Oxfordshire go into the final day of their Western Division encounter against Herefordshire at Bicester & North Oxford today needing a miracle to avoid a fourth successive defeat.
Oxon ended yesterday on 126-5 in their second innings - a lead of just 17.
Resuming on 58-3 in reply to Oxon's first innings of 239 all out, Herefordshire rattled up 348-7 from their 90 overs.
With David Exall taken ill overnight, ex-Worcestershire all-rounder Matthew Rawnsley joined Chris Boroughs and they shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 217.
Boroughs hit a superb 142 before he became one of four catches for Charlie Knightley, while Rawnsley made 81.
It gave Hereford a first innings lead of 109, and Oxon were soon in trouble at 31-3 with Philip Evans, Simon Hole and Ian Hawtin all back in the pavilion.
It left just Robbie Eason, with an unbeaten 42, holding the innings together.
OXFORDSHIRE
First Innings: 239 (I Evans 51).
Second Innings
R Eason not out...42
P Evans lbw Roberts...0
S Hole c Langford b Roberts...10
I Hawtin c Whitmarsh b Roberts...7
C Knightley c Whitmarsh b Rawnsley...29
A Cook lbw Roberts...25
I Evans not out...5
Extras...5
Total (5 wkts, 43ovs)...126
Fall: 1-1, 2-23, 3-31, 4-82, 5-113.
Bowling: Roberts 16-3-37-4, Sutton 6-1-21-0, Parker 5-1-19-0, Hornyold 6-1-28-0, Rawnsley 10-3-21-1.
HEREFORDSHIRE
First Innings
(Overnight 58-3)
C Burroughs c Knightley b Newhook...142
D Exall not out...35
M Rawnsley b Phillips...81
T Whitmarsh c Knightley b Newhook...17
J Hornyold run out...0
S Roberts not out...7
Extras...14
Total (7 wkts, 90ovs)...348
Fall: 4-274, 5-299, 6-302, 7-306.
Bowling: Newhook 21-4-84-3, Arnold 22-3-70-1, P Evans 12-2-29-0, Phillips 22-4-105-2, I Evans 11-0-41-0, Cook 1-0-4-0, Knightley 1-0-3-0.
Oxon 5pts, Herefordshire 8
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