DIVISION 1

TIDDINGTON’S relegation battle suffered another blow with a devastating last ball one-wicket defeat at home to high-flying Aston Rowant 2nd in the top flight of the Cherwell League on Saturday.

They looked to have done enough to force an unlikely victory against Rowant, only for the visitors’ last pair of Lewis Quainton and Maximillian Mortimer to knock off the winning runs off the final delivery to break the home side’s hearts.

Rowant opted to put the hosts into bat after winning the toss, but the strugglers produced a solid display as there were several contributions in their 231-8 off 53 overs.

Jon Talbot (46) and Will Goodman (31) led the way at the top of the order, and then, after a brief middle order wobble, Matthew Johnston (39no) and Patrick Knightley (47) added some late order impetus, Knightley’s cameo knock coming off just 24 balls with five fours and three sixes.

Seamer Hendrick Robyns was the pick of the Rowant attack as he took 4-40 in 13 overs, while Ben Knowler (3-56) was also in top form.

In their reply, Rowant lost opener George Reid cheaply, as he fell to Oxfordshire Under 17 teammate Max Smith for three.

A 77-run second-wicket stand between Tim Morgan (47) and Richard Cook got Rowant back on track, Cook going on to top-score with a fluent 87 from 91 balls, containing nine fours and four sixes.

With Rowant seemingly cruising to victory at 190-3, Cook’s dismissal sparked a dramatic Rowant collapse as they lost six wickets for 38 runs to slump to 228-9.

Smith took 3-18 and Matt Maule 3-58, but Quainton and Mortimer held their nerve in the final over to knock off the final four runs to secure the narrowest of victories.

Tiddington 14pts, Aston Rowant 2nd 25

MAX Mannering and James Fitzjohn played the starring roles as Cumnor produced an outstanding performance to sink Dinton to go top of the table with just three games to go.

The result puts Cumnor six points clear in the title race and their destiny is now firmly in their own hands.

Dinton opted to bat first and must have rued that decision as they were quickly shot out for just 126 in 27 overs.

Mannering was the pick of the Cumnor attack, taking 5-23, while Will Bull returned figures of 3-19.

Although Cumnor’s reply got off to a shaky start as Kelvin Burrows reduced them to 41-3, an unbroken

fourth-wicket stand of 88 between Fitzjohn and Joe Dale saw the hosts home in the 30th over, Fitzjohn finishing 64 not out and Dale 40 not out.

l Cumnor 25pts, Dinton 4

Great Brickhill moved up to third spot after a five-wicket win at home to Banbury 2nd.

Hayden Simmonds took 6-30 as Banbury were bowled out for 199, Josh Megson top-scoring with 46 and Will Briggs hitting 44.

Mark Nelson then struck 97 and Graeme Carter 51 to steer Brickhill to 202-5 inside 32 overs to secure a convincing win and maintain their own title bid.

l Great Brickhill 25, Banbury 2nd 9

Dominic O’Connor’s unbeaten century saw Horspath 2nd to a crushing nine-wicket win at home to struggling Long Marston.

The visitors were all out for 201 , Jehan Mohammed taking 3-41.

O’Connor then hit 102 not out and Joey Todd 59 as Horspath cruised in at 202-1.

l Horspath 2nd 25, Long Marston 5

Twyford slammed basement boys Leighton Buzzard Town by 191 runs.

The home side racked up 323-8 in their 53 overs, Shahid Mahmood top-scoring with 86 and Jack Deal hitting 64.

Bilal Afzal then claimed 5-34 and Zabiullah Saeed 3-24 as Buzzard were shot out for 132.

l Twyford 25, Leighton Buzzard Tn 5

DIVISION 2

ABINGDON Vale closed the gap on leaders Oxford Downs after a 30-run victory at Oxford 2nd in Division 2.

Amith Premkumar’s 50 helped Vale to 171 all out, Samuel Lion-Cachet chipping in with 41 and Callum Biel taking 5-22 for the hosts.

Mursaleen Sadiqi then hit 82 in Oxford’s reply, but no-one else could stay with him as they fell to 141 all out, Graham Charlesworth taking 4-20 and Jonathan Jenkinson 3-39.

l Oxford 2nd 7pts, Abingdon Vale 25

Leaders Oxford Downs were left clinging on for a draw against visitors Buckingham Town 2nd.

