WESTBURY secured the ‘Covid-19’ title as they defeated Cumnor by 25 runs in the Tier 1 play-off final at Park Field.
It had been a strange, hastily re-arranged Cherwell League season and the decider provided a fitting conclusion as Westbury clinched their maiden top-flight crown.
Westbury won the toss and had no hesitation in choosing to bat first, with a 57-run opening stand between Tanuj Chopra and Olly Tice getting the visitors off to a solid start.
Both soon fell to the bowling of George Bacon, Chopra for 38 and Tice for 52.
But another fine partnership, of 70, between captain Tom Gurney (52) and Sam Harper took Westbury to 132-3.
Charlie Williams smashed 30 off 15 balls as Westbury finished their 40 overs on 190-6.
Cumnor’s reply faltered early as they fell to 44-4, with Ollie Gray, Michael Race, Sam Cross and Will Bull falling cheaply.
A stand of 62 between Joe Dale (51) and Tom Powell (20) gave them hope, but the hosts never recovered and were bowled out in the 38th over for 165.
Twyford saw off hosts Sandford St Martin by five wickets after an impressive run chase.
Chris Thompson (79) and Muhammad Saqib (65) helped Sandford to 203 all out, but Twyford eased to the target with six overs left as Haroon Qayyum hit 76 and Shahbaz Alam 38 not out.
Aston Rowant 2nd won the battle of the third-placed teams, beating hosts Didcot by 21 runs.
Rowant set 187 all out, Rishi Pandya top-scoring with 36 and Richard Cook and Oscar Bean taking three wickets apiece.
Adam Webb hit 44 for the home side, and, helped by a well-constructed 30 from youngster Jacob Townsend, Didcot got close, but they were all out in the 38th over for 166.
A century from Archie Davis was in vain as Tiddington lost by 42 runs at Banbury 2nd.
The hosts set 215-7, but despite Davis hitting 101, Tiddington were all out for 173.
Bledlow Village saw off Cropredy by six wickets, while Challow & Childrey beat Buckingham 2nd by the same margin.
Buckingham set 170 all out as Will Humphries took 4-40 and Ross Packham 3-31.
Ryan Gordon then struck 64 and Freddie Robson 46 to ease Challow to 172-4.
Meanwhile, Dinton triumphed over Abingdon Vale by three wickets.
Brackley won the Tier 2 play-off match as they edged out Thame Town 2nd by two wickets in a low-scoring affair.
The hosts won the toss and put their opponents into bat, before proceeding to skittle them out for a paltry 78 in 37.1 overs.
But Thame did not let Brackley have it all their own way and the eventual winners were eight wickets down before reaching the target.
Horspath 2nd hammered Minster Lovell by eight wickets in the second-place play-off.
Minster batted first and were bowled out for 166, James Mattinson top-scoring with 62 and Asad Rafiq taking 4-20.
Horspath cruised to 167-2 with five overs to spare as Dom O’Connor struck 80 not out.
A century for Pablo Mukherjee proved in vain for Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts as they were defeated by four wickets by visitors Long Marston 2nd.
Nondies set 223-7 as Mukherjee scored exactly 100.
But 61 from Edward Robinson and 59 from James Beesley saw Marston to 226-6 to secure victory.
Elsewhere, Oxford 2nd won by 47 runs against Banbury 3rd.
Jamie Rawal (49) helped Oxford to 224 all out, before Arthur Muir claimed 3-39 as Banbury were held to 177, despite 50 not out from Kieran Churchill.
Oxford Downs 2nd fell to a two-wicket defeat at Great Brickhill 2nd.
They put up a good fight after being skittled for only 70, however, as Steve Roberts took 4-24 in Brickhill’s stuttering run chase.
But the home side steadied themselves and reached 72-8 to claim victory.
Horley saw off hosts Witney Mills by four wickets after chasing down the their opponents’ 168-8 with three overs remaining.
Elsewhere, Leighton Buzzard Town beat Stokenchurch by five wickets in a low-scoring match.
Meanwhile, Horspath 3rd secured the Tier 3 title as they edged out Aston Rowant 3rd by six runs.
Dan Todd top-scored with 36 as Horspath set 155-7 in their 40 overs.
Jamie Revill hit 71 in Rowant’s reply, but he had little support as his side fell to 149 all out with more than seven overs to spare.
A half-century and 3-35 for Kieran Beesley helped Didcot 2nd to an 87-run win at Abingdon Vale 2nd.
Didcot were bowled out for 218 before Vale fell for 131, Rob Hook hitting 53.
Toby Parker’s fine figures of 5-17 helped Great & Little Tew 2nd to a 90-run win at Tiddington 2nd.
Leighton Buzzard 2nd claimed the Tier 4 title as they beat Leighton Buzzard 2nd by four wickets.
Sandford set 161-9 in their 40 overs, Colin Simpson hitting 60, but Buzzard reached 162-6 to secure the title as John Purdy struck 44 not out.
Thirteen-year-old leg-spinner Henry Welch returned superb figures of 5-17 to help Oxford Downs 3rd to a 104-run win over Cropredy 2nd.
Downs had earlier set 196-5, Toby Collins hitting 82, before Welch spun Downs to victory as Cropredy fell to 92 all out.
Thame Town 3rd landed the Tier 5 crown as they beat Horspath 4th by three wickets.
Jamie Stead (80no) held Horspath's innings together as they reached 162-8, but 49 from Justin Avery saw Thame home at 165-7.
Thame Town 4th bowled Bicester & North Oxford 3rd out for only 62, before easing to 63-3, to win the Tier 6 title.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here