Injury-hit Oxfordshire just failed to force a victory on the final day of their three-day Minor Counties Championship game with Wales at Swansea.

Needing 245 runs to win from a minimum of 54 overs, the home side were hanging on at 195-8 at the close.

But it might have been very different had Oxfordshire had all of their two top bowlers fit and healthy.

The visitors always knew that stand-in skipper Keith Arnold was not going to be 100 per cent, as he was easing his way back into Championship cricket after missing the first half of the season with a fractured pelvis.

But they were not prepared for the loss of off-spinner Paul Jeacock.

The Bicester & North Oxford man was hit on the nose first ball attempting to hook a Ryan Sylvester bouncer. He collapsed onto his stumps and was out hit wicket.

Jeacock, who was stretched out on the pitch for several minutes, became the second Oxon player in the match to be taken to hospital, following the facial injury sustained by Robbie Eason on Monday.

It was thought at one point that Jeacock would be kept in overnight as doctors struggled to stop the bleeding, but he was eventually allowed to travel back with the rest of the Oxfordshire party.

"Paul's injury was a big blow," said Arnold. "He bowled as well as I've seen him in the first innings, and he would have given us more control and allowed us to create a bit more pressure."

The game was in the balance with 20 overs remaining, Wales needing another 99 to win with six wickets in hand.

But the hosts shut up shop after they lost four wickets for just six runs, collapsing from 164-4 to 170-8.

Earlier, Adam Cook had top-scored for Oxfordshire as they made 220-9 from 62 overs. It was a significant improvement on Oxon's crushing defeats by Shropshire and Cheshire.

OXFORDSHIRE

First Innings: 376-4 dec (K Mustow 110, A Cook 70 no, R Hawkins 62).

Second Innings

(Overnight 50-1)

K Mustow c Dawkins b Gage...36

R Hawkins lbw Barr...45

B Thompson c Dawkins b Barr...22

A Cook c J Sylvester b R Sylvester...52

D Woods run out...6

I Evans lbw R Sylvester...0

P Evans c Metson b R Sylvester...4

P Jeacock hit wicket b R Sylvester...0

R Eason not out...9

K Arnold not out...0

Extras...34

Total (9 wkts, 62 ovs)...220

Fall: 1-22, 2-85, 3-110, 4-125, 5-190, 6-194, 7-200, 8-200, 9-215.

Bowling: Gage 19-6-45-1, Barnsley 2-0-5-0, Dawkins 9-2-37-1, J Sylvester 5-2-16-0, R Sylvester 10-0-62-4, Barr 17-5-38-2.

WALES

First Innings: 354-6 dec (D Lovell 150no, O Dawkins 75).

Second Innings

J Sylvester lbw I Evans...53

M Newbold lbw Thompson...7

I Bird c & b Cook...20

R Sylvester c Thompson b Arnold...59

D Lovell run out...11

O Dawkins c sub b Arnold...19

C Barnsley b Cook...0

A Barr not out...12

K Khanna lbw Arnold...0

N Gage not out...12

Extras...2

Total (8 wkts, 54 ovs)...195

Fall: 1-14, 2-61, 3-95, 4-139, 5-164, 6-164, 7-170, 8-170.

Bowling: P Evans 5-1-30-0, Thompson 6-1-20-1, Arnold 13-2-31-3, I Evans 13-1-47-1, Cook 17-1-67-2.

*Wales 8pts, Oxon 9