It proved a frustrating day for skipper Jason Harrison and his Oxford team as they were unable to force a victory in their Division 1 match at home to Farnham Royal.

Thanks to an unbeaten 99 from Harrison plus a five-wicket haul from Stuart Hole, Oxford built up a winning position.

But they had to settle for their second successive draw as the visitors’ lower order dug in.

Asked to bat first on a pitch, where no batsman found it easy to score quickly, Oxford progressed sedately to 72-1 off of 30 overs at lunch, five overs having been lost to a rain break.

Harrison and Stewart Laudat took the score to 114 before Laudat was bowled for 23.

Nick Ferraby then joined Harrison and this pair added an unbroken partnership of 76 in 19 overs, the biggest and quickest stand of ther match.

For Farnham’s Aamir Wahdood bowled unchanged, taking 1-98 off 31 overs.

Harrison finished on 99 not out, having faced 198 balls.

There were only 16 boundaries in the whole of the Oxford innings.

Hole’s opening burst swept the Farnham Royal top order away.

He claimed five wickets as they slumped to 47-6 in the 128th over. An Oxford victory seemed assured. But they met stiffer resisitance lower down.

Paul Davis, with 22 from 96 balls, Syed Zaidi (three from 45 balls) and Aamir Wahdood (32no from 70 balls) frustrated the home bowlers and took their side to 108-8 by the close.

Hole finished with a brilliant 5-35 from 19 overs, while David Smith picked up two cheap wickets.