Minor Counties Championship

A late resurgence was not enough to save Oxfordshire from a four-wicket Western Division defeat to Dorset at Great & Little Tew yesterday.

The visitors had looked set to cruise in as they reached 176-1 chasing 254 for victory, but Oxon managed another five wickets before finally succumbing.

It was fitting that Somerset-contracted seamer Steffan Jones hit the winning runs with a straight four as he had been the game's outstanding player with nine wickets.

So there was no record for 49-year-old seamer Keith Arnold, who took one second-innings wicket and now lies a tantalising three wickets short of David Laitt’s mark of 670 victims for the county.

He will surely get another chance to pass it.

Dorset continued what they had started the previous night, and took Oxon's remaining three wickets for just 15 runs.

Ed Smith managed something of a breakthrough in removing Nick Park, but with Glyn Treagus (81) and Aaron Williams (71) at the crease, Dorset looked in command.

Even when Treagus fell to spinner Paul McMahon, there seemed little energy in Oxfordshire's fielding.

But two wickets in three minutes before tea gave the home side belated hope.

First, McMahon had Williams caught at short leg by Chris Sandbach, then Arnold trapped Nick Baker lbw with the last ball before the interval.

There was even some tension among the visiting ranks when skipper Tom Hicks was run out by McMahon at 212-5.

However, Chris Park and Max Waller steadied the ship, and although Park was caught at point by Shahbaz Ali off Daniel Rowe, the job was almost done.

McMahon continued his mammoth spell, but it was soon game over.

Oxfordshire had some good moments over the three days, but never quite recovered from losing six wickets for 16 runs late on Monday.

Their captain Ian Hawtin said: "It was disappointing. Our second innings was pretty poor.

"To have been 80-1 and then 100-7 on a wicket like that is just poor batting and a lack of concentration."

Despite this, Hawtin was hopeful his side could defend a lead of 253.

"I thought the wicket flattened out a little, so we struggled to find the right combination in the first hour and a half," he said.

"In the end, Arnie (Keith Arnold) and Paul McMahon were the two who could bowl on it.

"Arnie is still an excellent bowler at this level and that was shown in this game."