CRICKET: Cook comes to the boil in Aston Rowant's win

Rowant skipper Tim Morgan had no hesitation in electing to bat first after winning the toss, and it appeared a good decision as he and Chris Eaton shared 116 for the first wicket.

Eaton hit 55 and Morgan 51 to get the visitors off to a flying start, but they were the only two who really got going as wickets then started to fall.

Cook was run out for 24 when he looked well set, but there was precious little else as Rowant struggled from a position of 128-1 to settle for 209-9 in their 53 overs.

Andy Cummings took 3-26, while there were two wickets apiece for Tom King and Mark Skelton.

Horspath’s reply started well as Jamie Stead (50) and Kit Cutter shared 62 for the first wicket.

But the wheels came off spectacularly for the hosts as no other batsman managed to reach double figures.

From 100-2 and a position of relative strength, Horspath lost eight wickets for 39 as Cook returned superb figures of 5-32 and Ben Knowler 3-7.

Horspath 6pts, A Rowant 25

TWYFORD condemned Tiddington to their fourth defeat of the season, running out five-wicket winners.

Bilal Afzal took 4-38 for Twyford as Tiddington crumbled to 126 all out, only Benny Madden (30) getting any meaningful score.

Nick Pykett took 3-10 in Twyford’s reply, but, helped by Shahid Mahmood’s 63, the home side eased to 127-5 in the 32nd over.

Twyford 25pts, Tiddington 6

Cumnor were no match for Long Marston as they crashed to an 84-run defeat.

Winning the toss, Cumnor invited Marston to bat, and they reached 202-9 in their 53 overs, Alastair Bee top-scoring with 50 and Devane Warner taking 3-49.

Cumnor’s disjointed reply stumbled to 118 all out, only Max Mannering (37) and Mark Farmer (34) getting going, Jeremy Smith taking 5-31 for the visitors.

Cumnor 5, Long Marston 25

Banbury 2nd crashed to 136 all out as Leighton Buzzard’s Lee Selfe was in inspired form with a seven-wicket haul.

Selfe returned figures of 7-30 as Banbury slumped from 75-0 to be shot out for 136, Tom Bartlett top-scoring with 43.

Phil Whatmore then hit 71 not out in Buzzard’s reply, a knock containing eight fours and two sixes, as he helped his side to 137-6 inside 30 overs, Stephen Hart taking 3-48 for the visitors.

Leighton Buzzard Tn 25, Banbury 2nd 8

Dinton made it four wins from five to go top of the table with a five-wicket win at Great Brickhill.

Faisal Ali was the star of the show for the Buckinghamshire side, taking 6-36 in Great Brickhill’s 116 all out, before leading his side to 117-5 with a fluent 51.

Great Brickhill 6, Dinton 25

DIVISION 2

CHALLOW & Childrey’s excellent start to the season continued as they saw off hosts Oxford Downs by 14 runs in an exciting clash at Standlake.

Challow were indebted to Ryan Gordon (64) and Justin Penrose (33) as they set 190-8 in their 53 overs, Chris Sandbach taking 4-50 for the home side.

Sandbach and skipper Wasim Mehmood then got Downs off to a good start in their run chase, sharing 57 for the first wicket.

But when Mehmood fell for 41 and Sandbach for a patient 52, the wheels fell off for Downs, with only No 7 James Lauder managing double figures.

Harry Sutton was the last man out with the score on 176.

Ollie Dimbylow took 4-68 and Gordon 3-16 off 8.4 overs.

Oxford Downs 6pts, Challow 25

Abingdon Vale moved up to third after seeing off hosts Cropredy by three wickets.

Henry Pickford claimed 4-47 and Jon Jenkinson 3-43 as Cropredy were all out for 172.

Amith Premkumar (42), Sam Chilvers (41) and Adam Scholey (39no) provided the backbone of Vale’s reply as they reached 176-7 in the 48th over.

Cropredy 10, Abingdon Vale 25

A five-wicket haul for Robbie Shurmer helped Great & Little Tew 2nd to a 74-run home win against Buckingham Town 2nd.

