RAIN ruined the Cherwell League Division 2 title showdown between Oxford Downs and Abingdon Vale – both both teams are promoted as a result of the abandonment.

Downs were 115-5 when the rain arrived, with Chris Sandbach on 49 not out and Tom Costley unbeaten on 31.

Henry Pickford claiming 4-41 for Abingdon, who will play top-flight cricket for the first time as a result of their promotion.

Vale have spent 20 of the last 23 years in Division 2, with three third-place finishes their best campaign before this one.

All other matches in the division were also abandoned, with all teams collecting six points.

ASTON Rowant 2nd’s Hendrick Robyns produced a superb all-round performance to help his side to a thrilling one-run victory at home to struggling Long Marston.

The win puts Rowant top of the Division 1 table with just one match to go.

In one of only a handful of games to avoid the torrential rain, the visitors put Rowant in to bat at Butts Way.

Only Robyns really got to grips with the conditions, hitting 59 from 70 balls before he was run out.

Rowant’s total of 176-9 from 51 overs appeared to be below par, particularly when Marston openers Simon Butler and James Beesley shared 65 for the first wicket.

However, Rowant kept chipping away, with Robyns taking 4-60 from 14.3 overs and Andrew Dyer 3-30 from 15 overs.

It was perhaps fitting that man-of-the-match Robyns secured Rowant’s victory, bowling Lee Beesley with the visitors one-run short.

Tiddington moved out of the relegation zone after a 67-run victory at home to high-flying Dinton, whose title hopes all-but vanished.

Tiddington were asked to bat first and racked up an impressive 248-7 as Will Goodman hit 71, Chris Goodman 58 and Matthew Johnston 48 not out.

Dinton’s reply stumbled, as young Max Smith reduced them to 2-3 with an excellent opening burst.

From that position, Dinton never really recovered, despite 88 from Mark Ludlow and 63 from Chapman.

Smith finished with outstanding figures of 5-17, while Nick Pykett claimed 3-37.

Twyford’s match at home to Great Brickhill was washed out with the home side struggling on 25-4, while Horspath 2nd and Cumnor both had their home matches washed out against Banbury 2nd and Leighton Buzzard Town respectively.

DIDCOT were crowned Division 3 champions after beating the rain to see off visitors Banbury 3rd by seven wickets.

Aiden Kammel claimed 5-30 as Banbury were shot out for 91 between the showers in the final first-team match to be played at the club’s old Power Station ground.

Didcot then took just 21.1 overs to reach 95-3, Elliot Matthews hitting 38 not out and Ian Demain 30 not out.

Bledlow Village will be runners-up after they saw off visitors Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd by four wickets.

Blewbury & Wallingford fell to a four-wicket defeat at Great Brickhill 2nd, but are virtually assured of finishing outside the bottom two.

Warren Ainsworth (55) and James Barrett (54) helped Blewbury to 186 all out in the 46th over.

James Casson then claimed 3-38 for Blewbury, but Brickhill reached 189-6 thanks to 92 from Lawrence Armstrong.

Oxford Downs 2nd remain in danger after an 87-run defeat at Cublington left them just a point above the drop zone.

Gordon Stuart (85) and Pip Webb (67) took Cublington to a mammoth 279-8 declared in just 39.1 overs, and Downs never got close as they were bowled out for 192, Jonny Meardon top-scoring with

52.

East Oxford moved into the second promotion spot in Division 4 after they saw off hosts Stokenchurch by three wickets.

Witney Mills’s outside promotion hopes were all-but ended as they finished on the losing end of a draw at Bletchley Town.

The hosts posted 205-9 in their 53 overs, before Mills struggled to 145-8 in reply.

The Division 5 promotion race will go to the wire.

Just one point separates Thame Town 2nd and Horspath 3rd at the top, with the rain hindering Abingdon Vale 2nd’s chance to take over as leaders.

Thame and Horspath drew their top-of-the-table encounter.

Horspath posted 211-6, with Graham Beer scoring 66 and Alastair Thomas taking 5-67 for Thame.

Guy Holmes replied with 51 not out for Thame, but they lost regular wickets and opted to close out the match at 160-7 to maintain the slenderest of leads at the top.

Abingdon restricted Kingston Bagpuize to 146-8 off 37 overs.

Rain meant they had just 23 overs in reply, and despite the efforts of hard-hitting Matt Darley (43) and the classy Tom Allen (33), they finished 11 runs short on 135-7 and are 16 points adrift of the top two.