OXFORDSHIRE went down by three wickets to Leicestershire in their final MCC Trophy group game at Aston Rowant yesterday.

It was a lacklustre performance from Oxon, who had already qualified for the quarter-finals after victories in their opening three matches in the competition.

But there were some plusses to be taken from the game. The most notable was the return to county action of captain and veteran off-spinner Rupert Evans.

Evans has not played for Oxfordshire since badly damaging an Achilles tendon almost 12 months ago. But it was as if the Oxford man had never been away, as he found his metronomic rhythm and dropped onto an immaculate length from his very first ball.

Evans took 2-22 from 11 overs, checking the Leicestershire batsmen when they looked like romping to victory in double quick time.

In the end, the visitors were fairly comfortable winners - with Ian Curtis taking two wickets in two balls right at the death to make the result look tighter than it was - but at least Evans and the other Oxon spinners made Leicestershire work.

Replying to Oxon's modest total of 172 all out from 59.5 overs, Leics lost Colin Taylor to a fine tumbling catch by keeper Ian Hawtin off Graham Savin.

But Ashley Wright and Omar Choudery began to score freely off the Oxfordshire seamers, and one-day skipper Rob Williams had to turn to Evans and Jeacock to slow the rate.

Jeacock trapped Wright leg before and then Evans did the same to Carl Crowe to leave Leicestershire 88-3 from 34 overs at tea.

When Abingdon School paceman Alex Pike, on his competitive debut for the county, had Choudery caught at long leg, and Evans bowled Richard Hutchins, Leics were 106-5 and struggling.

However, Chris Griffiths and Giles Holmes batted excellently to steer their side to the brink of victory. Earlier, Oxon had struggled against some excellent bowling.

Bicester and North Oxford opener David Wise, in his first game for Oxon for two seasons, Williams, Savin and Ian Hawtin all got into the 20s, but none of them ever looked comfortable on a green pitch.

Oxon now play Norfolk in the quarter-final at Challow on July 19.

OXON

D Wise c Gamble b Fisher 22

K Mustow c Gamble b C P Crowe 1

S Laudat c Fisher b Gamble 16

S Ali c C D Crowe b Griffiths 3

R Williams c Hutchinson b C D Crowe 22

G Savin c Holmes b Gamble 25

I Hawtin not out 29

R Evans c C D Crowe b Griffiths 4

A Pike c & b C D Crowe 10

P Jeacock run out 1

I Curtis run out 1

Extras 38

Total (all out 59.5 ovs) 172

Fall: 1-10, 2-38, 3-47, 4-66, 5-103, 6-140, 7-141, 8-160, 9-162.

Bowling: Gamble 12-1-44-2, C P Crowe 6-0-22-1, Griffiths 12-1-26-2, Fisher 12-6-16-1, C D Crowe 11.5-1-33-2, Smith 6-0-21-0.

LEICESTERSHIRE

C Taylor c Hawtin b Savin 4

A Wright lbw Jeacock 33

O Choudery c Ali b Pike 31

C D Crowe lbw Evans 8

R Hutchins b Evans 16

C Griffiths lbw Curtis 45

C Holmes not out 17

C P Crowe lbw Curtis 0

N Gamble not out 0

Extras 19

Total (7 wkts 55 ovs) 173

Fall: 1-5, 2-52, 3-71, 4-99, 5-106, 6-169, 7-169.

Bowling: Laudat 5-0-24-0, Savin 12-1-38-1, Evans 11-4-22-2, Jeacock 12-0-36-1, Curtis 11-4-31-2, Pike 4-0-18-1.

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