Captain George Reid hit a magnificent century to help Oxfordshire to a thrilling 30-run win on first innings at home to Bedfordshire in the ECB Under 17 County Championship at Radley College.

Reid’s superb 165 was his highest score and it took Oxfordshire to a formidable 408-5 declared on the first day.

But to their credit, the visitors put up an excellent chase, only being bowled out ten overs from the end of the match for 378.

Winning the toss, Reid chose to bat on a belting wicket and he and Harry Thomas (44) shared 141 for the first wicket.

When Thomas fell, Olly Clarke and Reid produced a second-wicket stand of 138, Clarke hitting 52.

Reid took Oxon serenely past the 300 mark for maximum batting points before finally being bowled for 165 off 213 balls, which included 20 fours and three sixes.

And the runs kept flowing as Oxon decided to bat on with the pitch offering very little to the bowlers.

Aadam Samiullah hit a classy 54 not out, while Harvey Eltham added a quick 42 allowing Oxon to declare and have ten overs at the visitors on the first evening, with Beds finishing on 39-1.

But any thoughts of a swift Oxon victory were quickly extinguished despite them taking a wicket in the first over of day two.

The visitors stuck to the task with Ben Slawinski and Ben Smith making 79 and 75 respectively.

With other useful contributions throughout, all four results were possible going into the last hour.

But Oxon held their nerve to take the last wicket ten overs from the end to wrap up victory.

Left-arm spinner Clarke was the pick of the Oxon bowlers with 2-63 from 21 accurate overs, while there also two wickets apiece for Matt Brown, Graham Beer and Dan Patey.

The win puts Oxon top of the table with a crunch clash away to second-placed Bucks at Amersham, starting on Tuesday.

Oxfordshire 18pts, Bedfordshire 6

OXFORDSHIRE Under 14s beat Netherlands Under 15s by 0.84 of a run on run rate in a rain-affected game at the Bromsgrove Festival.

Chasing Oxon’s 136-9 with Ollie Price (34) top-scoring, Netherlands saw their target reduced to 115 following rain, but finished on 114.

Oxon made it two wins out of two at the West Midlands venue with a six-wicket win over Norfolk.

SCORES

Oxon U14 136 (O Price 34), Netherlands U15 114-9 (B De Leede 42). Oxon won by 0.84 runs on run rate.

Norfolk U14 109 (34.4 ovs, C Nunn 36, T Chesser 3-14, G Williams 3-16), Oxon 111-4 (B Charlesworth 42no, 38.1 ovs).

OXFORDSHIRE Saxons Under 13s beat Cleethorpes CC Academy by 30 runs under the Duckworth/Lewis Method in their rain-hit Lincolnshire tour.

SCORES

Oxon Saxons U13 151-5 (25 ovs, C Oakey 31 ret, T Ferris 30ret), Cleethorpes Academy XI (18.5 ovs, A Lumby 30ret). Oxon won by 30 runs D/L Method.