Jason Ell hit 62 as Buckingham set 246-8 in their 53 overs, Johnny Law taking 3-68.

Alex Ling (41) and Ben Ling (32no) shone for Downs, but they could not get near Buckingham’s total, closing out for a draw at 191-7.

l Ox Downs 7, Buckingham 2nd 18

Promotion hopefuls Challow & Childrey also had to settle for a draw as they were frustrated by hosts Sandford St Martin.

Ryan Gordon (65) and Patrick Bryan (35) led Challow to 201-9 in their 53 overs, Henry Portman returning fine figures of 5-40.

Sandford’s reply was built around Mark Robey’s 58 not out, but they did not really threaten the target, closing on 176-7 as Joe Harris took 3-47.

l Sandford St Martin 8,

Challow & Childrey 16

Saim Hussain’s unbeaten century led Cropredy to a six-wicket victory at basement boys Wolverton Town.

Patrick Somerton (4-77) and Jake Heath (3-54) combined to restrict the home side to 234 all out, before Hussain hit a superb 107 not out and Ed Somerton 57 to lead Cropredy home.

l Wolverton Tn 9, Cropredy 25

Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts picked up useful points as they had much the better of a draw with hosts Great & Little Tew 2nd.

Abdullah Sadiqi top-scored with 67 as Nondies were bowled out for 229 off the last ball of their innings, Ollie Price taking 3-43.

Tew were never in the hunt in their reply, and were left clinging on at 167-9 when time ran out for Nondies.

l Great & Little Tew 2nd 8, Ox & Bletch Nondies 20

DIVISION 3

JORDAN Morrison claimed a magnificent haul of 8-50 to inspire Didcot to a 137-run win at home to Tiddington 2nd to maintain their title charge.

An outstanding second-wicket stand of 147 between Ian Demain and Elliot Matthews allowed Didcot to declare on 300-2 in just 41 overs.

Demain smashed 135 not out off 109 balls while Mathews hit 60.

Jacob Davies provided some resistance with 90, but Morrison blew away the rest of the Tiddington line-up to condemn the basement boys to 163 all out and relegation.

l Didcot 2nd 25pts, Tiddington 2nd 3

Oxford Downs 2nd battle against the drop received a boost as they crushed Banbury 3rd by eight wickets.

Banbury were all out for 141 as Jonny Meardon took 3-25 and Steve Roberts 3-45.

Amin Rafiq then struck 66 not out and James Lauder 52 not out to steer Downs to 142-2 in the 31st over.

l Banbury 3rd 4, Ox Downs 2nd 25

Shipton-under-Wychwood’s drop fears increased with a five-wicket loss at Horley.

Shipton were all out in the 50th over for 214, Jonathan Hart taking 5-61, and Tim Senior top-scoring with 47.

Stephen King then hit 62 as Horley reached 217-5.

l Horley 25, Shipton 2nd 9

Blewbury & Wallingford crashed to a 131-run defeat at Cublington.

Chasing 259, the visitors were blown away by Will Rodnight (6-30) as Blewbury slumped to 128 all out in reply.

l Cublington 25, Blewbury & Wall 6

Previous leaders Bledlow Village were held to a draw by Great Brickhill 2nd as their title bid suffered a setback.

They had racked up 286-9, Charlie Downes top-scoring with 56.

George Morris then scored 82 in Brickhills’s reply as they closed on 176-8 to deny Bledlow maximum points.

l Bledlow Vill 19, Gt Brickhill 2nd 7

DIVISION 4

BICESTER & North Oxford recorded a crucial but ultimately comfortable 77-run victory at home to East Oxford as they maintained their challenge for the Division 4 crown.

Unbeaten Bicester were all out for 217, Rob Humphreys top-scoring with 64 and Johannes Jacobus taking 4-37 for the visitors.

Trevor Price then claimed 3-29 in a tight spell for Bicester as East Oxford were bowled out for 140.

l Bicester & NO 25pts, East Oxford 7

Westbury returned to winning ways and are just five points behind Bicester after a four-wicket victory at Stokenchurch.

George Markham returned 4-55 and Tom Young 4-73 to help dismiss the hosts for just 177 on their small ground.

