Dave Roberts (54) and Dan Scott (40no), who steered them to 164-6.

Leighton Buzzard Town 5, Great Brickhill 17

Long Marston, last year’s Division 2 champions, rued their decision to field first at Twyford when the hosts amassed 296-5.

Jack Deal (70) and Bilal Afzal (48) got the ball rolling, before Nick Evans (74no) provided late impetus.

The visitors started well before Sam Roberts (4-45) induced a mini-collapse which left Simon Butler undefeated on 106 and Marston on 231-6 to finish with a draw.

Twyford 17, Long Marston 7

Division 2

An unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 94 between Luke Jones (48no) and Chris Warboys (36no) saw Challow & Childrey pull off an unlikely win at Bledlow Village.

Matt Bolton (51) and James Bacon (49) had put the hosts in charge, as they closed on 193-9 from their 53 overs.

Despite Hamish Matthews’ 53, Challow wobbled to 101-5.

But Jones and Warboys timed the run chase to perfection, clinching a five-wicket victory with ten balls left.

Bledlow Village 9, Challow & Childrey 25

Joe Butcher took 4-41 as Abingdon Vale claimed an impressive 42-run victory at Sandford St Martin.

Vale posted 192 all out, with Jonathan Cummings hitting a characteristically rustic 66.

Tom Goffe took 5-20.

The wickets fell quickly after the interval too, as Butcher reduced Sandford to 41-6.

Although Goffe hit 50, they fell well short on 150.

Sandford St Martin 7, Abingdon Vale 25

Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts slumped to a six-wicket defeat at Great & Little Tew 2nd.

Lawrence Brock took 3-40 as Nondies collapsed to 123 all out, before Jack Haggett hit 43 not out in Tew’s 124-4.

Great & Little Tew 2nd 25, Oxford & Bletch Nondescripts 5 Wes Morrick’s unbeaten 74 helped Aston Rowant 2nd beat visitors Oxford Downs by 108 runs.

The reply began well with Will Watts (34) and Will Sensecall (31), but Tim Foster’s 4-35 saw Downs all out for 99.

Aston Rowant 2nd 25, Oxford Downs 3

Mark Skelton (4-35) and Adam Krol (3-28) joined forces to dismiss Didcot for 165 as Horspath 2nd enjoyed an easy six-wicket win.

Aiden Kammel ran out of partners so was 53 not out.

Krol then hit 65 as the hosts reached 167-4 in 39 overs.

Horspath 2nd 25, Didcot 7

Division 3

Opener Andrew Stanley carried his bat as Horley were bowled out for an impressive 304 by visitors Bicester & North Oxford.

His 55 not out provided the anchor for quick runs from Dave Eaton, who hit 73 from 51 balls, Sam Pearce (65) and Dave Clark (34).

Ryan Moore finished with 4-72 from 12 overs.

Bicester were 79-4 at one stage, but clung on for a draw on 218-9 thanks in part to Rob Humphreys (66).

Horley 20, Bicester & North Oxford 9

Blewbury & Wallingford and Cropredy were two divisions apart last season, but were worlds apart on Saturday.

Division 4 runners-up Blewbury chose to bat but were rolled over for 73.

The visitors, relegated from the second tier, reached 75-3 from 20 overs for a seven-wicket win.

Blewbury & Wallingford 3, Cropredy 25

Steve Roberts captured 4-26 from 17 miserly overs as Oxford Downs 2nd dismissed Banbury 3rd for only 103 on the way to a seven-wicket success.

Hosts Downs were 27-3 in reply, but captain Jack Soppett (48no) seized the initiative and took his side to 104-3 in the 40th over.

Oxford Downs 2nd 25, Banbury 3rd 4 Steve Bates (70) hit more than half of Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd’s 136 as they crashed to a seven-wicket defeat at Buckingham Town 2nd.

The home side cruised to 138-3 from 38.4 overs.

Buckingham Town 2nd 25, Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd 5

Only late runs from Ollie Chaplin (37) and Neil Davies (28no) spared Dinton from further humiliation in a sixwicket loss at Cublington.

Tom Darling (5-24) did most of the damage, before a leisurely reply.

Cublington 25, Dinton 2nd 5

Division 4

John Ponsford (5-28) and Umar Ijaz (4-18) starred for Tiddington 2nd as Chearsley were rumbled for a mere 67.

Four wickets fell with the score on 53 in a dramatic collapse.

The visitors needed 21.2 overs to reach 68-3 and complete a thumping seven-wicket success.

Chearsley 3, Tiddington 2nd 25

Kingston Bagpuize found scoring difficult as they crept to 152-9 from 53 overs in a seven-wicket defeat at home to Stokenchurch.

