OXFORDSHIRE Under 17s went top of the ECB Division 2B Championship table with a win on first innings in a rain-affected clash against Bedfordshire at Stonesfield The hosts dismissed Beds for 94, before passing the target with just two wickets down and going on to reach 233-8 before rain on day two led to an early finish.

Skipper George Tait was the pick of the Oxon attack, taking 3-2.

The home side were quickly reduced to 6-2, but a superb third-wicket stand of 89 between Andrew Francis and Tait (69) saw Oxon over the line.

They batted on in search of bonus points, reaching 233-8 as Powell struck 44 and Tom Gould 30 not out.

They now travel to Marlow to play Buckinghamshire next week with a chance of clinching the division title.

Anton Eisner (3-22) and James Coles (3-30) helped Oxfordshire Under 14s to dismiss Berkshire for 149 in their ECB County Cup game at Faringdon, but rain prevented Oxon starting their reply.

Meanwhile, the county’s Under 13s lost by 89 runs to Berkshire.

Despite Charlie Symonds’s figures of 4-44, Berkshire made 210-9 from their 40 overs, before Oxon slipped to 211 all out.

In a friendly game reduced to 15 overs per side, Oxfordshire under 12s rattled up 115-3 away to Bedfordshire, thanks to Dylan Driscoll’s 59 from 44 balls. The hosts fell 18 runs short on 97-9.

Oxfordshire Under 10s lost by ten wickets to Wiltshire after being bowled out for 47 at Cropredy.

l THERE were two successes for Oxfordshire Girls Under 17s in the ECB T20 Championship at Kidderminster.

In the first match against Worcestershire, Oxon recovered from 5-2 to 151-5, thanks to excellent innings from Sophie Mitchelmore (63no) and Rachael Potter (45).

Rain then reduced the target and the overs, but Oxon won by restricting the hosts to just 54-5 from nine overs In the second game, Bucks set a competitive total of 125-4 and reduced Oxon to 20-3, before Ellie Noble scored 65 from 48 balls to see her side home with four wickets and 3.3 overs to spare.

Oxfordshire Girls Under 15s were shot out for just nine runs in their ECB County Championship clash against Shropshire at Alberbury.

Earlier, Nashwa Shah (4-22) and Kate Brine (3-7) had restricted the hosts to 88.

Clemmie Boyd (3-20) was the pick of the bowlers as Oxfordshire Girls Under 13s limited Berkshire to 166-6 from 35 overs in their County League game at Bicester & North Oxford.

Boyd then made 43 in Oxon’s reply of 112-9.