CRICKET: Title race blown wide open

Downs crashed to an eight-wicket reverse at Shipton-under-Wychwood after Shaun Miller took 5-14 in an outstanding 12-over spell that also featured four maidens.

Miller was ably supported by Craig Wood, who claimed 4-43 as only the reliable Andy Buckingham (43) and Darryl Woods (36) got going.

Simon Hole then hammered 75 and Joe Barrett (40no) as Shipton cruised to 126-2 inside 26 overs and so moved within striking distance of Downs at the top.

Shipton-under-Wychwood 25pts, Oxford Downs 3

It was a similar tale of woe for Cumnor, who succumbed for only 95 at Buckingham Town on their way to a 135-run defeat.

Town had posted 230-8 from their 53 overs, with Simon Myatt (45), Andrew Fletcher (39), Steve Brunning (36) and Jonny Cater (32) all getting starts.

Carl Thompson (3-40) and Joe Shillaker (3-54) were the pick of the visitors’ attack, but they were not supported by their batting colleagues, who struggled against Josh Nix (3-16).

Buckingham Town 25, Cumnor 3

Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts gave their outside chances a boost by beating Bletchley Town by 57 runs.

Shabaz Alam stroked a fine 80 as Nondies posted 171 all out after being put in to bat.

Mark Roberts took 5-37 from 18.5 well-controlled overs and then watched his batsmen struggle against Ayaz Khan (4-26) and Sanjay Vinjimoor (3-24).

Ken Hollis (40) was the only home batsman to get going as they fell to 114 all out.

Bletchley Town 6, Oxford & Bletchingdon Non 25

Great & Little Tew kept their successful run going by overcoming Bourton Vale by 55 runs.

Ashley Hubbert (91), Harry Smith (45) and Curtly Slatter (38) made Vale’s decision to field first look unwise as Tew racked up 242-7. Only Chris Hughes (3-81) enjoyed much success with the ball.

Jack Boone and Henry Keeling then hit 41 apiece in the home side’s reply, but Tew skipper Andy Harris was fired up and took 5-30 as Vale were dismissed for 187.

Bourton Vale 5, Great Tew 25

Oxford 2nd are deep in relegation trouble after they suffered a nine-wicket battering by Leighton Buzzard Town, who opened up a gap between themselves and their fellow strugglers.

Left-armer Dan Scott took 5-28 from 18 overs and Jack Kempster claimed 4-32 from 13 as Oxford were rolled over in 45 overs for a meagre 115.

Tom Light then compiled a steady 59 from 94 balls as Town took their time reaching 116-1.

Oxford 2nd 2, Leighton Buzzard Town 25

Abingdon Vale beat Division 2 title rivals Great Brickhill by one wicket in a thriller to go second – their highest league position since the club formed in 1993.

Graham Charlesworth (3-35) and Mike Cook (3-41) once again combined to good effect as Brickhill struggled to 162 all out, Anton De Beer top-scoring with 60.

Opener Will Barker (37) gave Vale a start, which was built on by Cook (33) and Charlesworth (31).

Nick Tweed took 5-55 to have the home side on the ropes before they stumbled over the line with 11 balls to spare.

Abingdon Vale 25, Gt Brickhill 12

Tiddington returned to the top with a six-wicket win at lowly Aston Rowant 2nd.

Sam Hollingsworth (5-34) and Nathan Brooks (3-35) were too good for the hosts’ batsmen, who were blown away for only 82 in the 29th over.

Ryan Chapman (3-14) made Tiddington work hard for the runs, but Darren Risden (32) helped them reach 84-4 with relative ease.

Aston Rowant 2nd 4, Tiddington 25

Banbury 2nd are right in the mix after they won by seven wickets at Challow & Childrey, whose promotion chances look to be over.

Nigel Hume’s 46 was the only highlight of the home side’s 177 as Paul Hill (4-53) and Olly Wright (3-41) reduced them to 87-6 before a late recovery gave their bowlers something to defend.

