CRICKET: Oxford slump to defeat as Mark Beer's fine display is in vain

Having won the toss, Oxford bowled themselves into a winning position, dismissing their hosts for only 89.

Mark Beer did the early damage, removing four of the top five on his way to final figures of 5-19 from 11 overs.

Kasim Nawaz (4-23) then joined in by taking out the lower order.

But Oxford’s hopes of claiming their first win were soon called into question by Town’s opening bowler Idrees Butt, who took 5-12 from 11 overs to put the visitors in disarray.

The last seven batsmen managed only eight runs between them as Oxford’s day ended in abject misery.

Wolverton Town 25pts, Oxford 2nd 5

Tiddington’s bright start is a distant memory as they went down at Leighton Buzzard Town to lose further ground at the top.

They were undone by another stellar performance from left-arm spinner Lee Selfe, who took 7-34 from 7.4 overs as Tiddington tumbled from 90-3 to 147 all out. Chris Goodman (53) was among Selfe’s victims.

Earlier, Town had won the toss and posted 191-7 in an innings reduced to 47 overs.

Opener Antony Francis hit nine fours in his 48 and Phil Whatmore hit 46 from 59 balls.

Both lost their wickets to Matthew Maule, who finished with 3-35 from 17 tidy overs.

Leighton Buzzard Town 25, Tiddington 5

Banbury 2nd enjoyed an easy win at home to winless Long Marston, who are struggling to make the step up.

Put into bat, Banbury managed 214-9 from 48 overs thanks in large part to Will Hawtin (78) and Tom Bartlett (50).

Marston were never in the hunt after tea, collapsing to 90 all out in 31.2 overs, with Charlie Hill picking up 4-14.

Banbury 2nd 25, Long Marston 4

The top-of-the-table clash between Thame Town and Great Brickhill, both of whom are unbeaten, was lost to the weather.

Thame mustered 164-8 in the 35 overs that were possible before rain called a halt, with Mike Higgs (46) back in the pavilion.

Thame Town 6, Great Brickhill 6

Cumnor won the toss and fielded at home to Twyford, but could not stop their opponents reaching 220-9 from their 51 overs.

The hosts were 18-0 from only nine balls in reply before heavy rain put paid to further play.

Cumnor 6, Twyford 6

Horspath 2nd cemented their place at the top of Division 2 by thrashing potential title rivals Great & Little Tew 2nd by seven wickets.

Tew were blown away for only 93 in 29.2 overs as Horspath made the most of winning the toss and bowling first in damp conditions.

Only Michael Darby (31) hung around for long.

Horspath then slumped to 4-3 before Mark Skelton (53no) saw them home.

Horspath 2nd 25pts, Great & Little Tew 2nd 3

Daniel Smith (6-39) and Tom Goffe (4-50) combined to great effect to dismiss Aston Rowant 2nd for 226 and clinch an impressive win for Sandford St Martin.

After choosing to bat, Sandford made their way to 243 before being bowled in their 53rd and final over.

Chris Thompson hit a fine 81 and Jim Howe 67.

Rowant were in contention while George Reid (58), Thad Cooper (46) and Alex Jewell (32) were at the crease, but kept losing wickets and fell 17 runs short.

Aston Rowant 2nd 10, Sandford St Martin 25

Abingdon Vale posted a below-par 179 all out at home to Challow & Childrey as they failed to capitalise on a bright start.

Openers Andrew Jefferson (45) and the in-form Tom Allen (32) put on 53, and although both were pouched by the visitors’ evergreen keeper Chris Warboys, Vale were sitting pretty on 109-2.

But the home’s side habit of throwing wickets away in pursuit of quick runs was evident yet again, with Martin Turnbull (5-31) the main beneficiary.

Challow started slowly in reply, and were 33-1 when rain stopped play.

Abingdon Vale 6, Challow & Childrey 6

Johnny Law took 4-51 as Oxford Downs bowled out the division's bottom club Bledlow Village for 162 inside 44 overs.

