CRICKET: Round-up from the latest round in the Cherwell League

Tiddington asked their hosts to bat first – and briefly, that looked a good decision as opener Harry Kent fell for three and No 3 Justin Penrose went for a first ball duck.

But Gordon shared a 63-run stand with Tom Heath (60), before the big-hitting batsman took the Tiddington attack apart with a series of brutal shots.

Gordon struck 19 fours and two sixes as he smashed 122, sharing a fourth-wicket partnership of 107 with Mark Foster (35no).

Challow declared one over early on 282-5, with Tiddington’s Rob Lutton the pick of the attack with 3-59.

• Ryan Gordon celebrates his 122

In their reply, Tiddington lost Archie Davis and Will Cooper early, but a fine knock of 72 from Max Smith steadied the ship for the visitors.

However, a steady loss of wickets meant that Tiddington fell behind the run rate, and eventually had to shut up shop for the draw.

In the end, they managed to do that, but only just.

They were 207-9 at the close, Ross Packham taking 3-40.

• Challow 20pts, Tiddington 6

Oxford Downs had to settle for a draw in their match at Twyford, but remain clear at the top of the table.

Downs set 262-9 in their 53 overs as in-form George Sandbach scored yet another century (118).

Zabihullah Saeed took 5-41 for Twyford, who then made a spirited run chase.

But they finished just short on 256-8, Atif Ali top-scoring with 68 not out and Sandbach taking 3-53.

• Twyford 12pts, Oxford Downs 16

Great Brickhill are now just 18 points behind the table-toppers after beating Long Marston by four wickets.

They dismissed their visitors for 161, Garth Davson taking 3-38.

Mark Nelson then hit 59 and Marcus Critchley 51 as Brickhill reached 164-6 in just 22 overs.

• Great Brickhill 25pt, Long Marston 9

Banbury 2nd racked up 264-9 at Cumnor, but the home side frustrated Banbury as they blocked out for a draw.

Tom Bartlett hit 98, with George Tait and Will Briggs both contributing 45 to Banbury’s total.

Cumnor never got close and were held in check by Richard Simpson (4-34).

The hosts shut up shop to close on 161-8.

• Cumnor 7pts, Banbury 2nd 19

Abingdon Vale were frustrated by bottom side Buckingham 2nd.

Four of Vale’s top five made starts, but none could go on, all falling in their 20’s.

The visitors were grateful to a tenth-wicket stand of 56 between Paul Butcher, who showed a welcome return to form with 55, and Paul White which took them to 198 all out.

Abingdon started brightly and ripped through the hosts’ top order.

But that merely prompted the basement boys to shut up shop, and they batted out for a draw at 123-8, despite Joe Butcher’s 4-41.

• Buckingham 2nd 6pts, Abingdon Vale 18

DIVISION 2

TIM Morgan and Thad Cooper shone for Aston Rowant 2nd as they beat basement boys Sandford St Martin by seven wickets.

Visitors Sandford would have been satisfied with their 264-7 after winning the toss and batting, Mark Robey top-scoring with 53.

But, with Morgan hitting a superb 116 not out and Cooper 95, Rowant won the match with an over to spare on 265-3.

• A Rowant 2nd 25pts, Sandford SM 8

Westbury marched on at the top of the table, although they were denied maximum points by a resolute Cropredy.

Westbury used all their 53 overs to rack up 316-9, Olly Tice hitting 83, William Gurney 79 and Tom Gurney 58.

But they were made to pay for not declaring as Cropredy crawled to 139-8 in their 47 overs, only Saim Hussain (60) getting going.

• Westbury 19pts, Cropredy 6

Leighton Buzzard Town’s Lee Selfe returned superb figures of 9-72 against Oxford 2nd, but it was Oxford who secured a 42-run victory.

Oxford were all out for 242, Abdullah Sadiqi top-scoring with 67 not out.

