Minor Counties Championship

Oxfordshire were well and truly up against it after day two of their Western Division clash with Wiltshire at Trowbridge yesterday.

The visitors trail by 304 runs, and will need to bat very well today to avoid defeat once Wilts declare.

There were some positives for Oxon, including a maiden 50 for Richard West, who made 68.

But they scored at less than three runs an over and then saw Wiltshire add 165 to their first innings lead of 139.

Resuming on 59-3, West reached his half century before being caught at slip by Wes Durston after a partnership of 80 with Shahbaz Ali.

Jack Taylor, and Shahbaz, after making 41, fell in similar circumstances.

Captain Ian Hawtin made 57, bringing up his 50 off 93 balls, before breaking the mould and being caught at mid off.

Oxon looked like they would fail to bat out their 90 overs when Jimmy Phillips (15) joined Keith Arnold (22) at the crease on 218-9, but the pair ensured some respectability.

Pat Turk was Wiltshire’s most successful bowler with 3-57, while fellow spinner Durston bowled a mammoth 30 overs without success.

Wilts then promoted the big-hitting Jon Chandler to open their second innings.

Oxon had a sniff when Daniel Rowe bowled Ben Walker for a duck, but his ten overs went for 57.

Chandler (66), Durston (49) and Joe Breet (33no), gave the hosts a great platform, as they closed on 165-4 Spinner Taylor took 2-46, while Arnold kept it tight with 1-19 off nine overs.

  • Holders Oxford will have a short trip to Horspath in the Bernard Tollett Oxfordshire Knockout Cup quarter-finals.

The clubs, who split for the 2004 season, will do battle on Tuesday, June 30, while Tiddington are at home to East Oxford after upsetting Banbury by two wickets in round two.

Tiddington made just 124-7 after being inserted in their rain-delayed tie, with Damian Shirazi taking 3-16, but then restricted Banbury to 122-8 in a thriller.

Draw: Horspath v Oxford, Tiddington v East Oxford, Shipton-under-Wychwood v Challow & Childrey, Aston Rowant v Oxford Bletchingdon Nondescripts.