Charlie Downes was the most prolific visiting batsmen, hitting 36.

Downs had meandered at 25-1 from 9.1 overs when rain stopped play.

Oxford Downs 6, Bledlow Village 6

An evenly-poised Division 2 match between Didcot and Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts was curtailed by rain as the weather caused havoc for the second week running on Saturday.

In reply to the home side’s 229-6, Nondies were progressing well on 80-2 from 14.2 overs when a downpour sent players and umpires scurrying off the field.

Didcot, playing their final season in the shadow of the power station, had started slowly after winning the toss and electing to bat.

Both openers struggled for runs before being dismissed, and at 16-2 the visitors were in control.

Enter Shaun Burningham, who cracked 23 from 16 balls to give the hosts’ innings some desperately needed impetus.

Meanwhile, Ian Demain was playing himself in at the other end, and when he joined by Conor Morrison it was Didcot’s turn to seize the initiative.

The pair added 94 for the fourth wicket before Morrison went for 55 to leave Didcot on 143-4.

Ross Fryatt went cheaply there was a danger the innings could fall away, but Demain – who finished unbeaten on 73 – and Jordan Morrison (44) joined forces to add 66 in double-quick time.

Nondies suffered an early setback when Garry Adamson went to the first ball he faced, but his fellow opener, Tim Rattigan (36no), and Pablo Mukherjee added 66 for the second wicket to put the match in the balance.

But soon after Mukherjee fell for 30, heavy rain started to fall and the match was called off.

Both teams stay in the bottom half of the tabkewith seven of the 18 rounds completed.

Didcot 7, Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts 6

Charlie Miller scored 67 after Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd won the toss at home to Division 3 leaders Cropredy and raced to 130-2.

But it was all downhill from there, as Matthew Walmsley-Pace took 5-48 to send the hosts spinning to 165 all out.

With rain about, Cropredy batted with real purpose, but paid the price as Chris Panter (3-58) and Paul Hemming (3-62) picked up wickets.

But the visitors’ approach paid off as they got to 166-7 in the 21st over to stay top with a 100 per cent winning record.

Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd 10pts, Cropredy 25

Blewbury & Wallingford stay second after mauling Dinton 2nd.

Lee Ainsworth (59) and Mark Carey (36) gave Blewbury a great start as they made 213-8 against Peter Baker (5-60).

Dinton never got going against Tom Gould (4-27) and Alan Bowman (3-29) and were dismissed for 112.

Dinton 2nd 4, Blewbury & Wallingford 25

Rain robbed Oxford Downs 2nd of victory at Horley.

The hosts were 32-6 in reply to Downs’ 227-4 dec when storms ended the match early.

The visitors had started well thanks to Graeme Coates (35) before Jack Soppett (67no) and Darryl Woods (59no) added 110 in an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership.

The Horley card read like a phone number – 8 7 0 0 6 0 0 – as Richard Beer (4-12) took wickets at will, before the rain came.

Horley 6, Oxford Downs 2nd 11

Banbury 3rd reached 178-6 from 40 overs at Bicester & North Oxford when rain stopped play.

They had already been forced to take cover on 118-2, but the second burst of rain led to an abandonment.

Bicester & N Oxford 6, Banbury 3rd 6 Cublington made 199 all out at home to Buckingham Town 2nd before play was called off.

Cublington 6, Buckingham 2nd 6 Luke Hurley took 6-48 to bowl Tiddington 2nd to victory over Stokenchurch and send his side soaring clear at the top of Division 4.

The leaders had started poorly but recovered from 19-3 and 69-6 to reach 202 all out.

Nathan Brooks (61) and tailenders Patrick Knightley (32) and Matthew Weeks (31) deserve the credit, while Arshad Latif took 4-49.

Ashley Hunt’s 67 set up a close finish, but was one of Hurley’s six scalps as Stokenchurch were all out for 182.

Tiddington 2nd 25pts, Stokenchurch 8

Kingston Bagpuize’s decision to bat first at Brackley looked foolish when they were bundled out for 52.