Batting first, Tew racked up 215-8 in their 53 overs, Dave Fanghanel-Powles hitting 50 and Liam Manley adding 52 not out down the order.

Buckingham were never in the hunt, however, as Shurmer returned 5-35 to help dismiss the visitors for only 141.

Gt Tew 2nd 25, Buckingham 2nd 5

Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts condemned struggling Oxford 2nd to their fourth defeat after a three-wicket win.

Owyn Tong-Jones (87) and Alexander Morgan (59) had helped Oxford set 232-9.

But a fine 64 from Harry Platt, with contributions from Tim Rattigan (36) and Atif Ali (33) saw Nondies home at 233-7.

Oxford 2nd 12, Ox & Bletch Nondies 25

Sandford St Martin saw off Wolverton Town by 87 runs.

Sandford reached 189-7, Chris Thompson hitting 37 and Steve Dobson 35.

Daniel Jason-Smith then claimed 4-23 as hosts Wolverton were shot out for 102.

Wolverton Tn 4, Sandford 25

DIVISION 3

SCOTT Harris returned remarkable figures of 7-11 as Blewbury & Wallingford thumped Horley by nine wickets.

Harris and Tom Gould (3-36) combined to skittle the hosts for just 47, and then Blewbury raced to 49-1 in 8.4 overs.

Horley 1pt, Blewbury & Wall 25

Oxford Downs 2nd saw off hosts Tiddington 2nd by three wickets, but needed plenty of overs to do so.

Jack Soppett’s haul of 5-36 helped to dismiss Tiddington for 180 in the 42nd over.

This gave Downs 58 overs to reach the target, and they took it down to the wire, only scrambling home with three balls remaining.

Veteran Darryl Woods led the way with 62 off 148 balls.

Tiddington 2nd 10, Oxford Downs 2nd 25

Didcot suffered their first loss of the season as they fell to a four-wicket defeat at home to Bledlow Village.

Batting first, Didcot managed only 160 all out, Connor Morrison top-scoring with 36, while Matthew Bolton took 4-33.

Harry Bartlett (31) then led Bledlow’s reply as they reached 163-6 in the 45th over.

Didcot 9, Bledlow Village 25

A superb century from Ed Phillips was not enough for Banbury 3rd to secure a victory at home to Shiptonunder-Wychwood 2nd, who clung on for a draw.

Phillips smashed 124 out of Banbury’s 260-7 in 53 overs.

Steve Bates’s 61 helped Shipton’s cause, but they were never in the hunt, and were left hanging on at the end on 167-9 to frustrate Banbury.

Banbury 2nd 20, Shipton 2nd 6

Great Brickhill 2nd moved up to second place with a 51-run victory at Cublington.

They had been shot out for just 125, but then proceeded to dismiss Cublington for only 74 in their reply.

Cublington 5, Gt Brickhill 2nd 25

DIVISION 4

JOHANNES Jacobus scored a blistering unbeaten century to help East Oxford to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory at Kimble.

Atif Ali had earlier taken 3-53 to help restrict the hosts to only 163-7 in their 53 overs.

But Jacobus took centre stage after the tea interval as he bludgeoned a brilliant 104 not out off just 40 balls as East Oxford raced to 165-3 inside 20 overs.

Kimble 5pts, East Oxford 25

Bicester & North Oxford clung on for a draw at home to Oxford 3rd.

Richard Simpson took 4-44 and Dan Savin 3-19 as Bicester restricted their visitors to 165 all out.

But the home side really struggled in reply, only Nick Moorman (30) making a useful contribution.

They were left clinging on at 133-9.

Bicester & NO 7, Oxford 3rd 18

Five wickets apiece for Andy Clark and Charlie Harper saw Westbury to a ten-wicket success at Bletchley Town.

The hosts were tumbled out for 26 as Harper took 5-7 and Clark 5-17.

Westbury needed only four overs to secure victory.

Bletchley 0, Westbury 25

Witney Mills crashed to a six-wicket defeat at Brackley after being shot out for 67 in Northamptonshire.

