WESTBURY’S double hopes disappeared after an appeal to be reinstated into the Airey Cup failed.

The club fielded three ineligible players in their quarter-final victory over Stonesfield last month.

The trio, all students, had each made one league appearance this summer – one too few to be eligible for the cup tie.

They were due to play their second games the day before, but the fixture was rained off.

Westbury skipper Richard Tredwell said: “It was a complete oversight – if the game had gone ahead on the Saturday they would have been fine.

“We appealed, but the disciplinary committee said unfortunately we had broken the rules.”

Stonesfield also fell foul of the same rule, so Garsington – who Westbury were due to play in the semi-final – have been given a bye into the final Westbury shrugged off the setback to go top of OCA Division 1 with a four-wicket victory at former leaders Oxenford .

The home side rattled up an impressive 220-6 as Augustine Robertson scored 73 not out.

But 46 from Harry Smith and Michael Loggin got Westbury home.

Garsington went second with a nine-wicket win at Broughton & North Newington .

Mohammed Sarfraz claimed 5-22 as Broughton were shot out for 98, before Qaiser Naveed (55) and Sarfraz (44no) saw Garsington to 99-1.

East Oxford kept up their title tilt with a seven-wicket win at Great Horwood .

Zahid Ali (4-10) and Ali Malik (3-48) combined to dismiss Horwood for 117, and East Oxford eased to 118-3.

Nathan Harris’s maiden OCA League century helped Minster Lovell to a 75-run victory against Shrivenham .

The skipper scored 105 as Minster amassed 237-5, while Shrivenham fell to 162 all out.

Melvyn Riley (52no) helped Hook Norton to a five-wicket win over Charlbury .

Charlbury made 143-9, before Hooky reached 144-5.