CRICKET: Cumnor continue fine start in Cherwell League

Oxford won the toss but struggled to make much headway, eventually being bowled out after 50 overs for 184.

Suli Hussain top-scored with 37, while Adam Cook had the best figures (3-48) among the home bowlers.

Cumnor made steady progress in reply, but just as someone got in, they got out.

Joe Dale (35) and Harry Ackland (33) could not build on their promising starts, as Mark Beer took 4-56 and Ian Evans picked up 3-51.

For the second week running, the hosts were indebted to Devane Warner, whose unbeaten 30 saw them over the line with five overs, but only three wickets in hand.

Oxford’s pain worsened when they were docked one point for failing to bowl their overs in the allotted time.

At the same stage last summer, Oxford 2nd were top of the table but won only twice more and fell away to finish seventh.

They will need this season to follow a different pattern if they are to survive.

By contrast, Cumnor were still seeking their first win by now, but picked up five victories in the final 12 rounds. That sort of form will see them challenging for a top-four finish.

Cumnor 25pts, Oxford 9

A vital unbeaten 35 from Jarryd McPhee took Thame Town to a two-wicket win at Leighton Buzzard Town and maintain his side’s tilt at the title.

Thame were progressing nicely in pursuit of Leighton’s 194-9 until the home side’s veteran left-arm spinner Lee Selfe took 5-45 in 15 overs to turn the match on its head.

Opener Will Sutcliffe, who smashed 60 from 40 balls, was Selfe’s first victim.But McPhee steered the visitors from 122-6 to 195-8 with ten balls to spare.

Before tea, Phil Whatmore had hit 60 before Hassam Mushtaq took 4-56 in a flurry of late wickets.

Leighton Buzzard Town 12pts, Thame Town 25

Tiddington slipped to their first defeat and down to fourth in the table.

They reduced Twyford to 5-2, but then Jack Deal and stroked 21 fours in his 123 from 155 balls.

The score was 220 when he was finally out, and 245 when all the visiting batsmen were done.

Tiddington opener Tom Rowley (83) did his best to keep the hosts in the game, but Adam Bone (5-42) and Bilal Afzal (3-44) worked their way through the card to leave them well short on 184.

Tiddington 8, Twyford 25

Banbury 2nd batsmen had a poor day at Wolverton Town.

Charlie Hill (5-70) and Steve Hart (4-28) joined forces to dismiss Town for 187 in the 47th over, leaving the visitors 53 overs to chase victory.

Kieron Lampard (44) and Atif Akhlaq (43) led the way for the home side.

But with the exception of Andrew Sabin, who made 55, the rest struggled, but clung on for a draw at 141-9.

Wolverton Tn 18, Banbury 2nd 7 Leaders Great Brickhill made heavy weather of chasing Long Marston’s meagre total of 130 all out, The visitors were undone by Iqbal John, who took 6-23.

Doug Aris held his nerve with a crucial 47 not out in Brickhill’s 131-7.

Gt Brickhill 25, Long Marston 9

Joe Butcher hammered his maiden league ton and Paul White picked up some of the best figures of his long career as Abingdon Vale dished out a lesson to Didcot in Division 2.

The home side’s decision to bowl first back-fired spectacularly as Vale amassed 278-7 from their 53 overs.

First Joffy Cummings showed great patience in compiling a classy 76 then Butcher despatched the home attack to all parts in a brutal innings of 100.

Aiden Kammel top-scored for the hosts with 54, but White weaved his magic to take 8-38 as Didcot were dismissed for 132.

Didcot 5pts, Abingdon Vale 25

Sandford St Martin squeezed past Great & Little Tew 2nd in a thrilling finish to win by four runs.

Matthew Warner (3-28) made early inroads to leave the hosts in disarray on 88-6 with opener Martin Anson (42) back in the hutch.

But Mark Robey (45) and Thomas Goffe (35) led a recovery that ended on 178.

Robbie Catling then hit 48 and Warner made 36 to put Tew in command.

But from 124-3 they tumbled to 174 all out as Tom Rothwell (3-28) removed the middle order and Daniel Jason Smith (3-35) lopped off the tail.

Sandford St M 25, Great Tew 2nd 8

Horspath 2nd thrashed Challow & Childrey by seven wickets to stretch their lead.

Challow never got going against Jehan Mohammed (5-29) and Graham Beer (4-29) and succumbed for 191. Justin Penrose was top-scorer with 59.

