A STUNNING spell of bowling by Joe Thomas earned Great & Little Tew a miraculous 25-run victory in their Home Counties Division 2 game at Amersham on Saturday.

The visitors seemed doomed to a heavy defeat after being shot out for just 79.

But the tall left-arm spinner then produced stunning figures of 8-20 off 10.5 overs as the home side were dismissed for just 54.

Put in to bat on a green pitch, Tew had no answer to the seam bowling of Sam Helm, who captured 6-20 from ten overs. The only batsman to cope was Tim Wyatt, who top-scored with 28.

The west Oxfordshire side looked down and out.

But Thomas, opening the bowling, ripped through the Amersham batting with his sensational figures.

Good support came from Robbie Shurmer (2-33) as the hosts were dismissed in 20.5 overs to give Tew their first victory in five games.

Despite superb displays from the Miller family, Shipton-under-Wychwood suffered a 72-run defeat at home to Wokingham to stay rooted to the bottom of the table.

Veteran Shaun Miller took 5-88 in 21 overs of controlled left-am spin as Wokingham reached 254-8 declared from 57 overs.

Only Dan Housego mastered Miller with a brilliant 109 from 158 balls. Shipton skipper Anupam sanklecha had a rare off day with the ball, taking 1-87.

Then Shaun’s son, Charlie, shone as he hit a sparkling 90 from 85 balls with three sixes and 11 fours to dominate Shipton’s reply.

However, apart from Anupam Sanklecha (34), he received little support as the hosts were all out for 182, Lewis Sharp taking 4-28.

Aston Rowant’s lead at the top of Division 1 was cut to four points when they were involved in a closely-fought draw with at home to Henley.

In a low-scoring contest, the hosts were 11 runs short of victory at the close, with two wickets in hand.

Put in to bat, Henley were dismissed for 165 in 59 overs, their only major innings coming from opener Mike Roberts (44) and Richard Morris, who put on 82 for the third wicket.

Seamer Wes Morrick took 5-74 in 27 overs, while spinners Dan Moriarty and Adam Muttitt mopped up the lower order.

Rowant seemed to have the match won when a third-wicket stand of 98 between Tom Condon (48) and skipper Josh Smith (59) took them to 113-2.

But then Condon was run out and Tom Nugent (5-42) broke through the middle order and Rowant finished on 155-8 in 61 overs.

Henley were deducted one point for a slow over-rate.

In a thrilling finish, Banbury lost by six runs at home to second-placed Slough, who are now just behind Rowant.

Slough made 163 all out after being put in, six of the wickets falling to the spin of Steven Green and Richard West.

Banbury also struggled and at 100-8 seemed doomed to defeat.

But the resourceful West (57) dominated a ninth-wicket stand of 53 with Graham Beer, who made seven off 41 balls, before West fell with two overs left to leave Banbury 157 all out.

Oxford’s miserable season continued when they lost by eight wickets at home to Finchampstead.

Having been put in to bat, the hosts crashed to 86 all out in just 21.1 overs.

Calvin Dickinson top-scored with 18, the rest of the batsmen fell to opening bowlers Darron Augustus (4-30) and Ryan Quinn (4-33).

Finchampstead knocked off the runs inside 25 overs.

Horspath were denied victory by Tring Park’s last pair after Darryl Brown came close to back-to-back centuries and Jamil Faruq claimed a five-wicket haul.

Brown, who made 118 against Oxford last week, hit 96 as the visitors posted 240 all out after choosing to bat.

Faruq then took 5-30 to push Tring to the brink.

But their last pair of Rory Criddle (37no) and Simon Stanway, who was undefeated on nought from 29 balls, held on as they closed on 160-9.

Bottom club Thame Town crashed to a 137-run defeat at home to High Wycombe.

After being put in, Wycombe’s openers Eliot Callis (136) and Ed Casterton (91) put on 229 for the first wicket as they reached 304-3 declared in just 53 overs.

In reply, Thame fell to the off-spin Adam Dobb (7-51) as they slumped to 167 all out in 46.5 overs.