Buzzard fell for 200 in reply as Durness Mackay-Champion took 5-69.

Oxford had five points docked for failing to provide a scorer.

• Oxford 2nd 20pts, Leighton Buzzard Tn 9

Horspath 2nd lost by one wicket at Bledlow Village.

The visitors set 266-8, Chris Jones hitting 81 and Dominic O’Connor 52.

Will Woodward (97), Michael Winson (70) and Harry Bartlett (64) then led the hosts to 268-9 for the narrowest of victories.

• Bledlow Village 25pts, Horspath 2nd 14

Didcot held on comfortably for a draw at home to Wolverton Town.

Richard Cook claimed 5-88 for the hosts as Wolverton were all out for 240, Atif Akhlaq hitting 63 and Chris King 57.

Will Woodley then top-scored with 40 not out as Didcot opted for the draw, finishing on 165-6.

• Didcot 8, Wolverton Tn 17

DIVISION 3

MATT Woods took 5-38 as Bicester & North Oxford cruised to an eight-wicket victory at Oxford Downs 2nd to stay clear at the top.

Downs opted to bat, but were quickly skittled out for 99 as Woods shone with the ball.

Adam Stapleford then hit 45 and Stafford Sansome 30 not out as Bicester cruised to 100-2.

• Ox Downs 2nd 2pts, Bicester & NO 25

Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts returned to winning ways with a crushing 188-run win over visitors Cublington.

Charlie Bethell top-scored with 58 in Nondies’ 283-7 – which proved way beyond the visitors, who were shot out for 95.

Arfan Ahmed (5-43) and Rustum Rabani (5-49) starred.

• Ox & Bletch Nond 25pts, Cublington 3

Great & Little Tew 2nd moved off the foot of the table as they hammered Minster Lovell by seven wickets.

Minster were bowled out for 203, Connor Tinsley top-scoring with 62.

Markus Jeacock then hit 107 not out and Toby Parker 60 as Tew cruised to 207-3 with six overs to spare.

• Great Tew 2nd 25pts, Minster Lovell 7

Horley saw off local rivals Banbury 3rd by 44 runs.

Steve Palmer hit 98 not out in Horley’s 254 all out, Josh Taylor taking 3-49.

Veteran Mike Simpson then made 51 not out in Banbury’s reply, but they were bowled out for 210, Dave Eaton taking 5-68.

• Horley 25pts, Banbury 3rd 9

Stokenchurch could not prise out Great Brickhill 2nd’s last man, and had to settle for a draw.

Batting first, Stokenchurch were all out for 287 as Josh Triggs hit 119.

Triggs then took 5-30 in Brickhill’s reply, but they clung on at 156-9.

• Stokenchurch 20pts, Gt Brickhill 2nd 7

DIVISION 4

THAME Town 2nd continued their title push, beating Tiddington 2nd by 62 runs.

Harry Thomas hit 41 not out in Thame’s 202-8, Patrick Knightley taking 4-50.

Tiddington then fell to 140 all out in reply as Dan Patey claimed 5-47.

• Tiddington 2nd 5pts, Thame Tn 2nd 25

There was a tense finish at Long Marston 2nd as East Oxford kept up the pressure on the leaders with a one-wicket win.

Jahangir Qureshi took 5-18 as Long Marston were all out for 179.

Quereshi then hit 52 to steer East Oxford home, but only just, as they edged to 181-9.

• Long Marston 2nd 12pts, East Oxford 25

Abingdon Vale 2nd saw off visitors Charlbury by five wickets.

David Emerson took 4-25 as Charlbury were dismissed for 131.

Jonathan Cummings rode his luck for an unbeaten 47 and Rob Hood hit a quickfire 41 to steer Vale to 133-5.

• Abingdon Vale 2nd 25pts, Charlbury 7

Witney Mills slumped to a five-wicket defeat at Bletchley Town.

The visitors were bowled out for 155, Niall Devaney scoring 51.