The hosts eased to 194-3 thanks to Jack Biggs (61), Luke Finch (43), Mark Skelton (32) and Dominic O’Connor (30).

Horspath 2nd 25, Challow & C 7

Aston Rowant 2nd returned to winning ways by battering Bledlow Village.

Chris Eaton (68), Thomas Condon (40) and Ben Knowler (38) took Rowant to 208, as Matt Bolton (4-41) and Ryan Chapman (3-32) tired to stem the tide.

Chapman (65no) then ran out of partners as Gordon Harris took 4-36 and Tim Foster 3-22 to dismiss the visitors for 120.

Aston Rowant 2nd 25, Bledlow 6 Oxford Downs beat Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts by six wickets.

Nondies struggled against Wasim Mehmood (4-38) and Harry Sutton (3-41) to finish with 174-9. Jonathan Guthrie top-scored with 63.

Will Watts (74) and Wes Bartlett (54) set up an easy win for Downs

Oxford Downs 25, Oxford & Bletchingdon 7

Jason Hunt fell one short of his century, Paul Hemming hit 48 and Ian Lewis made 41 as Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd racked up 317-7 at Bicester & North Oxford in Division 3.

Hunt’s innings spanned 95 balls and featured 15 fours.

Opener Richard Simpson gamely smashed 50 from 31 balls, but when he was out Bicester settled for a draw at 229-7.

Bicester & North Oxford 5pts, Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd 18

Blewbury & Wallingford crushed Cublington to leapfrog their opponents to move up to second place.

Ian Harris took 3-19 as the hosts were rolled over for 138.

Opener Lee Ainsworth (53) was then the only visiting batsman to be dismissed as Mark Carey hit 65 not out in Blewbury’s 139-1.

Cublington 3, Blewbury & Wallingford 25

Cropredy enjoyed a win at near neighbours Horley.

Put into bat, the hosts were humbled for only 130 as Jacob Heath captured 5-43 and Richard Lynch took 3-34.

The visitors struggled against Adam Webb (3-19) and Darren de Bruyn (3-79), but made it to 134-7, thanks to Thomas Bunting (50no).

Horley 9, Cropredy 25

Najam Rehman took 5-35 from 17 overs in an outstanding spell, but finished on the losing side as Banbury 3rd won at Dinton 2nd.

An undefeated 38 from tailender Ollie Murrey (38no) proved crucial as Banbury closed on 175-8.

Mark Ludlow then hit 57 for the hosts, but the hosts were bundled out for 123.

Dinton 2nd 4pts, Banbury 3rd 25

Oxford Downs 2nd lost at Buckingham Town 2nd.

Downs’ top seven – including Graeme Coates (48) and Rory Garrett (42) made good starts and contributed to their team’s 224-6.

But the lack of a big individual probably left them a little short, as Tim Riley hit 106 not out in Town’s 227-2 from 44.1 overs.

Buck'hm 2nd 25, Ox Downs 2nd 7

Kingston Bagpuize finally broke their duck to climb off the bottom of the Division 4 table at the expense of their vanquished opponents, Bletchley Town.

A 97-run partnership for the second wicket between Toby Ricks (68) and Matthew Little (38) looked like setting up Bagpuize for a big score, before Ben Talbot’s 4-27 restricted them to 163-8.

Jamie Cox reduced Town to 0-2, and although Talbot hit 75, Cox returned to finish with 5-51 and William Woodley took 3-26 as the hosts were all out for 144.

Bletchley Town 5pts, Kingston Bagpuize 25

An opening partnership of 111 between John Mackie (77) and Charlie Elliott (40no) helped propel Tiddington 2nd to maximum points at Kimble.

They took them to 153-2 from 29.2 overs and victory.

Earlier, Steven Richards hit 44 in Kimble’s 150 total, Leon Desai taking 5-23.

Kimble 4, Tiddington 2nd 25

Oliver Burney took 4-52 – all his victims bowled – as Witney Mills easily beat Stokenchurch by 75 runs.

Steve Kelly took 3-19 also bowled straight, bowled two and trapping the third leg before as the visitors posted 125.

Earlier, Mills were indebted to Malcolm Evans (61), one of only two of their top eight to reach double figures, and late runs from Ben Madden (31) in their 200 all out.

Witney Mills 25, Stokenchurch 6

Drew Burrows took 6-37 for leaders Great Brickhill 2nd, who bowled out hosts Chearsley for 146, James Veness hitting 55.

