Spin twins Jimmy Phillips and Luke Ryan (pictured) came within an ace of bowling Banbury to victory at home to Reading on Saturday.

The pair, who performed well for Oxfordshire during the week, each took four wickets as struggling Reading finished on 205-9 in reply to Banbury's 267.

Reading actually put Banbury into bat, in the hope of making the most of early morning moisture in the pitch.

But Banbury got off to a flying start with a rapid opening stand of 59 between skipper Benji Hector and Chris Smith.

The in-form Craig Haupt was again Banbury's major batting star.

The big left-hander hammered 82 off 99 balls, to take his league tally of runs to an impressive 472 in six matches.

Veteran leg-spinner David Hartley spun his way through the lower order to finish with 7-103 from 24 overs as Banbury were bowled out in the last over of their allocation.

Ian Hawtin held the later part of the innings together with 31.

Banbury opened with off-spinner Phillips and left-arm Ryan, who bowled almost throughout the innings, sharing eight wickets as both bowled 25 overs.

When Reading's eighth wicket fell, there were still seven overs to go, but the ninth-wicket pair survived until the final over, leaving the last man to hold play out the final five balls for a draw.

f=Helvetica s=6q=cBANBURY q=fB Hector lbw Hartley43 C Smith c Barr b Aeri34 C Haupt c&b Hartley82 D Harding b Hartley37 L Ryan lbw Beaven0 P Taylor c Perkins b Hartley21 I Hawtin c Greyvenstein b Hartley31 O Murrey c Fray b Greyvenstein0 C Taylor c Greyvenstein b Hartley3 S Launder b Hartley0 J Phillips not out1 Extras15 Total (all out, 66 ovs)267 Fall: 1-59, 2-126, 3-192, 4-193, 5-207, 6-246, 7-252, 8-266, 9-266.

Bowling: Greyvenstein 11-1-40-1, Aeri 9-3-39-1, Peters 4-2-10-0, Hartley 24-0-103-7, Nasim 7-3-17-0, Beaven 11-1-48-1.

q=cREADING q=fJ Perkins c Harding b Ryan1 D Barnes b Phillips54 T Fray st Hawtin b Ryan38 L Beaven lbw Ryan21 D Barr c P Taylor b Phillips13 A Greyvenstein b Phillips37 B Aeri run out20 C Peters c Ryan b Phillips8 R Kirk not out2 D Hartley lbw Ryan7 K Nasim not out0 Extras4 Total (9 wkts, 54 ovs) 205 Fall: 1-3, 2-85, 3-112, 4-120, 5-131, 6-181, 7-195, 8-195, 9-205.

Bowling: Phillips 25-2-91-4, Ryan 25-4-99-4, S Launder 4-1-13-0.

q=cBanbury 15 pts, Reading 11 Headpadpad f=85 Helvetica Heavy l=8.5q=lLONG SPELL: Luke Ryan adpadpdapa