OXFORDSHIRE are on the brink of their first defeat in four games after a day to forget against Cornwall.

The hosts endured a nightmare with the bat at Banbury, slipping to 135 all out in their second innings of the Western Division clash.

It came after Cornwall had been dismissed for 270 – a lead of 24 – in the Unicorns Counties Championship fixture.

But Oxon’s batting woes left them in trouble, with the visitors moving to within 104 with all ten wickets standing.

With Cornwall resuming on 90-3, the hosts started well when Gareth Andrew (4-43) had Sam Wood caught by Brad Taylor at mid-wicket off the final ball of the first over.

The visitors were soon restricted to 103-5 when Thomas Rowe also fell to the seamer.

But Matthew Rowe (74) led Cornwall’s revival, spearheading partnerships of 69 and 72 with Paul Smith (41) and Scott Harvey (37) respectively as they moved to 261-7.

Oxon then took the last three wickets for nine runs as the visitors secured a first-innings lead of 24.

However, the home side’s second innings started disastrously.

Seamer Will Harris (6-47) swung the ball on a cloudy day to rip through the top order and leave Oxon reeling on 46-5.

Olly Clarke, who top-scored with 37 off 81 deliveries, and Owyn Tong-Jones steadied the ship with a sixth-wicket partnership of 58.

But after the former was trapped leg before by Andrew Libby, Oxon slipped from 104-6 to 135 all out.

Leading by only 111 runs, the hosts needed early wickets to lift their spirits.

But Cornwall openers Sam Wyatt and Matthew Robins were happy to bat out the remaining seven overs with only eight runs scored.