THAME Town’s ability to win close matches again came to the fore as they beat Tring Park by five runs.

Remarkably, all three of their victories this season have come by that margin or finer.

Opener Michael Beard (42) held the innings together, combining well with Shahbaz Meer, who scored 68 at a run per ball.

They lost wickets regularly late on, but James Adams’ 29 not out proved vital to get them up to a defendable total of 189-8.

Tring’s openers put on 92 before falling in successive overs.

The visitors had wickets in hand, but disciplined bowling restricted their scoring.

They needed 12 to win off the final over, but Andrew Russell (2-48) limited them to just six to close out yet another narrow victory.

A destructive partnership helped Oxford to a 43-run victory at Buckingham Town.

George Tait (98) and Jamie Perkin (78) put on 176 in less than 18 overs to put the visitors in charge.

The pair hit seven sixes and 15 fours between them to put the pressure on Buckingham, who contributed 53 runs in extras as Oxford reached 271-5.

The hosts got closer than many would have thought, helped by 45 runs in extras.

Adam King top-scored with 75 but lacked support as they could only make 228-8.

Tait was the pick of the Oxford attack, taking 3-42.

Darryl Brown and Dwadesh Sehgal shared a club record third-wicket stand of 163 to set Horspath up for a third straight win with an emphatic 125-run victory at Slough.

The pair came together with Horspath in early trouble at 1-2 after they had elected to bat on a pitch which offered the bowlers plenty of encouragement.

However, Brown then hit 95 off 109 balls with eight fours, while Sehgal compiled a maiden half-century with 67 from 101 deliveries, including three boundaries, to take the visitors to 207-7.

Seamer Will Eason (3-19) made the early inroads into the Slough batting, before paceman Angus Livingstone blew away the rest of the order to record his first five-wicket haul with 5-18 as the hosts crashed to 82 all out.

Oxford Downs climbed to fourth as they thrashed winless Wargrave by 80 runs.

Freddie Smith (58) was the lynchpin in a solid start for the visiting side, who reached three figures for the loss of just one wicket.

Once Wargrave made inroads, they had success in running through the Oxford line-up as Neal Robinson (4-29) and Rhodri Lewis (3-29) held them to 168-9.

But any hopes the hosts might have had about claiming a first win of the season quickly vanished.

Lawrence Brock (3-30) did the damage at the top of the order, along with a run out.

Nick Rivett (4-19) then ripped out the middle order to ensure it was only a matter of time before Wargrave succumbed.

They were finally skittled in the 29th over for just 88.

Former leaders Banbury’s winless run was extended to three matches with a 52-run defeat at home to Great Brickhill.

Marcus Critchley (90) provided the backbone of the visitors’ 206-7, where Joe Thomas and Charles Hill took two wickets apiece.

Despite 32 from Oliver Clarke, when he was run out Banbury slipped to 74-5 in reply and never fully recovered.

Shazad Rana hit a battling 47 before he was last man out in the final over with Banbury well short of their victoy target, slipping to sixth in the process.

An unbeaten fifth-wicket stand of 103 sealed Aston Rowant’s defeat at home to Datchet.

Ben Brookes (80no) and Joseph Thomas (49no) steered the visitors to their target with more than four overs to spare.

After being put in, the thrust of Rowant’s innings came from skipper Josh Smith (42) and James Fitzjohn (40).

They put on 84 for the third wicket, but received little support until Max Mannering smashed 34 from 20 balls.

It got them to 203-8, which proved too light.