Paceman Chad Keegan’s instant impact for Oxfordshire this season has been recognised with the award of a county cap.

The 31-year-old former Middlesex and Sussex seamer only made his Minor Counties Championship debut for Oxon in the draw against Wiltshire at Challow & Childrey last month.

He picked up 4-71 in Wiltshire’s only innings, and bettered that by taking 6-54 and 1-31 against Devon in the 116-run defeat at Great & Little Tew.

Keegan, who plays for Worksop in the Bassetlaw & District League, also shone in last week’s draw against Shropshire at Whitchurch, taking 4-52 and 3-55, where the presentation was made.

Skipper Ian Hawtin explained that it wasn’t just Keegan’s bowling, which had earned him the cap, but his all-round approach to the team.

Paying his new recruit a glowing tribute, he said: “Obviously he has bowled very well, but it is his whole attitude.

“He gives 110 per cent in the field, but it’s also the way he has been with the young lads passing on a lot of knowledge and experience to Matt Taylor and Ashley Blanchard, who are getting a lot out of him. He is fitting in really well.

“You can see when he fields, he dives around and never shirks any responsibility.

“He is always prepared to bowl at any time and he has helped me as well and just been brilliant for us.

“He is just a genuine good bloke to have around.”

Reflecting on Oxfordshire’s rearguard action, which earned them a draw against Shropshire, Hawtin said: “We fought back and batted pretty well really, so it was a reasonable performance.

“We just let ourselves down in the first innings.”

That saw Oxon bowled out for 183, and Hawtin added: “We didn’t bat particularly well and there were a number of decisions that were a little bit controversial to say the least.

“It was not just in our innings, but in both sides’ innings.

“You can’t do anything about the decisions you get, but we need a bit more application in our first innings.”

Richard Kaufman set the tone in Oxfordshire’s second innings with a typically fluent 73, before Charlie Knightley (49) and Rob Williams (47) sparked hopes of an outside chance of victory.

With Jamie Perkin continuing his good form with 69, and Taylor batting well for an unbeaten 25, Oxon went on to secure the draw at 317-9.

“Jamie Perkin is a lad who has got the ability to play for Oxfordshire for a long time,” said Hawtin. “In the last couple of years he has improved his game.

“We bat all the way down, so that was good and young Matty Taylor showed great determination to bat for that length of time.”