RAIN was the big winner as the OCA League season got under way.

The inclement weather saw the majority of matches abandoned without a ball bowled.

However, Stonesfield stole a march on their rivals in Division 1, defying the conditions to edge past hosts East & West Hendred by two wickets.

In a game reduced to 35 overs a side, three wickets apiece for Ciaran Northwood (3-20) and Tom Gubbins (3-36) helped to dismiss Hendred for 138.

George Redknap then scored 41 as Stonesfield edged to 141-8.

Last season’s runners-up, Faringdon, fell to a 22-run defeat at home to Wolvercote.

The visitors set 130-6 in 25 overs, before Toby Shelley’s 3-10 helped to restrict Faringdon to just 108-9 in reply.

Oxenford ran out 12-run victors at home to Marsh Gibbon.

Vijay Pamu defied the bowler-friendly conditions with a fluent 66 not out for Oxenford in their 184-4.

Jayson Abbott then struck 51 not out in Marsh Gibbon’s reply, but they closed just short on 172-6.

In Division 4, Uffington won a low-scoring clash at Sunningwell by 11 runs.

They were all out for 101, Andy Claydon taking 4-20 and Richard Smith 3-19.

Peter Jones then took 4-6 as hosts Sunningwell fell for 90.

The only other game to survive was at Chalgrove, but they lost by 15 runs against Wolvercote 3rd.

Three wickets each for Heath Cooper and Nicholas Little helped to dismiss Wolvercote for 63.

But Chalgrove then slumped to 48 all out as Tousif Manzoor took 4-13 and Neil Sadler 3-14.