OXFORDSHIRE'S Minor Counties Championship match with Dorset was abandoned as a draw at Bournemouth yesterday.

Rain, which had prevented any play before lunch at Dean Park, returned to frustrate an attempt to set up a finish to the match.

At the end Oxfordshire, 33 runs behind on first innings, had reached 191-3 after second innings from 30.2 overs.

Sixteen of these overs were sent down by occasional bowlers Stuart Rintoul and Giles Reynolds as Oxfordshire were invited to score quickly and set a realistic target.

Keith Mustow took full advantage with 80 and Luke List weighed in with 45.

Rintoul's medium pace claimed 3-63 from 8.2 overs with Reynolds finishing wicketless, after an eight-over stint that cost 83 runs.

But rain had the final word to leave Oxfordshire with just four bowling bonus points from their trip to Dorset, who claimed seven points.

OXFORDSHIRE

1st Innings 167 (V Pike 6-63)

2nd Innings

(Overnight 0-0)

I Hawtin c Lamb b Rintoul... 20KK Mustow c Richings b RintoulM-I80KL List st Lamb b RintoulM-I45KR Williams not outM-I30KC Knightley not outM-I11K ExtrasM-I5K Total (3 wkts)...191

Bowling: Diment 4-1-12-0, Forshaw 5-1-13-0, Pike 1-0-6-0, Welbridge 4-0-11-0, Rintoul 8.2-0-63-3, Reynolds 8-0-83-0.

DORSET

1st Innings 200 (K Arnold 6-26)

Dorset 7 pts, Oxon 4 pts.

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