Oxford Downs reached the semi-finals after a thrilling 25-run victory over Welsh side Cresselly.

Having made 208-9 in their 40 overs, Downs needed to bowl and field with real discipline to have any chance of progressing.

Cresselly began in confident fashion, but were never able to catch up with the run rate.

And once Downs' slow bowling trio of Steve Roberts (4-35), Richard West (3-24) and Matt Watts (2-35) found their stride, the game swung the hosts' way.

By then Downs had lost captain Wes Bartlett to a hamstring injury, so they were a bowler down, but Paddy Daniel proved a more than able stand-in skipper.

Cresselly opener Andrew Harris (48) looked well set before he spooned a catch to Roberts at mid-on when Watts took even more pace off the ball. That made it 108-3 and the visitors never really regained their momentum.

Roberts bowled the dangerous-looking Ryan Lewis, and then held a superb return catch in his next over to remove Damien Arthur.

The visitors needed 81 runs off the final ten overs with five wickets remaining, but like Downs beforehand, they struggled to accelerate and fell short.

Earlier, the start was delayed until 2.50pm after Cresselly's coach suffered a puncture on the M4.

Downs got off to a flier with Bartlett helping himself to a series of boundaries.

He and Frankie Crouch were scoring at seven runs an over and all looked rosy for the hosts.

Bartlett gave two difficult chances before going on to reach 70 off 55 balls.

He smashed ten fours and two sixes, while Crouch reached his fifty at a more sedate pace.

The pendulum started to swing when Cresselly introduced spinners Richard Harris and Lewis, but Downs were still 119-1 at the halfway point.

Jamie Perkin looked in typically belligerent form, but once he was bowled by Simon Cole, another spinner, Downs struggled to regain momentum.

The home batsmen were clearly feeling the pressure as West and James Ellwood both threw away their wickets with rash strokes.

Instead of accelerating in the final ten overs, Downs did the opposite, managing little more than 40 runs.

Richard Harris, Lewis and Simon Cole all finished with very respectable figures, but Downs' slow bowlers took up where they left off.