Douglas Smith (4-16) and Rob Cartwright (3-16) were the pick of the attack for Brackley, who then took 36.5 overs to reach 68-4.

Brackley 25, Witney Mills 4

Three wickets apiece for Bill Ur-Rehman, Ollie Chaplin and Tali Hussain helped Dinton 2nd to a 45-run victory at home to Stokenchurch.

Chaplin (37) and Hussain (32) had helped Dinton set 189 all out in their 53 overs.

Arshad Latif top-scored with 71 in Stokenchurch’s reply, but they fell to 144 all out.

Dinton 2nd 25, Stokenchurch 7

DIVISION 5

LEADERS Thame Town 2nd fell to their first defeat, despite a superb seven-wicket haul from Chris Penny.

Penny returned 7-55 to help dismiss visitors Leighton Buzzard Town 2nd for 143.

But Thame fared even worse as they crumbled to 91 all out, Andy Smith the pick of the Buzzard attack with 5-23.

Thame Tn 2nd 5pts, Leighton Buzzard Tn 2nd 25

Didcot 2nd moved up to second after seeing off hosts Horspath 3rd by four wickets.

Chris Jones (36) and Matthew Turner-Wilson (34no) helped Horspath to 157 all out, Alex Rodman taking 4-63.

Kunai Patel then top-scored with 48 not out in Didcot’s reply as they reached 163-6.

Horspath 3rd 8, Didcot 2nd 25

Abingdon Vale 2nd hammered Banbury 4th by ten wickets in a match that lasted little more than 40 overs.

Pace bowler Luke Mitchell took 5-6 for Vale as they skittled their visitors out for a dismal 46 in 34.2 overs.

And it took Vale just seven overs and five balls to reach 48-0, Will Barker hitting 31no.

Abingdon 2nd 25, Banbury 3rd 0

Cumnor 2nd’s Chris De Vertueil took a hat-trick in figures of 5-40, but finished on the losing side as they lost by 29 runs at Bledlow Ridge.

De Vertueil and Mo Chatterji (4-48) combined to dismiss Bledlow for 147 in 47.2 overs.

But Cumnor could not get going in reply, falling to 118 all out as Mark Dakin took 4-21 and Hanzah Ahmed 3-32.

Bledlow Ridge 25, Cumnor 2nd 6

Kingston Bagpuize were no match for Chearsley as they crashed to an eight-wicket defeat.

Ed Holland was the pick of the Chearsley attack with figures of 6-19 condemning Kingston to 57 all out.

And the home side chased down the meagre target, reaching 59-2 in 13.5 overs.

Chearsley 25, K Bagpuize 2

DIVISIONS 6-9

SPINNER Simon Howarth was the star of the show for Cumnor 3rd as his six-wicket haul helped the hosts to a three-wicket win against Brackley 2nd in Division 8.

Howarth returned excellent figures of 6-24 to help dismiss Brackley for 134.

Daniel West then top-scored with 38 in Cumnor’s reply as they reached 138-7 in the 44th over.

Tom Boardman hammered a magnificent century as Westbury 2nd crushed Tiddington 3rd by 214 runs.

Boardman plundered 169 out of Westbury’s formidable 319-5 declared, Andrew Lees chipping in with 62 not out.

Harry Rymer then claimed 5-27 for Westbury as Tiddington slumped to 105 all out in reply.

In Division 6, Twyford 2nd moved up to second place after beating Challow & Childrey 2nd by 40 runs.

Matt Perna led the way for Twyford as his 75 not out saw them set 215-8 in their 53 overs.

Hasnein Akram then returned figures of 4-20 as Challow fell to 175 all out, despite 51 from Robert Jones-Walters.

Shipton-under-Wychwood 3rd were skittled out for a paltry 48 as they crashed to a seven-wicket at Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts 2nd.

Gary Rees finished unbeaten on 49 as Challow & Childrey 3rd beat Blewbury and Wallingford 2nd by five wickets in Division 9 South.

The hosts managed 113-6 off 45 overs, and Challow were struggling at 45-5 until Rees took charge.