Oxfordshire were today staring at a crushing defeat in their Minor Counties Championship clash with Cheshire at Challow & Childrey.

At the end of the second of three days, Oxon were 30-4 in their second innings, requiring another 305 runs for victory.

In reply to Cheshire's first-day total of 313 all out, the home side had been tumbled out for 151 in their first innings, 12 short of the follow-on target.

But the visitors opted not to make Oxon bat again straight away.

Instead, they rattled up a quickfire 172-2, before taking four wickets in the closing overs to put the game out of sight.

Barring a batting miracle or a freak flood of the sort that hit this ground on Saturday, an Oxfordshire defeat today was inevitable.

And although the breaks in the game have not gone Oxon's way, they can have few complaints about the likely outcome.

In seven seasons covering Oxfordshire cricket, I have not seen them outplayed as comprehensively as they have been in this match.

When the hosts have bowled, the pitch has seemed to be a relatively placid one. But when they have batted, the wicket has looked like a minefield.

Quite simply, the bowlers that skipper Rob Williams has at his disposal are short of the class required at this level.

And the batting line-up, while it appears strong on paper, has failed to deliver the goods this season.

In their first Championship defeat of the season - against Shropshire at Thame last month - Oxfordshire slumped to 0-4 in their second innings.

As they set of in pursuit of an improbable victory late yesterday evening, they crashed to 0-2 and then 8-3.

These are good, honest amateur cricketers, who give up their holidays to represent their county. Because of this I have always been loath to criticise them.

But their displays this season have simply not been good enough.

For several seasons now it has been clear that the side's inadequacies were being masked by the wonderful performances of veteran seamer Keith Arnold.

Now that he is out injured, it is apparent just how important a figure he has been.

OXFORDSHIRE

1st Innings

S Laudat c & b Lamb...21

K Mustow c Cockbain b Cross...13

A Cook c Hignett b Renshaw...0

R Williams c Feather b Cross...35

C Knightley c Bramhall b Cross...16

M Bellhouse lbw Finegan...4

S Miller c Feather b Renshaw...30

I Hawtin not out...13

G Peddy b Renshaw...0

P Jeacock c Bramhall b Renshaw...5

I Adams c Cross b Renshaw...0

Extras...14

Total (all out, 50.5 ovs)...151

Fall: 1-29, 2-36, 3-38, 4-66, 5-79, 6-125, 7-133, 8-133, 9-150.

Bowling: Renshaw 16.5-5-59-5, Lamb 6-2-25-1, Cross 19-6-47-3, Finegan 9-3-18-1.

CHESHIRE

1st Innings: 313 (N Wood 83, A Hall 70).

2nd Innings

N Wood c Hawtin b Cook...57

M Currie lbw Cook...46

A Hall not out...45

R Hignett not out...12

Extras...12

Total (2 wkts dec, 41 ovs)...172

Fall: 1-102, 2-121.

Bowling: Adams 7-1-15-0, Laudat 8-4-19-0, Bellhouse 3-0-21-0, Peddy 1-0-12-0, Cook 11-0-57-2, Miller 11-1-42-0.

OXFORDSHIRE

2nd Innings

K Mustow c Feather b Renshaw...0

I Hawtin b Lamb...6

A Cook lbw Renshaw...0

R Williams b Lamb...14

C Knightley not out...5

Extras...5

Total (4 wkts, 14.3 ovs)...30

Fall: 1-0, 2-0, 3-8, 4-30.

Bowling: Renshaw 6-2-12-2, Lamb 5.3-3-8-2, Cross 3-1-7-0.

*Andrew Wingfield Digby returns for Oxfordshire Over 50s' ECB 50+ match against unbeaten Staffordshire at Banbury tomorrow (2pm).

Oxon Over 50s: P Garner (Shipton) capt, B Jeffries (Banbury), D Hall (Henley), C Wakefield (Oxford Downs), G Neilson (Cumnor), R Bates (Shipton), A Moss (Oxford & H), A Wingfield Digby (Bic & N Ox), D Lewis (Minster Lovell), S Merry (Thame), T Spindler (Bletchingdon).