CHERWELL LEAGUE

Division 1

HORSPATH stretched their lead at the top of the table by pulling off an unlikely run chase at Great Brickhill.

High totals were always likely in a match between the division’s fastest scoring teams, and so it proved as the hosts racked up 257 before being bowled out off the penultimate ball of their innings.

Jasper Davies (58), Anton de Beer (45), Doug Aris (34), Garth Davson (33) and Michael Baker (30) all made hay as only Paul Jeacock 5-76 enjoyed much success with the ball.

Chasing the highest score to date in the top flight, Shahbaz Ali (59) gave Horspath the start they needed.

Then Robbie Eason (95no) and Patrick Foster (66no) scored at more than a run a ball to take the visitors to 258-3 with 11 deliveries left.

Great Brickhill 8pts, Horspath 25

Banbury 2nd remain unbeaten and in second place after coming out on top of their drawn match with Thame Town.

For the fifth match in a row Banbury batted first and managed 227-7 from their 53 overs, their highest score of the season so far.

Andrew Sabin (75) and Adam Wirth (61) both passed 50, while Matt Higgs claimed 6-92.

Thame have the slowest run rate in the top flight, so it was no surprise that they came up short on 199-9, as Steve Hart took 5-64.

Banbury 2nd 19, Thame Town 8

Oxford Downs stay bottom despite being one of only three teams in the division yet to lose.

The more telling statistic is that they are also yet to win, having batted second every week and failed to chase successfully.

It was the same story on Saturday, when Twyford set them 177-6 thanks to Shahid Mahmood (60) and Dave Powells (51). Amin Rafiq took 4-53.

Bilal Afzal started with seven maidens in a row, and took two wickets in his second over, to put Downs behind the rate, and it was left to Darryl Woods (56) to steer them towards the safety of 171-9.

Twyford 15, Oxford Downs 8

Buckingham Town opener Rob Large was run out off the first ball of the match, but Ash Pearson (76) and Shane Williams (55) led a recovery that ended on 244-9.

Tom Light (3-49) was the pick of the Leighton Buzzard Town attack.

Phil Whatmore (58) was the visitors’ best hope, but the game petered out after he fell to James Gear (4-36) with the score on 126-4 in the 30th over, and Leighton finished on 167-7.

Buckingham Town 18, Leighton Buzzard Town 7