SHIPTON-under-Wychwood were crowned Oxfordshire champions in the nPower Village Cup yesterday, but this was no stroll in the summer sun.

The home side triumphed by 30 runs against a determined Tiddington side who refused to lie down despite chasing a target of 275.

Shipton will now host the winners of the Avon and Somerset section in the next round of the 40-overs-a-side competition on July 3.

Their impressive 274-6 was based on a 127-run fourth-wicket stand between Jon Hartley (75) and Paul Hemming (48), but skipper Steve Bates was not surprised Tiddington came so close.

He said: "We've got some good bowlers, but it's a quick batting track here.

"They are a good team, so we knew it was going to be a tough game.

"Fortunately we have some players who know how to bowl when we are faced with a bit of pressure.

"We were probably one bowler light because Chris Panter had a neck injury and couldn't play."

Shipton suffered a mini collapse from 220-3 to 225-6, but Shane Duff (29no) and Andy Hemming (19no) put together what proved to be the decisive partnership.

Experienced left-arm spinner Robin Pykett proved to be the pick of the Tiddington attack with 3-40, removing both Hartley and Hemming in one dramatic over.

Hartley required a runner after picking up a leg injury early on, but still managed to hammer five sixes in a belligerent innings.

Tiddington were undermined by some weak back-up bowling, but much credit should go to paceman Jack Brooks, who shrugged off illness to show real aggression with bat and ball.

His fine 62 not out built on skipper John Talbot's (43) opening surge.

Tiddington were always just short of the required run rate with spin pair Paul Hemming (2-40) and Shaun Miller (3-41) keeping things tight.

Bates ended his bowling cameo with 3-47, capping a thoroughly entertaining game with the wicket of Steve James off the final ball. SCOREBOARD SHIPTON-UNDER-WYCWHOOD

S Bates run out...29

J Constable b Smith...12

Si Hole b Pykett...32

P Hemming c Fisher b Pykett...48

J Hartley b Pykett...75

S Duff not out...29

I Lewis c James b Brooks...0

A Hemming not out...19

Extras...30

Total (6 wkts, 40 ovs)...274

Fall: 1-26, 2-59, 3-93, 4-220, 5-221, 6-225.

Bowling: Smith 9-0-53-1, Brooks 9-1-49-1, Pykett 8-0-40-3, Maule 9-0-62-0, Fisher 3-0-28-0, Talbot 2-0-27-0.

TIDDINGTON

J Talbot c Constable b Hemming...43

J Mackie c Bates b Miller...21

A Mackie c Lewis b Hemming...7

N Pykett c Constable b Miller...33

N Edmondson c Duff b Miller...27

J Brooks not out...62

N Smith b Bates...10

M Maule b Constable...11

M Fisher b Bates...8

S James c Brain b Bates...6

Extras...16

Total (9 wkts, 40ovs)...244

Fall: 1-68, 2-75, 3-73, 4-119, 5-150, 6-178, 7-202, 8-230, 9-244.

Bowling: Lewis 5-1-36-0, Constable 9-0-53-1, P Hemming 9-0-40-2, Miller 9-2-41-3, Bates 6-0-47-3, Si Hole 2-0-21-0.