OXFORDSHIRE Under 17’s season drew to a disappointing conclusion following a poor display and ultimately heavy defeat against Dorset in their ECB Championship Division 3 play-off match at Banbury.

Oxon can point to a well-below par bowling and fielding display as the route cause of this defeat, after posting their third successive score in excess of 300.

Although the margin of victory was only three wickets, Dorset were cruising at 303-4, racing home with almost 40 overs remaining.

Oxon won the toss and opted to bat, and although they lost Joe Barrett, looked in good shape at 72-1.

But a clatter of wickets saw them slump to 144-5, before the rebuild began.

Led by Miles Hammond (72) and Jamie Coles (51), Oxfordshire forged some good partnerships in the lower order.

The best of these was between Hammond and Chris Jeffcock (45), who shared 92 for the sixth wicket.

At 280-9, Oxon still had some work to do to reach 300, and they did just that, thanks to a last-wicket stand of 50 between Jack Biggs and Matt Warner, Biggs crashing 36 in just 39 balls.

Oxon failed to capture any wickets in the closing six overs on day one, but began the second day in style as Josh Megson took two wickets in successive balls.

But that was as good as it got as Dorset set about an unusually below par Oxfordshire attack.

Opener Luke Webb scored a patient 63, but Rory Triniman was particularly punishing.

Being dropped in the slips on 20, Triniman attacked every bad ball, falling two short of a century.

Even when he fell, Oxfordshire continued to haemorrhage runs at an alarming rate, Jack Rowett smashing 85 in 52 balls.

Although the visitors did lose a few more wickets as they neared the target, this was anything but a close game as Dorset won the match at a canter.