ROBBIE Eason hit a brilliant unbeaten century as unbeaten Division 2 leaders Horspath stepped up their title charge with a thumping 99-run home win over Buckingham Town.

Eason hammered 126 not out – a club record for the league – from 154 balls to take Horspath to 260-5 after they had been put in to bat.

He dominated a first-wicket partnership of 111 with Jamie Stead (25), before the home side lost four wickets for one run.

But Eason, whose innings included two sixes and 19 fours, stood firm to share an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 136 with Adam Price, who smashed an unbeaten 75 off 53 balls with three sixes and 11 fours.

Jack Parish (2-23) and Will Thompson (2-29) bowled tidy ten-over spells for the visitors, but the rest of the attack were flogged to all parts of the ground.

Buckingham never got going as they were bowled out for 161 with spinners Rameez Raja, in his last game before returning home to play for Karachi, and Lloyd Belcher leading the way.

Horspath will be up if they win next Saturday at promotion rivals Amersham, who are now 15 points adrift in third following their surprise 50-run defeat by Thame Town.

Thame were indebted to an innings of 78 by the in-form Matt MacDonald for helping them reach 205 all out.

While Rob Viney (47) and Maduka Liyanapathiranage (35) were together, the visitors had a chance, but Hassam Mushtaq (4-28) and Adam Phippen (3-33) ran through the tail.

A ninth-wicket stand of 29 between Harvey Eltham and Freddie Simon enabled Oxford to scramble to a two-wicket victory at home to Shipton -under-Wychwood.

Shipton struggled to 148 all out inside 38 overs. Only Calvin Dickinson (43) and Joe Barrett (34) made significant contributions, as spinner Shami Mendis (4-35) and seamer Sam Fallah, (3-19) took control.

Oxford struggled against Craig Wood (3-25), Shaun Miller (3-27) and Anupam Sanklecha, before Eltham and Simon kept their cool to seal a win

Aston Rowant batsmen were in sparkling form as they rattled up 336-5 from their 50 overs at bottom club Cookham Dean.

Opener Andrew Tolson set the tone with 85 from 83 balls

Skipper Josh Smith and Chris Watling then put on 167 for the fourth wicket. Smith was unbeaten with 92 from 89 balls with a six and ten fours, while Watling’s 77 came off 54 deliveries.

Cookham never looked like getting close and were 181-8 from 42.5 overs, when rain ended play, leaving Rowant comfortable winners on the Duckworth/Lewis method.