HARD-hitting from Nilesh Patel and Ed Barnett fired Thame Town to a four-wicket victory over Horspath in round one of the Home Counties Premier League Twenty20 competition.

Patel smashed 38 off 13 balls and Barnett added 24 as Thame reached 148-6 with eight balls remaining.

Mohson Rana, Ben Cook and Adam Krol took two wickets apiece for Horspath.

Andy Wynd top-scored with 58 in Horspath’s 147-4, with Jehan Mohammed making a useful 36.

Young seamer Will Rooney conceded just 14 runs in his four overs for Thame.

Thame will host Oxford, who were handed a walkover by Tring Park, in round two.

Banbury chased down 187 to pip Dinton by five wickets.

Opener Mike Sutliff blasted 139 in Dinton’s 187-3.

Luke Radford went for just six in his four overs, but Oxfordshire spinner Luke Ryan was hammered for 50 runs in three overs.

Ryan then opened the batting with 67 as Banbury reached 189-5 with five balls left.

Shahbaz Ali (34), Craig Haupt (27) and Nathan Hawkes (20) all contributed, while Dinton bowled 18 wides.

Banbury will visit High Wycombe in round two after they saw off Aston Rowant by nine wickets.

Stand-in skipper Chris Wat-ling made 27 and Richard Cook 22 in Rowant’s 135-8.

But Wycombe’s former Surrey and Leicestershire batsman Jamie Benning hit 73 not out as they cruised to 138-1 with seven balls in hand.

  • OXFORD were knocked out of the Conference Cup at the first round stage after a four-wicket defeat to Harold Wood.

Having won the toss, Oxford made 247-6 off their 45 overs, led by Ian Crosby’s 68 not out and 49 from Stewart Laudat.

Harold Wood reached 248-6 with more than three overs to spare, aided by 18 wides and 85 from Shahbaz Iqbal.

  • SKIPPER Paul Hemming’s unbeaten 42 helped Shipton-under-Wychwood retain the Oxfordshire Over 40s Cup for a fourth year running.

Shipton defeated Cropredy by nine wickets in a final postponed from last year.

Peter Cooling top-scored with 24 in Cropredy’s 70 all out, John Hartley taking 4-2.