OXFORDSHIRE’S brilliant season came to an agonising end in the ECB Under 15 Cup national semi-final at Bishop’s Stortford.

Oxfordshire, unbeaten all season until this point, tied their last-four clash with Hertfordshire, only to go out as a result of losing more wickets.

Batting first, Oxon got off to a terrible start, and were soon 52-4 inside 20 overs.

But Angus Spittles’s gritty innings of 36, ably-assisted by the tail, saw them post a respectable total of 160-9 from their 50 overs.

In reply, Hertfordshire got off to a solid start, and at 50-0 after 18 overs, there appeared only one winner.

Spinners Dan Todd and Miles Hammond bowled superbly in tandem to haul Oxon back into the game, Todd finishing with 2-32, while Hammond’s miserly ten-over spell yielded just 17 runs.

With Hertfordshire on 123-4 with ten overs left, nerves began to jangle in the home camp as Oxon bowled and fielded superbly under pressure.

Injuries to opening bowler Jack Belmont and Spittles made it all the tougher for Oxon.

Skipper Andrew Tolson bowled five overs, taking 1-7 as the game entered the last over.

A brilliant run-out by Dom O’Connor meant the scores were tied.

But with Hertfordshire losing only six wickets, they progressed to the final to break Oxfordshire’s hearts.