MP Sports Cherwell League - Div 1 Graham Scott's Match of the Day

Oxford Downs’ ambitious plans to win the Division 1 title within the next three years got off to an encouraging start on the opening day of the new season.

Although the Standlake-based club failed to see off west Oxfordshire rivals Shipton-under-Wychwood, they dominated a drawn match that they never looked like losing.

New skipper Darryl Woods, who joined Downs from Bicester & North Oxford in January, lost his first toss and found himself facing the first ball, bowled by Joe Cockroft – who soon had him caught behind.

But opening partner Wes Bartlett took a shine to the other Shipton seamers, prompting the visitors to turn to veteran spinners Shaun Miller and Jon Hartley to stem the tide.

Hartley (4-55) eventually removed Bartlett for 63 and another Downs new boy, Andrew Buckingham, for the same score, while Miller took 3-75 at the other end in a marathon 20-over spell.

After tea, the home side soon made inroads into the Shipton batting line-up, with Lester Smart taking 3-50.

And with leg spinner Daryl Johnson capturing 3-21 from nine overs, there seemed to be only one winner.

But Hartley hit 30 before Craig Wood (46no) held up the hosts in a hard fought sixth-wicket partnership with Miller (21), as Shipton held out for a share of the spoils on 173-7.

Oxford Downs 14pts, Shipton 11