MINSTER Lovell returned to winning ways to close the gap on the leaders after a three-wicket victory on the target score method at Charlbury in OCA League Division 1.

Charlbury posted 187-9 in their 45 overs as Bimalka Liyanarachchi hit 45 not out and Brian Barrett took 4-25.

A rain break reduced Minster’s reply to 40 overs and a target score of 171.

And, led by Jack Simpson (43no) and Elliot Graham (43), they reached the total with more than three overs to spare.

Great Horwood maintained their title challenge with a 38-run victory at Chipping Norton to close the gap at the top to just three points.

Glyn Davies top-scored with 40 in Horwood’s 151-8, Kumara Arachchige taking 5-49.

Matt McStraw then took 4-27 and Dale Armitage 3-19 as Chippy were all out for 113.

Oxenford are still looking for their first win after a two-wicket loss on the target score method against visitors Radley.

Vijay Pamu’s 61 not out helped Oxenford set 160-8 as they recovered from a precarious 47-5.

After the rain, Radley’s target was set at 137 from 36 overs, and they edged to 138-8 thanks to Shoaib Ahmed’s 50 and Atif Liaquat’s 36 not out.

Division 2 second-placed Wolvercote fell to a 17-run defeat at home to Clifton Hampden.

Morley Benson top-scored with 62 in the tricky conditions, helping Clifton to 142-7.

Laurence Harvey’s 5-23 was the catalyst for Clifton’s victory as the hosts were all out for 125.

In Division 3, Westcott stayed in touch with leaers Eynsham after a 43-run win at Stanton Harcourt – and it was done the hard way.

With most of the Westcott team stuck in traffic, the umpires deducted the visitors seven overs, and began the game still four players short.

They grafted to a modest 114-9, but got their act together with the ball.

Alimar Khan took 5-11 from 12 overs to skittle Stanton for just 71. Even that represented a slight recovery for Stanton, who at one stage were reeling on 13-7!

Division 4 leaders Swinbrook ran out 34-run victors at Deddington to stay top.

They had posted 145-8 on a difficult surface, but then restricted their hosts to 111-9 as Mark Reed took 3-15.

Charlbury 2nd’s Charlie Sinton had a day to remember as he hit an unbeaten century and took five wickets in his side’s 137-run mauling of visitors West Witney in Division 5.

Sinton hammered 110 not out in Charlbury’s daunting 255-5, before taking centre stage with ball in hand, returning 5-21 to dismiss West Witney for 118.

Brill stayed in second spot after a five-wicket win at Kennington.

It was the Andy Wynd show as the former Horspath player took 4-5 in 5.3 overs to help skittle the hosts for 88.

Wynd then hit 63 not out as they reached 91-5.

SHRIVENHAM 2nd had a field day in Division 6, thrashing visitors Hanney to record a 178-run victory.

There were centuries for James Harris (117) and Steve Bowles (107no) as Shrivenham racked up 314-1, Drew McHenry also chipping in with 55 not out.

Richard Deacon then took 4-32 and James Harris 4-34 as Hanney were bowled out for 136.

Leaders Wolvercote 2nd march on with an eight-wicket win at Oxenford 2nd.

Bowling their hosts out for 83, Wolvercote eased home at 84-2, Nicolas Pinhol top-scoring with 46.

Joe Bennett claimed superb figures of 7-30 as Steventon thrashed hosts East & West Hendred 2nd by eight wickets.

Only Andy Broadbent (34) got going in Hendred’s 86 all out, before Steve Thompson hit 50 not out as Steventon eased home.

In Division 7, Ducklington comprehensively outplayed visitors Uffington 2nd.

Ducklington posted 236-6 with good contributions from Jacob Hughes (43), Stuart Weston (39no) and Kane Lewis (36).

Uffington were no match for Ducklington’s seam duo of Hughes (6-27) and Lewis (4-10) as they were shot out for 46.

Stonesfield 2nd beat visitors Witney Swifts 2nd by two wickets on the target score method.

Swifts were all out for 147, Steve Smith hitting 51.

Set a revised target of 134 from 36 overs, Stonesfield won with five balls to spare.

Dorchester 2nd cruised to a nine-wicket win at Sunningwell 2nd in Division 8.

John Pitson took 4-7 in Sunningwell’s 66 all out, and then Chris Rudling hit 33 not out in Dorchester’s 67-1.

Gordon Fogg returned the best figures of the day as he took 8-15 in Kennington 2nd’s 43-run win at Westcott 2nd.

Kennington had earlier been dismissed for 135, but Fogg’s eight-wicket haul saw Westcott tumbled out for 92.

Lee Price’s 5-10 helped Chesterton to a nine-wicket win at Swinbrook 2nd in Division 10.

Swinbrook were all out for 58, before Peter Talbot hit 38 not out to take Chesterton to 62-1.