Oxford & Horspath's clash against Tring Park fell victim to the weather on Saturday with the match intriguingly poised.

Rain stayed away from Hertfordshire until the early evening, allowing virtually a full day's play.

Chasing's Oxford 224-5, Tring were 171-4 with Rutherford and Dawes well set when the match was called off at 6.28pm.

But, bizarrely, despite 110 overs being bowled in the game, the result counts as an abandoned match and not a draw.

This left Oxford with seven bonus points, while Tring collected six for the abandonment - that figure being greater than the number of bonus points they had accumulated.

Neither side receives an extra three points for what they believed was a draw.

After they were put in to bat, opener Robbie Eason led the way again for Oxford with a patient unbeaten 89.

He shared a first-wicket stand of 66 with Keith Mustow and then had good partnerships with Alan Kruger (40) and Ben Thompson, whose 31 came off just 22 balls.

In reply, Tring made a shaky start, with seamer Philip Evans removing openers Paul Atkins, the Bucks skipper, and Adam Pusey to leave the home side at 25-2.

But then Tring captain Matt Bowyer (54), the division's leading run scorer with 508 going into the game, and Rory Shearer steadied the ship.

Oxford's hopes were raised when both fell with the score on 100 just before tea, but there were no further breakthroughs before the heavens opened.

OXFORD & HORSPATH

K Mustow b Dawes...20

R Eason not out...89

A Kruger c Sutcliffe b Stanway...40

B Thompson c Sutcliffe b Porter...31

G Plested c Grove b Porter...4

P Jobson b Davies...6

I Evans not out...12

Extras...22

Total (5 wkts, 60 ovs)...224

Fall: 1-66, 2-129, 3-173, 4-182, 5-193.

Bowling: Sutcliffe 7-2-15-0, Stanway 17-4-64-1, Dawes 18-2-56-2, Porter 18-2-73-2.

TRING PARK

P Atkins c R Evans b P Evans...16

A Pusey c Thompson b P Evans...5

M Bowyer c I Evans b Thompson...54

R Shearer c Mustow b Curtis...19

S Rutherford not out...39

G Dawes not out...28

Extras...10

Total (4 wkts, 50 ovs)...171

Fall: 1-19, 2-25, 3-100, 4-100.

Bowling: R Evans 13-1-41-0, P Evans 8-1-26-2, Kruger 2-0-16-0, Curtis 14-2-44-1, Thompson 8-1-20-1, I Evans 5-1-20-0.

*Tring 6pts, Oxford 7

*Division 2 West leaders Henley picked up only six points when their match against Wokingham was abandoned. Wokingham had made 214 in their innings and Henley were 50-2 when the rain arrived.