Jamie Cox’s 36 came from 75 balls, while Paul Temple took more than two hours to score 24.

Ryan Gurton (4-27) was among the bowlers to keep it tight before he watched Majid Ahmed hit 51 not out from 67 balls in the visitors’ 153-3.

Kingston Bagpuize 5, Stokenchurch 25

Dan Swindells (61) and Pete Claridge (40) set up Witney Mills for a big score against Kimble, but from a strong position at 127-2 they slumped to 170-8.

Phil Semmens (4-35) was behind the comeback for the visitors.

A 116-run third wicket stand between Ben Mooney (75) and Jordan McRae (59no) set up a five-wicket victory, secured when they reached 171-5.

Witney Mills 8, Kimble 25

Ben Talbot’s remarkable figures of 6-5 from nine overs saw hosts Bletchley Town embarrass Brackley.

Only David Barnes (23), who took 6-44 in Bletchley’s 151 all out, made double figures as they were dismissed for 57, 94 runs short.

Bletchley Town 25, Brackley 5

James Aldridge took 6-30 as Great Brickhill 2nd cruised to a seven-wicket victory at home to Leighton Buzzard Town 2nd, who were all out for 134.

Great Brickhill 2nd 25, Leighton Buzzard Town

Division 5

SKIPPER Stuart Berry’s fivewicket haul bowled Horspath 3rd to a 28-run victory despite setting a vulnerable target away to Abingdon Vale 2nd.

The medium pacer took 5-13 from 9.4 overs as Vale were rolled over for 117 in pursuit of the visitors’ 145 all out.

Dan Jones had top-scored with 41 for Horspath, while the pick of Vale’s attack were seamer Dan Hartley (4-33) and Luke Mitchell (3-38).

Abingdon Vale 2nd 6pts, Horspath 3rd 25

Hassan Hussain also claimed a five-wicket haul, but could not stop Oxford 3rd losing by 98 runs at home to Cumnor 2nd.

Despite his 5-29, the visitors managed to post 206.

Chris De Verteuil contributed 57 and Jake Taylor added 48.

Oxford’s reply was hindered by excellent spells from Mo Chatterji, who took 4-40, and Adam Jones (3-22) as they fell well short on 108 all out.

Oxford 3rd 6, Cumnor 2nd 25

Thame Town’s fielders were on top form to engineer three run outs, but their match at Bledlow Ridge petered out into a draw.

Rory Spiers (55), George Grose (38) and Geoff Tombs (33) were all in the runs for the hosts, who reached 228-7 from their 53 overs despite the run outs.

In reply, Thame never threatened to seriously challenge their victory target.

Opener Andy Jinman (66no) dug in to steer his side to 120- 8.

Bledlow Ridge 19, Thame Town 2nd 4

Manzoor Abbasi (83) and Sarfraz Hussain (54) blasted East Oxford to 300-8 at home to Aston Rowant 3rd.

Rowant showed no interest in the run chase and closed on 107-4, with Jon Atkins on 75 not out.

East Oxford 15, Aston Rowant 3rd 4 Matthew Wareham took 7-27 for Long Marston 2nd in an eight-wicket home win over Twyford 2nd, who tumbled to 110 all out.

Wareham then hit as they eased to 111-2 after 20 overs.

Long Marston 2nd 25, Twyford 2nd 3

Divisions 6-9

Oliver Ong claimed 6-25 as Sandford St Martin 2nd beat hosts Wolverton Town 2nd by 42 runs in Division 6.

The visitors limped to 130 all out, with Wasim Fayyaz taking 7-47, but Ong’s spell ripped through the middle order as Wolverton were dismissed for 88.

Adrian White’s 6-19 was key as Abingdon Vale 3rd thrashed Brackley 2nd by eight wickets in Division 7.

The home side were dismissed for 59 and Vale took less than 20 overs to reach 63-2.

Aston Rowant 4th had one of the biggest wins of the weekend, crushing Banbury 5th by 193 runs.

Peter Holt top-scored with 39 as hosts Rowant made 219-9 from their 45 overs, with Sam Pearce taking 6-37.

Banbury had no answer in reply, taking 21 overs before they were dismissed for 26.

Junaid Mumtaz hit 100 not out as Tiddington 3rd racked up a 160-run victory at Oxford Downs 3rd.

Ellie Noble also hit 34 in their 245-6 dec, before Noble took 3-9 as Downs were skittled for 85.

Thomas Clayton’s 61 was key for Great & Little Tew 4th in a low-scoring game at Abingdon Vale 4th.

His knock ensured the visitors overhauled Vale’s 130-9, to secure an eight-wicket success.