SCOTT Harris claimed a superb six-wicket haul as Blewbury & Wallingford eased to a four-wicket victory at home to Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd in Division 3 of the Cherwell League on Saturday.

On a poignant afternoon, as the teams paid tribute to the late Witney Swifts stalwart Andy Fisher, Blewbury’s victory moved them up to sixth place, while Shipton also moved up a place out of the relegation zone.

Shipton won the toss and opted to bat first, but they were quickly in trouble as Harris took the first four wickets to fall in quick succession.

Reduced to a precarious 45-6 at one point, Shipton counter-attacked well as Anthony Prior-Wandesforde (57no) and Tom Swann (51) shared 95 for the seventh wicket.

Shipton eventually recovered well enough to set a competitive total of 178-9 from their 53 overs, Harris finishing with figures of 6-40 from 17 overs.

The total proved a formidable one for Blewbury, who only managed to scramble home with one ball to spare.

Mark Carey and Joey Edwards put on 39 for the first wicket, but they were soon reduced to 75-4 as Rob Panting and Jon Hartley made inroads into the Blewbury order.

A 93-run stand between John Shea (65) and Ben Denton (49no) broke the back of the run chase, but the hosts needed virtually every ball to reach the target with six wickets down, reaching 182-6 off the penultimate ball of the match to wrap up victory.

Blewbury & Wallingford 25pts, Shipton 2nd 9

DIDCOT maintained their promotion bid in Division 3 after a seven-wicket win at home to Horley.

Aiden Kammel’s 4-48 helped to restrict the visitors to 168 all out, Adam Webb top-scoring with 57.

Ian Demain then scored 54 and Simon Pritchard 31 as Didcot eased home at 171-3 in the 34th over.

l Didcot 25pts, Horley 6

Harry Bartlett finished one short of a century for leaders Bledlow Village as they eased to a six-wicket victory at home to Tiddington 2nd.

Andrew Willis (59), Patrick Knightley (53no) and Dan West (30) had helped Tiddington to a competitive 202-8 in their 53 overs.

But Bartlett hit 99 not out off just 88 balls to lead Bledlow’s reply as they raced to 203-4 with more than ten overs so spare.

l Bledlow Vill 25, Tiddington 2nd 8

Oxford Downs 2nd dropped into the relegation zone after a crushing ten-wicket defeat at Great Brickhill 2nd.

James Wagg was the main man for the hosts, returning outstanding figures of 9-65, taking the first nine wickets, only for Lawrence Armstrong to deny his teammate the opportunity taking all ten.

Downs were never likely to be able to defend their total of 149 all out, as the hosts raced to 153-0 in just 20.1 overs.

Patrick Sreenivasaprasad hit a spectacular 114 not out off just 69 balls.

l Gt Brickhill 2nd 25, Ox Downs 2nd 2

Banbury 3rd succumbed to a brilliant Stuart Brigden century as they lost by eight wickets at Cublington.

Finn Brabham (63no) and George Tait (37) helped Banbury set 196 all out, but the home side needed only 25 overs to reach 199-2 as Brigden smashed 114 not out and Kit Gordon-Stuart 60.

Cublington had a point deducted for a slow over rate.

l Cublington 24, Banbury 3rd 6

DIVISION 1

CUMNOR’S good form was brought to a shuddering halt as they were hammered by 111 runs at Twyford.

The home side reached 264 all out in just 44 overs as Bilal Afzal smashed 91 and Ben Curley a more sedate 30.

Young leg-spinner Jamie Curtis took 4-61 for Cumnor.

But despite Twyford failing to use all of their allotted overs, the target proved way beyond Cumnor, who slumped to 153 all out in the 39th over as Fawad Khan took 6-22.

l Twyford 25pts, Cumnor 7

Banbury 2nd condemned Aston Rowant 2nd to their second consecutive defeat as they ran out five-wicket winners.

Batting first, Rowant were all out for only 129, Hendrick Robyns top-scoring with 45, with Alex Shortt and Olly Clarke taking three wickets apiece.

Clarke then led Banbury’s reply with 49 not out, and, despite a mid-innings wobble, they eased to 130-5 at the end of the 28th over.

l A Rowant 2nd 3, Banbury 2nd 25

Long Marston went back to the top of the table after a thrilling eight-run win at home to previous leaders Dinton.

James Beesley’s 70 led Marston to 206 all out, before he then claimed 4-29 and Jeremy Smith 3-35 as Dinton were bowled out for 198.

l Long Marston 25, Dinton 9

Tiddington’s much-improved form continued as they easily beat visitors Leighton Buzzard Town by 98 runs.

Leading the way was Chris Goodman, who hammered a brilliant 118, while older brother Will Goodman chipped in with 57 not out, Tiddington racking up a huge total of 308-6 in their 50 overs.

Matt Maule then claimed 5-26 to help dismiss the visitors for 210, this despite a fine 87 from Jack Kempster.

l Tiddington 25, L Buzzard Tn 6

Horspath 2nd fell to a three-wicket defeat at home to Great Brickhill.

Robbie Eason hit 97 not out and Joey Todd 41 in Horspath’s 227-8 in their 50 overs, but Brickhill reached the target with eight overs to spare as Haydon Symmonds led the way with 87 not out.

l Horspath 2nd 8, Great Brickhill 25

DIVISION 2

OXFORD Downs took over at the top of the table, but made hard work of seeing off struggling Oxford 2nd by four wickets.

The visitors opted to bat first on what looked an excellent batting track, but were tumbled out in the 34th over for just 105 as Harry Sutton took 6-43 and Johnny Law 4-59.

Downs replied at a rate of almost six runs an over, but lost regular wickets along the way.

