A REVISED competition got under way on Saturday, but was severely hampered by the heavy rain.

The league’s premier cup competitions, the Airey Cup, Telegraph Cup, Steve Dixon Cup and Osberton Radiators Cup will this season be contested on a round-robin basis, with finals scheduled for September, but the opening day was hard hit.

In the Airey Cup, all five Group 1 matches were washed out, while in Group 2, just one match reached a conclusion, via the league’s Target Score method.

Hook Norton batted first against visitors Middleton Cheney and posted 184-8, Max Harris top-scoring with 76 and James Ingham scoring 47.

Middleton Cheney’s reply was reduced to 25 overs, with a revised target of 133.

And Steve Twynham (45) led the way to steer the visitors to 133-5 with two overs to spare.

The Telegraph Cup had several games played to a conclusion.

In Group 1, Witney Swifts 2nd edged to a five-run Target Score Method victory at Broughton & North Newington.

Swifts set 163-5 in a rain-reduced 35 overs as Charlie Scott-Kerr top-scored with 43 and Ben Horne scoring 31 not out.

After four overs of Broughton’s reply, the weather intervened again, meaning a revised target of 133 in 25 overs for the hosts.

And a spell of five wickets for eight runs in the middle of Broughton’s innings put paid to their chances of victory as they finished short of the target score on 127-7

Horne starred with the ball, taking 3-9 and Jason Tilcock scoring 40 for the home side.

Wolvercote 2nd eased to an eight-wicket win at Deddington.

In a rain-reduced match, Deddington set 95-3 in 30 tricky overs of batting.

Wolvercote wasted little time in cruising to 99-2, Henry Wilman (33no) and Ben Madden (31no) leading the way.

Mansoor Abbasi shone for Risinghurst as they defeated hosts Freeland by 45 runs, the hosts’ new covers ensuring some play was possible.

Abbasi top-scored with 75 not out as Risinghurst set 155-7 in a rain-reduced 25 overs.

Marc Buckingham struck 32 in Freeland’s reply, but they finished short on 110-9.

In Group 2, Oxenford saw off hosts Marcham by three wickets in a match reduced to 30 overs per side.

Asad Bakhtiar (3-8) and wily veteran Richard Rowley (3-27) reduced Marcham to 89 all out.

In tricky conditions, Oxenford batting patiently to reach 90-7 to secure victory as Russell Ewings scored 35.

Wantage beat visitors Tetsworth 2nd by 18 runs in a match reduced to 25 overs per side.

Wantage batted steadily in the tough conditions, but were eventually restricted to

109-8, which despite the damp pitch, appeared below par.

But a fantastic spell of 4-8 from five overs from Liam Turnbull did much of the damage as Tetsworth managed only 91-8 in their reply.

Only one match survived in the Steve Dixon Cup group stage, where East & West Hendred 2nd got the better of hosts Steventon 2nd by five wickets.

Anthony Harris scored a fine 50 in Steventon’s 144-5 in a game reduced to 25 overs per side.

A fine partnership between Jason Fisher (47) and Ivan Mulford (30) broke the back of Hendred’s chase and they reached 145-5 with nine balls to spare.

A timely declaration by Stonesfield 2nd helped set up a crushing 139-run victory against Sunningwell 2nd in the Osberton Radiators Cup.

Sam Hart (52), Jordan Newman (36no), Ben Hayes (33) and Fred Holloway (32no) helped Stonesfield to 180-3 in 24 overs before a declaration.

Dan Taylor saw his first two balls of Sunningwell’s reply smashed for four.

But that was as good as it got for the visitors as they slumped to 41 all out, as Dave Skidmore took 3-1 and Michael Franklin 3-8.