Oxfordshire just held the edge after the second day of their Western Division clash against leaders Cornwall at Challow & Childrey.

When play came to a close, Oxon had established a lead of 165 with six second-innings wickets remaining.

Resuming at 39-2 overnight in reply to Oxon’s 351-8 – which featured a county ninth-wicket record stand of an undefeated 189 between David Smith and Paul McMahon – Cornwall were in a spot of bother at 75-5.

However, Gary Thomas and Dan Davis then shared a partnership of 150 for the sixth wicket to frustrate the home side.

Once they had been parted, Oxon polished off the rest of the innings for 287, before making somewhat laboured progress to 101-4 at the close in their second innings.

Daniel Rowe had been first to strike for Oxon when play got under way 45 minutes late after heavy overnight rain, accepting a sharp caught and bowled chance offered by Keith Parsons.

Keith Arnold then added to his two overnight victims by having Alex Smeeth caught behind by Ian Hawtin.

And when Rowe had captain Tom Sharp caught by Smith, Oxon’s tails were really up.

But then Thomas and Davis held the home side at bay, before the latter was bowled by Damian Shirazi for 93 to leave Cornwall 225-6.

The Banbury all-rounder struck again to end Thomas’s long vigil for 62, with Chris Sandbach taking the catch at deep mid-on.

Shirazi went on to complete figures of 4-74, with the wickets of Gavin Edwards and Michael Munday sandwiching the run out of Rob Harrison.

However, Shirazi missed out with the bat again as Oxon’s top order again crumbled.

Sandbach and Craig Haupt were the victims of two lbw appeals in the space of three balls from Parsons, before Shirazi was bowled by Antony Angove to leave Oxon 47-3.

Shahbaz Ali also perished before the close, caught at slip off Munday to leave the match intriguingly poised.