Oxfordshire seized the initiative on day two of their Minor Counties Western Division game against Herefordshire at Banbury.

Resuming on 146-1, Oxon eased past Herefordshire’s first innings total of 302 to be bowled out for 395 – a lead of 93 – before taking five wickets in the visitors’ second innings.

But Oxon will seek quick wickets this morning to avoid having to chase too great a target on a third-day pitch.

After Richard Kaufman’s blazing 90 on the first day, Oxon saw useful contributions from most of the top order, with Craig Haupt completing a half-century and Charlie Knightley hitting 43.

An assured 38 from 16-year-old Lloyd Sabin, and a quickfire 50 from Daniel Rowe saw Oxon take a sizeable first-innings advantage, and they then continued the good work with the ball.

Although David Exall dominated an opening partnership of 31 for Herefordshire, when he fell to Tom Geeson-Brown, the wheels started to fall off.

Two wickets apiece for left-arm spinner Luke Ryan and seamer Rowe saw the visitors slump to 108-5.

However, an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 65 between Ted Bayliss and Atiq Chisti steadied the ship.

With a deficit of 80, Oxon are still in the driving seat, but will want to see the back of Chisti in particular, who looks in ominous form.

l England have announced an unchanged 12-man squad to take on Pakistan at Edgbaston in the second npower Test which starts on Friday.

The selectors have decided on a safety-first approach with Ajmal Shahzad’s ankle, retaining his fellow Yorkshire seamer Tim Bresnan instead.