The loss of two early wickets only delayed Banbury briefly as Steve Beck (73no) added 107 for the third wicket with Jamie Coles (39) before victory was achieved on 178-3.

Challow 6, Banbury 2nd 25

Sandford St Martin made a terrible start at home to Wolverton Town, but recovered from 18-4 off 20 overs to reach 146 and set up an 11-run win.

Martin Anson (33) and Siphe Mzayidume (31) showed the top order Sandford batsmen how it should be done.

Town made a good start to reach 39-1 from 11 overs, and were still well-placed even after Mzayidume took 3-48 to leave them on 135-7 with nine overs to go.

But Simon Smith (5-40) captured three wickets in one over without conceding a run to win it for Sandford.

Sandford St Martin 25, Wolverton Town 7

Banbury Twenty’s latest defeat came at home to Long Marston, who bowled out their hosts for 115 to set up a five-wicket victory.

Marston made their long journey worthwhile as they eased to 118-5.

Banbury XX 6, Long Marston 25

Mark Dakin took 9-81 in a brilliant 25-over spell, but his terrific effort was in vain as Bledlow Ridge lost by 93 runs at Oxford Downs 2nd in Division 3.

Ian Caunce was Downs’ hero, hitting a characteristically ebullient 110 in his side’s 220 all out.

Matt Hoyland (4-24), Steve Roberts (3-28) and Matt Watts (3-35) then joined forces to bowl out Ridge for 127.

Oxford Downs 2nd 25, Bledlow Ridge 6

All-rounder Damian Wis-kin smashed 68 to steer Kingston Bagpuize towards a 194-9 and a 93-run victory at Cropredy.

Wayne Hazel (3-29) and James Coleman (3-15) had both exercised control with the ball for Cropredy.

Jamie Cox (4-23) then help-ed dismiss the hosts for 101.

Cropredy 5, Kingston Bagpuize 25

Bilal Afzal took 7-38 as Twyford bowled out Hanborough for 172 to set up a nine-wicket win.

Andy Oliver (45) and Jon Sadler (40) led the way for Hanborough.

Zawar Hussain then hit an imperious 113 not out as the visitors raced to 178-1.

Hanborough 4, Twyford 25

Pierre Lefort bagged 5-56, but it was not quite enough for Witney Mills to secure maximum points at Bicester & North Oxford.

Nick Moorman (47) was the mainstay of Bicester’s effort as they posted 159 all out.

Malcolm Evans then hit 43 to keep Mills interested, but Richard Simpson (4-40) and Michael Speight (3-57) left them clinging on at 149-8.

Bicester & NO 13, Witney Mills 10

Bledlow Village kept their promotion charge on track by beating Dinton 2nd by one wicket.

Dinton were all out for 188 after Ryan Biggs hit 53 and Faisal Ali 42, while James Shirley took 4-42.

Abbas Sheeraz (3-45) and Simon Kempster (3-38) kept Dinton in with a chance, but Tom Moore’s 39 and some good batting by the tail saw the home side to 189-8.

Bledlow Village 25, Dinton 2nd 11

Chetan Walia took 8-55 as Oxford 3rd pulled off a shock eight-run win at unbeaten Division 4 leaders Great & Little Tew 2nd.

Tew had been on course for victory when Michael Darby took 5-43 from 14 overs and Ian Bryan claimed 3-14 to bowl out Oxford for 167.

Callum Biel top-scored with 76 and his runs were to prove crucial as Walia dismissed the hosts for 159.

Great & Little Tew 2nd 7, Oxford 3rd 25

Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd slipped to a six-wicket reverse at Stokenchurch.

Arshad Latif took 4-24 as Shipton reached a respectable 182 all out after being inserted.

He then struck a majestic 105 and Jack Duffy 49 as the hosts reached 184-4.

Stokenchurch 25, Shipton 2nd 7

Cumnor 2nd went down by 76 runs to Buckingham Town 2nd, who amassed 240-9.

Matt Thatcher (65) and Russell Thompson (40) led the way despite the best efforts of Daniel James (3-47) and Steve Slade (3-45).

