OXFORDSHIRE’S young side recorded their fifth successive victory in a remarkable season with an unlikely two-wicket win over Wiltshire at Marlborough.
Chasing a formidable target of 314 on the final day, Oxon edged home to secure the runners-up spot in the Western Division.
It was the third successive match in which they have pulled off a miraculous last-day success.
But unlike the two previous successes over Herefordshire and Cornwall, this time it was the batsmen who came to the fore.
Resuming the day at 0-0, Oxon lost Tom Condon to the first ball and Olly Clarke soon followed, leaving them on 26-2.
However, skipper Harry Smith, with a lively 55 from 85 balls with 11 fours, shared a third-wicket stand of 63 with Matthew Warner.
But when Smith and George Reid were out before lunch, Oxon were 121-4.
Warner, with a patient 67, and Owyn Tong-Jones, whose sparkling 51 took only 65 deliveries, added 92 before both fell at the same score to leave Oxon on 204-6.
Then Gareth Andrew (45) and Callum Russell (45no) added 75 for the seventh wicket and the latter was still there at the end to strike the winning runs from the second ball of the 100th over.
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