CRICKET: Cumnor spurn chance to narrow gap at top

With the two sides above them unable to complete their matches, a win would have moved Cumnor into second place and within striking distance of the top.

After choosing to bat, they posted a respectable 198-7 in an innings reduced to 40 overs.

Callum Russell (47), Harry Ackland (45) and James Fitz-John (36) were all in the runs, while Jake Kubinek captured 3-33.

The hosts attacked the run chase with gusto, storming along at nearly seven an over in reaching 202-5 in the 31st.

Bilal Afzal led the way with 70, and was supported by Ben Elkington (38no), Shahid Mahmood (34) and Stafford Sansome (30).

Oxford Downs amassed a total of 146-6 in the 32nd over after being asked to bat at leaders Buckingham Town, only for the match to be abandoned.

Will Watts (35) and James France (32) had both been caught behind off the bowling of seamer Wayne Platts (4-40) before heavy rain put paid to any further action.

The local derby between Tiddington and Thame Town also did not get far before being called off.

Put in to bat, Tiddington were on 54-4 after 18 overs when rain stopped play.

Only 24 overs were possible at Banbury 2nd, where Great Brickhill chose to bat and made 94-3.

The match between Oxford 2nd and Wolverton Town did not even start – just as had been the case when the sides were due to meet earlier in the season.

Nondies’ Aadam Samiullah looks back to see Abingdon Vale wicket-keeper Rob Hood make a good stop down the leg side off the bowling of Chris Lim

Paul White took 5-53 to set up Abingdon Vale’s six-wicket win over Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts on Saturday to ease their Division 2 relegation fears.

On a day when the weather ruined many matches and forced others to be abandoned, Vale were one of only two winners in the division, and so moved up into mid-table.

Nondies won the toss and, after a delayed start, managed 136 before being bowled out off the final ball of the 40th over.

After a shaky opening, they rebuilt through Aadam Samiullah (35) and Christopher Day (31).

But former Oxon left-arm spinner White removed both to spark a collapse.

Vale had been bowled out for 88 when the sides met in May, so Nondies still had hope.

And they were back in it when Arfan Ahmed (3-47) took three quick wickets to leave the hosts in trouble on 33-3.

However, an 83-run partnership between skipper Charles Smook (59no) and the experienced Michael Howe-Davies (33) all but settled the issue, and despite a careless run out, Vale made it to 137-4 in the 24th over.

Nondies’ promotion hopes remain alive, and Abingdon are not out of relegation trouble yet, but it is a reasonable bet that these sides will meet again at this level next summer.

Abingdon Vale celebrate taking a Nondies wicket

Horspath 2nd stormed up from fifth to second after beating Challow & Childrey by four wickets while their potential promotion rivals were either losing or kicking their heels.

Put in to bat, Challow were soon in trouble against opening bowlers Jamil Faruq (5-33) and Andy Cummings (2-17), and quickly subsided to 96 all out.

Opener Ryan Gordon’s 16 was their highest score.

Conor Jones (4-38) then produced an astonishing burst to remove both Horspath openers for ducks and two others for only one run between them, before Luke Finch (40) got the reply back on track.

Graham Beer and Faruq steered the visitors to 98-6 and maximum points.

Richard Cook hit 102 in Aston Rowant 2nd’s 181-7 from 40 overs at Cropredy.

But the inclement weather meant the hosts’ innings was reduced to 20 overs, effectively ending both sides’ chances of victory.

Although Chris Leaney took 4-39, Cropredy hung on comfortably at 132-6.

No play was possible in the other two matches between Cublington and Long Marston, and Leighton Buzzard Town and Bledlow Village, with six points going to each side.

Sandford St Martin returned to the top of Division 3 by beating Oxford Downs 2nd while morning leaders Great & Little Tew 2nd were being left frustrated by the weather.

Martin Anson claimed 4-22 as Sandford made the most of winning the toss by reducing Downs to 117-9 from their 40 overs.

Steve Roberts took 3-22 after the interval, but Chris Thompson’s unbeaten 47 steered the visitors to 120-7.

Great & Little Tew 2nd felt hard done by the league’s rain rules when they came up short against Buckingham Town 2nd.

Town won the toss and used their full allocation of 40 overs – the minimum length of the first innings unless a team decides to declare – in reaching 141-9.

Michael Taylor top-scored with 35, while Josh Garrett (3-19) and Kevin Taylor (3-45) were the pick of the home attack.