Tom Gurney then struck 72 and Ollie Tice 63 to lead Westbury to 178-6 and maximum points.

l Stokenchurch 9, Westbury 25

Witney Mills kept their outside promotion hopes alive with a 106-run victory at Kimble.

Batting first, Mills reached 271-9 declared, veteran Malcolm Evans hitting 75, Adam Mayho 69 and Tom Mayho 33.

Ollie Burney then claimed figures of 5-46 as Kimble were shot out for 165 in reply.

l Kimble 7, Witney Mills 25

Oxford 3rd were hammered by hosts Bletchley by 153 runs to drop back into the relegation zone.

Matt Shepherd top-scored with 82 as Bletchley declared on 276-7.

Lauren Downe struck 32 in Oxford’s reply, but that was as good as it got as they crashed to 123 all out.

l Bletchley Tn 25, Oxford 3rd 4

Rob Cartwright hit a century to help Brackley to a 68-run win at Dinton 2nd.

l Dinton 2nd 6, Brackley 25

DIVISION 5

HORSPATH 3rd moved up to second and closed the gap on Thame 2nd to just three points after beating Kingston Bagpuize by five wickets.

James Earnshaw’s 3-11 helped to restrict Kingston to only 132 all out, David Phillips top-scoring with 51.

Ceri Holmes then struck 35 in Horspath’s reply as they eased to 136-5.

l Horspath 3rd 25pts, K Bagpuize 7

Thame 2nd batted out for a draw after succumbing to an outstanding 142 not out from Chearsley’s James Venness.

Chearsley racked up 273-4 declared – a target with the home side never looked like challenging, despite 77 from Richard Carr and 62 from Christian Warwick.

They finished on 201-7.

l Thame 2nd 5, Chearsley 18

Cumnor 2nd were left frustrated as hosts Abingdon Vale 2nd clung on for a draw at Hales Meadow.

Michael Race hit 71 in Cumnor’s 210 all out, Danny Hartley taking 5-56 for the hosts.

Chris De Verteuill then claimed 5-39 for Cumnor, but Vale closed on 177-9 as Mike Hawthorne hit 44 and young Luke Charlesworth 39.

l Abingdon 2nd 8, Cumnor 2nd 19

Banbury 4th crashed to a six-wicket defeat at Leighton Buzzard 2nd, despite a rare appearance from record-breaking Oxfordshire seamer Keith Arnold.

Banbury were shot out for 121 in 37.4 overs, Andy Smith taking 5-18.

Arnold then took all the Leighton Buzzard wickets to fall, finishing with 4-39, but the hosts eased to 126-4.

l L Buzzard 2nd 25, Banbury 4th 5

Kieran Beesley’s fine all-round display was in vain for Didcot 2nd, who lost by 36 runs at Bledlow Ridge.

Beesley took 5-33 in Ridge’s 142 all out. He then top-scored with 41 in Didcot’s reply, but they were bowled out for 106.

l Bledlow Ridge 25, Didcot 2nd 6

DIVISIONS 6-9

SAM Barnes’s outstanding century was in vain for Great & Little Tew 3rd, who had to settle for the better of a draw with visitors Horley 2nd.

Barnes smashed 113 including 15 fours and a six as Tew rattled up 249-5 in their 53 overs.

Richard Hart (63no) provided stern resistance for Horley in their reply as they clung on at 131-8.

Joe Moorman dropped down to Bicester & North Oxford 2nd and hammered an outstanding 129 not out in his side’s 138-run win at Long Marston in Division 7.

Moorman and Matthew Collins (85) helped Bicester to a formidable 257-1 declared, before the evergreen Mike Simpson took 3-6 to help dismiss Long Marston for 119.

Veteran seamer Trevor Spindler rolled back the years with 5-58 as Horspath 4th beat Shipton-under-Wychwood 3rd by eight wickets.

Shipton still managed to post 214 all out, despite Spindler’s haul, but the target was no problem for the visitors, who cruised in at 215-2, David Wells hitting 77.

In Division 8, leaders Westbury 2nd moved closer to the title in their first campaign after a 137-run win at home to Great & Little Tew 4th.

Alan Green’s 111 not out led Westbury to 235-5 in their 45 overs, and then Jamie Boardman took 4-12 as Tew were dismissed for 98 in reply.