Adam Jones and Dane Bailey then both hit 32 for Cumnor, who fell away to 164 all out.

Cumnor 2nd 7, Buckingham 2nd 25

Wallingford's woes continued when they were outplayed in a draw at bottom club Leighton Buzzard Town 2nd.

Put in to bat, Town declared after 50 overs on 247-8 after Brad Gates hit 53 and Alan Bowman took 5-83.

Bowman then hit a stubborn 68 in the visitors’ 199-6.

Leighton Buzzard Town 2nd 17, Wallingford 7

Chearsley’s Sam Shearer(6-12) and Neil Davies (4-28) sent Kimble crashing to an eight-wicket defeat.

The visitors were soon all back in the pavilion with only 75 on the board.

The home side then raced to 76-2 with Russell Haynes making 50.

Chearsley 25, Kimble 2

Andy Cummings claimed 9-29 to bowl Division 5 leaders Horspath 2nd to a six-wicket victory over Challow & Childrey 2nd.

The left-arm seamer exploited helpful conditions to bowl unchanged in a superb 20-over spell as Challow were shot out for 114.

He took the first nine wickets to fall, and missed out on the tenth when a hard chance was spilled, and watched Stuart Berry wrap up the innings.

Horspath reached 118-4 in the 33rd over.

Horspath 2nd 25, Challow 2nd 5

Tiddington 2nd beat Thame Town 2nd by 13 runs in a low-scoring affair.

Veteran seamer Gary Porter took 7-44 as Tiddington crawled to 149 all out from 50 overs, Will Cooper top-scoring for Thame with 47.

Johnny Clarke and Neil Smith both then took 4-43 as Thame tumbled to 136 all out despite Alastair Thomas’s 39.

Tiddington 2nd 25, Thame Tn 2nd 7

Banbury Twenty 2nd suffered an embarrassing 209-run defeat at Cublington.

Put in to bat, the home side racked up 262-8 through Jamie Leggett (64no) and Bill Burton (44).

Aqib Azhar took 4-53 for Twenty, who were then rolled over for 53 by Jon Waugh (4-21) and William Rayner-Thomson (4-21).

Cublington 25, Banbury Twenty 2nd 3

There was a tense finish at Didcot, who scraped home for a one-wicket win over Cropredy 2nd.

Ralph Orchard hit 78 and Altaf Hussein 44 in Cropredy’s competitive 205 all out, Julian Hitchman taking 4-53.

Matt Jones (54) and Henry Brisland (41) kept the hosts in the hunt, and Josh Deegan (4-78) and Hussein (3-25) did the same for Cropredy, before Didcot prevailed on 207-9.

Didcot 25, Cropredy 2nd 12

Michael Cartwright hit 36 and Charlie Hill took 4-27 as Brackley made 155-8 after being put in by Banbury 3rd.

Keith Cartwright then took 3-33 as Banbury limped to 126-6.

Brackley 13, Banbury 3rd 5

Leigh Lewis took 7-17 to set Aston Rowant 3rd on the way to a seven-wicket win at home to Buckingham 3rd in Division 7.

Lewis’s super spell sent Buckingham crashing to 102 all out despite 54 from Stuart Helps.

Mark Walker then hit 46 in Rowant’s 104-3.

Twelve-year-old leg-spinner Lloyd Belcher took 5-14 on his debut to help Horspath 3rd to a 61-run win over Bledlow Ridge 2nd in Division 6.

With Hayden Moon chipping in with 3-20, Bledlow were bowled out for 125.

Earlier, Derek Watts hit 56 in Horspath’s 186-8.

Robin Newman took 6-21 as Abingdon Vale 3rd thumped Kingston Bagpuize 2nd by nine wickets in Division 8.

Bagpuize collapsed from 35-0 to 63 all out as Newman and Guy Lemon (3-15) shone.

Phil Evans (38no) then saw Vale home.

Andy Abbey’s 5-28 set Abingdon Vale 4th on the way to a four-wicket win over Stokenchurch 2nd in Division 9.

Cleon Walters smashed 68 to see Abingdon to 139-6.