Only two batsmen reached double figures as David Barnes (4-15) and Keith Cartwright (3-1) took control.

George Woodley (3-15) did his best after tea, but only delayed the inevitable as Brackley reached 53-4 in 12.5 overs.

Brackley 25, Kingston Bagpuize 4

Leighton Buzzard Town 2nd were rolled over for 97 after regretting their decision to bat first at Kimble.

John Dumbarton took 4-15 as the top four all reached double figures but none made it to 20.

Ben Mooney (57no) then steered Kimble to 98-2.

Kimble 25, Leighton Buzzard Town 2nd 2

Dan Swindells hit 63 for Witney Mills, but received precious little support as his side were bowled out for 148 by Great Brickhill 2nd.

James Clark (4-43) and Drew Burrows (3-28) wreaked havoc.

Brickhill’s innings lasted one over before rain arrived with the score on 2-0.

Witney Mills 6, Great Brickhill 2nd 6

Bletchley Town reached 80-3 at home to Chearsley in the only play possible before rain forced an early end.

Bletchley Town 6, Chearsley 6

East Oxford are up to second in Division 5 after beating Bledlow Ridge while most of the other games in the division were abandoned.

Ridge chose to bat and batted well to reach 211-9 from 48 overs.

Rory Spiers led the way with 66, while Phil Brooks chipped in with 51.

Atif Ali took 4-41 for the visitors and then contributed an invaluable 46 as they reached 213-7 in the 40th over.

Urfan Ahmed (45) and Zahid Choudry (43) were also in the runs, while Ian Murdoch (4-63) was unlucky to finish on the losing side.

Bledlow Ridge 11pts, East Oxford 25

Thame Town 2nd shot up the table after beating Aston Rowant 3rd in a tense finale.

Rowant were defending their total of 168 all out, which featured decent knocks from John Hern (44), Matthew Luxford (39) and Sam Shepherd (30).

Alistair Thomas (4-18) and Ian McStay (4-26) shared most of the wickets.

Thame were always in the hunt after the interval thanks to James Adams (61) and Adam Phippen (42), but only just made it home at 170-8.

Thame Town 2nd 25, Aston Rowant 3rd 11

Abingdon Vale 2nd made the long trip to Long Marston 2nd and scored 130-3 from 32 overs.

Unfortunately they then had to drive back home as no further play was possible.

Long Marston 2nd 6, Abingdon Vale 2nd 6

Horspath 3rd and Cumnor 2nd managed to get under way in their clash, but the heavy rain meant no result was possible.

Horspath 3rd 6, Cumnor 2nd 6 No play took place in the other match between Twyford 2nd and Oxford 3rd, which did not start.

Twyford 2nd 6, Oxford 3rd 6

Sam Smith hit an unbeaten 132 to lead Great & Little Tew 3rd to a thumping seven-wicket victory at Challow & Childrey 2nd in Division 6.

Jack Haggett’s figures of 5-60 were excellent on a pitch which offered little to the bowlers, as the hosts reached 265 before they were bowled out.

Smith ensured the chase was straightforward, as Tew reached 268-3 after 44 overs.

Trevor Spindler put in a vintage performance to take 8-25 as Horspath 4th steamrollered Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts by 183 runs in Division 7.

Opener Carl Thompson top scored with 69, while Adam Thompson hit 51no as the visitors declared on 241-4.

The veteran left-arm swing bowler then took over, scything through the hosts’ card to leave them 58 all out.

Richard Body’s century set Blewbury & Wallingford 2nd up for an eight-wicket success at home to Bletchley Town 2nd in Division 8.

Richard Clayton’s 5-58 restricted the away side to 243-8, a total which always looked too low once No 3 Body got in.

He hit 113 in a second wicket stand worth 168 with opener Stuart Edwards (65no).

Mark Cox (40no) helped finish the job in the 38th over.

Alex Kelly hit 122no as Division 9 leaders Great Tew 4th drew with Thame Town 3rd.