In the end, they were thankful to a classy 52 from James Ellwood as they reached 107-6.

l Oxford Downs 25pts, Oxford 2nd 7

Abingdon Vale inflicted a first defeat of the season on previous leaders Challow & Childrey by 16 runs in an exciting clash.

Amith Premkumar (59) helped Vale to 152 all out as the visitors struggled to cope with the bowling of George Trewby (6-50) and Olly Dimbylow (3-43).

But in reply, Vale’s rapid opening bowler Joe Butcher produced a superb spell of 5-55 as Challow were shot out for 136, Ryan Gordon top-scoring with 30.

l Challow & Chil 7, Abingdon Vale 25

Sandford St Martin moved up to third after beating visitors Cropredy by five wickets.

Saim Hussain (60) and Russell Beckett (58) shone for Cropredy, but they were all out for 178 as Tom Goffe claimed 5-16.

In reply, Sandford reached the target with more than six overs to spare as Henry Portman hit 75 and Mark Robey 47 not out.

l Sandford St Martin 25, Cropredy 8

Great & Little Tew 2nd were shocked by Wolverton Town, who moved off the foot of the table with a convincing 110-run victory.

The hosts set 238-9 in their 53 overs as Atif Akhlaq top-scored with 85, while Ian Bryan claimed 4-63 for Tew.

Only Josh Garrett (33) and Robbie Catling (32) really got going in Tew’s reply as they stumbled to 128 all out in the 36th over.

l Wolverton Tn 25, Great Tew 2nd 5

Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts remain in trouble at the foot of the table after a three-wicket defeat at Buckingham Town 2nd.

Nondies were all out for 197 off the final ball of their innings, Chris Day top-scoring with 56.

Atif Ali took 4-43 in the hosts’ reply, but they reached 200-7 with two overs to spare.

l Buckingham 2nd 25, Ox & B Nond 11

DIVISION 4

LEADERS Westbury succumbed to their first Cherwell League defeat as they were hammered at Witney Mills by 140 runs.

Batting first, Mills racked up 254-9 in their 53 overs as Adam Mayho hit 92 and Malcolm Evans 58, Charlie Harper taking 6-74 for Westbury.

For once, Westbury’s formidable batting order failed, in the face of an excellent spell from Ben Madden, who took 6-49 to send the visitors tumbling to 114 all out in the 29th over.

l Witney Mills 25pts, Westbury 5

East Oxford’s Johannes Jacobus bludgeoned a spectacular 153 to help his side to a mammoth 353-7 declared in just 46 overs at Oxford 3rd.

Ali Shah chipped in with 87 for East Oxford, who then ripped through the home side for just 88 as Atif Ali took 5-30.

l Oxford 3rd 3, East Oxford 25

Bicester & North Oxford continued their title challenge with a comfortable six-wicket win at Dinton 2nd.

Batting first, the hosts posted 230 all out, Ryan Biggs top-scoring with 57.

Alister Gibbins (73), Richard Simpson (52) and David Clark (51no) then shone for Bicester as they easily reached 231-4 to wrap up victory with more than 13 overs left.

l Dinton 2nd 9, Bicester & NO 25

Brackley defeated hosts Stokenchurch by 77 runs.

Mike Cartwright top-scored with 82 for Brackley as they set 225-9 in their 53 overs.

Rob Cartwright then claimed 4-13 and Doug Smith 3-21 as the hosts were all out for 148.

Stokenchurch 6, Brackley 25

Kimble beat Bletchley Town by five wickets.

Chasing a total of 173 after dismissing their hosts in the 49th over, Kimble got home off the penultimate ball of the 51st.

l Bletchley Tn 8, Kimble 25

D IVISION 5

BROTHERS George and Will Woodley helped Kingston Bagpuize to an 81-run victory at Banbury 4th.

Toby Ricks (54) and Will Woodley (50) helped Kingston to 210 all out in the final over, Daniel Bartlett taking 4-40 and Steve Partington 4-47.

Banbury had no answer to the Woodley brothers in their reply as they fell to 129 all out, Will Woodley taking 3-20 and older brother George 3-30.

l Banbury 4th 6pts, K Bagpuize 25

Horspath 3rd saw off hosts Abingdon Vale 2nd by six wickets.

Ceri Holmes (4-22) and Stuart Berry (3-12) combined to dismiss Vale for 101.

Luke Mitchell then claimed 3-30, but Horspath eased home at 102-4 in the 33rd over.

Horspath had five points deducted for failing to provide an umpire.

l Abingdon 2nd 5, Horspath 20

Joel Washbourn-Calcutt smashed 77 for Cumnor 2nd to help his side to a 12-run victory at home to Didcot 2nd.

Cumnor were all out for 232, Kunal Patel taking 4-57.

Didcot were always in the hunt, with James Bywater (42), Alex Rodman (41) and Jim Head (33) in form, but they fell short on 220 all out.

l Cumnor 2nd 25, Didcot 2nd 10

Leaders Thame Town 2nd were left clinging on for a draw at home to Bledlow Ridge.

Chasing the visitors’ 216-9, Thame lost regular wickets, and despite 55 from Richard Carr, they opted to bat out for the draw, closing on 197-8.

l Thame 2nd 10, Bledlow Ridge 16

Leighton Buzzard Town 2nd eased to an eight-wicket success at home to Chearsley.

Gareth Benger’s 4-23 helped dismiss the visitors for 127, despite Will Sawrey-Cookson’s 55.

Rhiaan Krynauw (79no) and Jacob Turley (38no) then saw the hosts home in the 35th over.

l L Buzzard Tn 2nd 25, Chearsley 3

DIVISIONS 6-9