THE South Oxfordshire Amateurs, who describe themselves as "the best-kept secret in Oxfordshire cricket," have been attempting to raise their profile this week, writes MICHAEL KNOX.

The wandering club, founded in 1933, have more than 300 members and play about 40 fixtures a year, many of them against schools, colleges and clubs within the county boundary.

This week they joined 27 other clubs in Oxford 2000 a celebration of wandering cricket. On this occasion, they did not have to wander far as three of their four games in the festival were on grounds within half-a-mile of each other on the Woodstock Road.

The SOA's first game was against The Gentlemen of Leicestershire founded in 1820 who could boast to be the oldest club in the festival.

However, SOA have probably the oldest player in David Money who, at the age of 81, was playing on the ground 72 years after his first game of cricket there.

Wicket-keeper Money "I must have kept to about two million balls in my career" caught two catches and was as light on his feet as ever.

Thanks to Money's catching, a bold 92 from young Mark Wingfield Digby and a fine all-round display by Anthony Prior-Wandesforde, the SOA won by 28 runs.

They came unstuck the following day, when they allowed The Frogs to jump all over them in a seven-wicket defeat at Brasenose College.

Order was restored with a convincing 110-run win over the The Invalids. In the final match, the SOA beat the Gents of Staffordshire by three wickets.

Another feature of the week was the first contest between Free Foresters and I Zingari since 1876.

SOA SCORES

SOA 256-5 (M Wingfield Digby 92, A Prior-Wandesforde 52, P Daniel 42), Gents of Leics 228 (A Prior-Wandesforde 3-28).

SOA 146 (A Moss 42, O Holloway 37), Frogs 152-3.

SOA 228-9 (R Down 100 no), Invalids 118 (A Prior-Wandesforde 5-41, A Lurcock 4-5).

Gents of Staffs 209-9, SOA 212-7 (M Mowat 50, S Dickens 43, W Wright 42 no).