OXFORDSHIRE go into the final day of Ladies’ County Week hoping the presence of Claire Taylor can save them from a humiliating whitewash.

Taylor, a key member of the best-ever county side that twice reached Group 1 at the start of the millennium, will try to turn around the fortunes of a young side that have been outclassed all week.

Oxfordshire have picked up just two rubbers in four Group 5 matches this week, and go into today’s clash with Hereford & Worcester trying to avoid a 100 per cent record.

A 9-0 defeat to East of Scotland on the opening day was followed by a 9-0 loss to Northumberland, and then 8-1 reverses at the hands of Staffordshire and Somerset.

Captain Jo Love admits it has been a tough week for all concerned.

“We have a young team and we’ve been up against some good players,” she said.

“But we have all kept going and the girls have been brilliant, even though our results don’t show that.

“Hopefully Claire can help us on the final day, as Hereford have lost all four matches too, so we have everything to play for.

“We are all hoping that we can bow out with all guns blazing.”

Oxon’s men picked up their first win of the week yesterday, and are battling for a best-possible fifth placed finish in the bottom division – Group 8.

However, defeat against the Isle of Man today could see them finish in seventh place, meaning there is, in effect, just one county worse than them in the whole of Britain.

Oxon got off to a torrid start, losing their first three matches 8-1 to Shropshire, 7-2 at the hands of Wiltshire and 5-4 against Gloucestershire.

That meant they played in the bottom group – the eight-strong division splits into two after three days – with fifth their best-possible finish.

But a 6-3 victory over Cumbria yesterday will at least mean that they should now avoid the ultimate embarrassment of finishing bottom.

All three Oxon pairs won two rubbers yesterday, Paul Butcher & Christian Petersen, Jack Rooney & Dave Evans, and Chris Brewster & Nigel Matthews.