OXFORDSHIRE romped to an easy six-wicket win over Huntingdonshire in their opening ECB 38 County Competition group game at Thame yesterday.

Chasing the visitors' total of 140 all out, Oxon strolled to victory with 18 of their allotted 50 overs in hand.

Charlie Knightley top scored for the home side, sharing in a match-winning stand of 76 for the fourth wicket with Rover Cowley's Graham Savin.

The Challow left-hander was eventually out for 47 with the Oxon score on 140-3, trying to smash the boundary he needed to bring up his half century.

Earlier, Savin and his fellow Rover Cowley seamer Stewart Laudat had extracted some movement from a dampish pitch to leave Hunts in deep trouble at 19-3.

Then spinner Arwyn Jones ran through the middle order, claiming 3-16 to reduce the visitors to 75-6. Formerly of Bicester & North Oxford, but now playing for Frome in Somerset, Jones sent down a flighted ten-over spell which featured just eight scoring shots.

Steve Naylor and Neil Rowlands staged something of a recovery for Hunts, putting on 47 for the seventh wicket, before Cumnor's Adam Cook caught the latter in the deep and Savin removed Naylor with the opening delivery of his second spell.

Oxford spinner Ian Curtis, playing his first game for Oxon this season, took two late wickets, as Hunts were eventually all out off the final ball of their allotted 50 overs.

Story date: Monday 17 May

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