Patrick Prasad then hit 73 and opening partner Richard Winchester made 47 not out in Brickhill’s 150-4.

Chearsley 6, Great Brickhill 2nd Eric Carpenter (75) put Brackley on the way to victory at home to Leighton Buzzard Town 2nd, then Michael Lowe (85no) built on his fine work to steered them to 222-6 declared from 50 overs.

But Town held on at 141-9, despite the efforts of Robert Timmis (4-27) and Keith Cartwright (3-36).

Brackley 20, Leighton Buzzard Tn 2nd 4

James Earnshaw took 6-39 to earn Horspath 3rd victory at Thame Town 2nd and top spot in the Division 5 table.

Town were all out for 167, Alistair Thomas (50) top scoring.

Thomas then took 4-51, but Ben Evans hit 51 and Horspath reached 168-5.

The visitors were docked five points for failing to provide a scorer.

Thame 2nd 8pts, Horspath 3rd 20

East Oxford are up to second after beating Abingdon Vale 2nd in a tense finale.

Vale’s Matthew Chown (38), Rob Hood (35), Terry Groome (34) and Stuart Cardy (33) failed to build on good starts, and Paul Butcher (35no) ran out of time.

Vale’s score of 233-6 proved to be not quite enough as the visitors reached 234-8 thanks to Ali Shah (40) and Urfan Ahmed (67no), which meant Butcher’s 4-54 was in vain.

Abingdon V 2nd 13, E Oxford 25

Cumnor 2nd survived a scare before seeing off Bledlow Ridge.

Jamie Douglas (59) and Mark Kirsten (49) helped Cumnor post 249 all out, which may have been even more without David Hywel Jones’ 4-73.

Chris de Verteuil (3-35) reduced Ridge to 72-5, Rory Spiers (68) and Phil Brooks (48) added 106 to turn the tables, only for David Jobbins (3-16) to remove both and bowl out the hosts for 220.

Bledlow Ridge 10, Cumnor 2nd 25

Twyford 2nd declared on 254-9 from 48.2 overs at home to Aston Rowant 2nd.

Ben Curlew (76), Sam Lyon (54) and Rob Fairclough (41) were all in the runs, while Sam Shepherd was the pick of the visiting attack.

Jonathan Hern (49) and Paul Plumridge (36) gave Rowant hope, but once both departed the reply fizzled out to 192-8.

Twyford 2nd 19, A Rowant 3rd 4 Long Marston 2nd were blown away by Oxford 3rd for only 128 in 36 overs.

The total never looked enough, and the visitors eased to 133-2 in the 32nd over of their reply.

L Marston 2nd 3, Oxford 3rd 25

Division 6 leaders Banbury 4th lost their 100 per cent record when they could only draw in a high-scoring match against Didcot 2nd.

Half-centuries by Jack Lambden (83) and Luke Jones (51) lifted Banbury to 284-5.

Didcot replied with 224-7, Chris McCormack making 56 not out.

Kevin Hicks hit an unbeaten 96 as Bicester & North Oxford 2nd raced to 204-3 against Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts in Division 7.

Haris Naeem (5-37) then helped dismiss Nondies for 118.

Division 8 leaders Cumnor crashed to an 80-run defeat against Witney Mills 2nd, who made 167-7 thanks to Steve Holford’s 68.

Experienced Rob Sessions scored 71 as Blewbury & Wallingford 2nd scored 162-9 against Tiddington 3rd.

But it was not enough as Ali Noble’s 57 saw Tiddington to 166-4 in reply.

Didcot 3rd were on the receiving end of a belligerent 78 from Ian Caunce which helped Oxford Downs 3rd to 190-9.

Didcot replied with 138, Steve Wilson capturing 4-11.

George Buckingham hit a brilliant century for Cropredy 3rd, but they had to settle for a draw against Challow & Childrey 3rd in Division 9.

Buckingham made 138 not out as Cropredy posted 257-9.

But Challow, led by Freddie Robson’s 79, held out comfortably on 186-5, despite Buckingham's 3-57.

Bicester & North Oxford 3rd must have thought they were on to a good thing, when they dismissed Shipton-under-Wychwood 3rd for just 78, Mike Ilbery taking 5-20.

But then Bicester collapsed to 75 all out against Simon Dickens (4-16 off 15 overs) to lose by three runs.