Oxfordshire's hopes of winning their first Unicorns Counties Championship title for 26 years ended in a humiliating ten-wicket defeat inside two days by Cumberland at Carlisle yesterday.

The Eastern Division champions dominated the first day, skittling Oxon for just 85, before further restricting them to 0-1 in their second innings after posting 170.

Oxon just forced Cumberland to bat again for victory after scoring 89, but it was only a formality as the hosts needed only five runs to clinch the title.

Heavy overnight dew once again caused the start to be delayed by over an hour, but Oxon were never at the races when play resumed.

Hugo Darby was bowled by Richard Gleeson in the third over of the day, before the fast bowler also dismissed Lloyd Sabin and Harrison Ward to leave Oxon reeling on 9-4.

Richard Kaufman was next to go, trapped leg before wicket by Toby Bulcock, as Oxon were staring defeat by an innings in the face.

A sixth-wicket partnership of 23 between Jonny Cater and Will Beer helped them to 36-6, but when the former, facing off-spinner Bulcock, came down the wicket, he was stumped by wicket keeper Liam Parkinson.

Jack Wilkins’ dismissal was a copy of Cater’s, and Beer soon followed with Oxon up against it on 52-8.

However, Chad Keegan and captain Luke Ryan looked to to take it to the Cumberland attack and put on 33 for the ninth-wicket.

Keegan hit 29 runs off 16 balls, including four boundaries and two sixes, before he was caught at mid-on by Gleeson off Neil Longhurst.

The all-rounder’s efforts helped Oxon to avoid an innings defeat.

And last man Karl Penhale also had the intention of scoring quick runs, but was caught at mid-on by Josh Tolley, off Longhurst.

Needing just five runs for victory, Cumberland took just two balls to clinch their second Championship crown with more than two days to spare.