Tew only had 15 overs in reply, but made a great fist of it as they reached 122-7, with Sam Smith smashing 33.

Saajan Patel picked up 3-8.

Didcot stayed in touch at the top following their drawn match at Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd.

Ian Demain continued his good run with the ball by taking 5-42 in the home side’s 155-9 from 40 overs.

Jordan Morrison helped out with 3-52, while opener Jeremy Kirby made 55 and Ian Lewis cracked five fours and a six in a quickfire 37.

Didcot’s top order perished in pursuit of runs against veteran spinners Paul Hemming (4-30) and Anthony Prior-Wandesforde (3-46), and were deep in trouble on 94-8.

However, Ross Fryatt (35no) and Alex Rodman (19no) steered their side to 137-8 from 29 overs at the close.

Bletchley Town were 51-4 in the 15th over after being asked to bat at Bicester & North Oxford when heavy rain forced an abandonment.

No play was possible at Dinton where Banbury 3rd were the visitors.

Witney Mills’s Division 4 game at home to Kimble was held up for 40 minutes following an horrific-looking injury to Malcolm Evans.

The veteran Mills batsman suffered a double fracture of a cheekbone after colliding with his wicket-keeper Adam Mayho as both went for a high catch.

“Malcolm actually held the catch, but lost the ball following the collision,” said Witney captain Mike Dove.

The player was tended to on the pitch before the ambulance arrived inside ten minutes.

Evans, who plays for Oxfordshire Over 50s, was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital.

He was released on Monday.

Dove added: “I was prepared to shake hands and concede the game, but the team insisted on playing on for Malcolm’s sake.”

Kimble, who would have been 6-3 had the catch been taken, in reply to Mills’s 176-9 from their 40 overs, played out for a draw on 63-3 off 22 overs.

Blewbury & Wallingford stayed on course for promotion by beating bottom club Bledlow Ridge in a hurry.

Ridge had posted 146-8 from their 40 overs, David Bird hitting 38 while Warren Ainsworth took 3-25.

The visitors then raced to 147-6 from only 19.2 overs, James Barrett bashing 45 and Mark Carey hitting 34.

Horley stay top courtesy of an easy win at Chearsley.

Pete Papenfus took 5-34 to rip the heart out of the home batting line-up as they crumbled to 71 all out.

The leaders needed only 16.3 overs to reach 72-3, with Dave Clark topping up his average by finishing unbeaten on 53.

l Chearsley 3, Horley 25 East Oxford’s pursuit of 137 to win from 20 overs at home to Leighton Buzzard Town 2nd nearly backfired when they ended up hanging on at 72-8.

Town decided to bat and made 136-9 from 40 overs, Kirk Brazier hitting 46, while Osman Malik took 4-52.

The hosts’ innings was only half as long, from which they made barely half the required runs as Riaan Krynauw collected 4-18.

There was no play between Great Brickhill 2nd and Kingston Bagpuize.

Abingdon Vale 2nd thrashed local rivals Didcot 2nd to move back into the promotion picture in an incredibly tight Division 5.

Luke Mitchell took 3-20 as Didcot subsided like cooling towers to 103 all out.

Terry Groome then scampered 52 as Vale reached 107-3 in the 30th over.

Bledlow Village 2nd were 49 without loss after nine overs, with Charlie Downes on 33, when rain ended their match with Oxford 3rd.

Nathan Brooks hit 36 in Tiddington 2nd’s 89-2 at Brackley, but only 23 overs were possible due to the weather.

There was no play in the other two matches between Cumnor 2nd and Stokenchurch, and Thame Town 2nd and Twyford 2nd, each side taking six points.

THE drinks were on evergreen Den Harvey on Saturday as the Witney Mills septuagenarian took remarkable figure of 6-3 for the 2nd XI away to Stokenchurch 2nd in Division 9.

The former Morris Motors and Oxford University Press groundsman used all his guile to mesmerise the home batsmen with his slow drifters, and they were soon back in the hutch for a paltry 108.

Only Peter Langford, another veteran, managed to defy him for any time, making a top score of 39.

Mills cruised to 111-2 when they replied, Robert Blundell leading the way with 40.

Another player on form with the ball was Jamie Jennings of Cropredy 2nd in Division 7.

He claimed 5-16 to send Didcot 3rd crashing to 94 all out in reply to visiting Cropredy’s target of 154-4, sealing victory by 60 runs.