Bletchley reached the target in the 39th over as Asad Mahmood hit 46.

Bletchley had five points docked for failing to provide a scorer.

• Bletchley Tn 20pts, Witney Mills 7

Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd toiled for 45 overs without taking a wicket as they crashed to a 97-run defeat at Brackley.

The hosts declared on 261-0, Adam Wirth hitting 158 not out and Eric Carpenter 67 not out.

In their reply, Callum Taylor hit 102, but Shipton fell to 164 all out as Rob Cartwright took 7-66.

Brackley also had five points deducted for having no scorer.

• Brackley 20pts, Shipton 2nd 3

DIVISION 5

CROPREDY 2nd hammered visitors Cumnor 2nd by 118 runs to stay top.

Jamie Jennings hit 61 in Cropredy’s 253-5.

Cumnor fell for 135 in their reply, Harry Walters taking 5-55.

Cropredy remain just one point clear at the summit in a tight league.

• Cropredy 25pts, Cumnor 2nd 4

Aston Rowant 3rd stayed hot on the heels of the leaders as they eased past visitors Horspath 3rd by seven wickets.

Jamie Revill took 3-28, Ben Taunton claimed 3-58 and Tim Foster returned 2-26 off 17 overs as Horspath were dismissed for 135.

Rowant then eased home in 27 overs as Revill hit 35 not out, Mark Walker 34 and Adrain Summons 31.

• A Rowant 3rd 25pts, Horspath 3rd 5

Didcot 2nd posted a fine three-wicket win at Dinton 2nd.

The home side were bowled out for 180, Kieran Beesley taking 3-37.

In reply, brothers Connor Morrison (64) and Jordan Morrison (47) combined to lead Didcot to 181-7 in the 45th over.

• Dinton 2nd 10pts, Didcot 2nd 25

Alex Bowles hit a century for Kingston Bagpuize, who saw off visitors Kimble by 122 runs.

Bowles struck 103 in Kingston’s 234 all out.

Colin Allen then claimed 4-28 as Kimble were shot out for just 112 in their reply to secure a comfortable succ-ess.

• Kingston Bagpuize 25pts, Kimble 6

An unbeaten century and a six-wicket haul for Sam Ornbo helped Chearsley to a 108-run win at Leighton Buzzard Town 2nd.

Ornbo hit 112 not out in Chearsley’s 224-8, and then took 6-35 as Buzzard were rolled over for 116.

• L Buzzard Tn 2nd 4pts, Chearsley 25

DIVISIONS 6-10

TWYFORD 2nd’s Ben Elkington was the star of the show as his brilliant century saw his side to an eight-wicket win at Minster Lovell 2nd in Division 6.

Ashley Horne (74) and Jacob Mayers (62) helped Minster to 237-7 in their 53 overs.

But they reckoned without Elkington’s excellent 131, as Twyford eased to 240-2.

A century for Rory Wilson helped Aston Rowant 4th to a six-wicket win at Didcot 3rd in Division 7.

Earlier, Jim Head had struck 108 not out in Didcot’s 230-5, but Wilson (101) and David Coates (66) saw Rowant to 231-4 with six overs to spare.

Steve Richardson’s 7-22 saw Horspath to a four-wicket win over Bledlow Village 2nd.

Richardson’s haul helped to dismiss Bledlow for 182, before Adam Thompson (67no) led Horspath to 183-6.

In Division 8, Joe Durie struck an unbeaten 106 in Challow & Childrey 3rd’s six-wicket win at home to Brackley 2nd.

Chasing Brackley’s 198-8, Durie saw Challow home in just 28.3 overs.

Michael Rae hit 102 not out as Charlbury 2nd thrashed visitors Long Marston 3rd by eight wickets.

There was an excellent century for Matthew Weekes, who hit 118 in Tiddington 3rd’s 183-run win over hosts Oxford 4th in Division 9.