Richard Kaufman’s maiden Minor Counties Championship century saved Oxfordshire from defeat against Wiltshire on the final day of their Western Division clash at Trowbridge.

The Old Northamptonians batsman, whose previous best score in 20 Oxon three-day appearances had been 75, led the rearguard action to finish unbeaten on 130 as Oxon held on for a draw at 260-9 in their second innings.

Kaufman batted for four hours and 33 minutes, facing 271 balls and hitting 19 fours.

It was a gutsy knock as for much of the day Oxon looked as if they were heading for defeat after Wiltshire added 57 to their overnight score to declare their second innings on 222-6.

It left Oxon 362 to win off a minimum of 81 overs.

But that target quickly proved superfluous as they collapsed to 27-4.

Simon Hole was the first to go, caught by Greg Lamb off Richard Crick with the score on 16.

Richard West was bowled by Wesley Durston three runs later, and then Chris Sandbach and Shahbaz Ali fell to successive deliveries from Pat Turk.

Jack Taylor survived the hat-trick ball and went on to share a stand of 84 with Kaufman before being trapped lbw by Durston for 34 to leave Oxon 111-5.

And when skipper Ian Hawtin was adjudged lbw to Turk off the last ball before tea, Oxon still had it all to do at 156-6.

But Kaufman stood firm, and Daniel Rowe joined him to add 65 for the seventh wicket, before the latter gave a bat-pad catch to Joe Breet at silly mid-on off Durston.

And when Durston won an lbw decision against Ed Smith with his next delivery, Wiltshire were really sensing victory.

But Keith Arnold survived the hat-trick ball, and took up valuable time, before he was lbw, giving Durston’s figures of 5-96.

That left last man Jimmy Phillips to negotiate the last seven overs with Kaufman, which they did with out any alarms to earn a battling draw.

OXFORDSHIRE Development XI take on Bedfordshire in a two-day Tom Orford Trophy match switched from Dunstable to Sandford St Martin, starting on Wednesday. Oxfordshire Devlopment XI: R West (Oxford Downs, capt), A Jewell (Aston Rowant), T Geeson-Brown (Great & Little Tew), Amin Rafiq (Bicester & North Oxford), Zia Hamid (Oxford), Wasim Mehmood (Oxford), Shahbaz Alam (Cumnor), Jehan Mohammed (Oxford), E Phillips (Banbury), J Phillips (Challow & Childrey), A Harris (Great & Little Tew), C Watling (Aston Rowant).