Serious Cricket Home Counties Premier League

Oxford youngster Wasim Mehmood has been ruled out for three to four weeks with a hamstring injury.

The teenage batsman misses Saturday’s Division 1 trip to High Wycombe after picking up the problem in last week’s defeat at Banbury.

Mehmood is replaced by the experienced Ian Evans, who joins his twin brother Philip in the side.

Oxford captain Jason Harrison, who made a century against Banbury, said: “We are going with a second spinner in Ian and he also gives us options with the bat.

“Last week, we just couldn’t get any momentum with the bat.

“We started quite well, but wickets fell at regular intervals.

“We were still in the game when they were 89-4, but Richard West and Lloyd Sabin played beautifully.

“From our point of view, we were very disappointed.

“After a fantastic all-round performance the week before, it was a pretty poor one the week afterwards.

“We played pretty well throughout pre-season and this was our first blip.”

West is unavailable for Banbury’s home derby with Aston Rowant, so new signing, all-rounder Ollie Wright, comes in for his debut.

Skipper Ian Hawtin said Wright would give his team an extra bowling option.

He added: “We needed to win the Oxford game after the first week was rained off.

“It was important that we got off to a positive start.

“We know some of the Rowant players and used to play them in pre-season friendlies.

“It is good that another Oxfordshire side is in the Premier League.

Rowant prop up the table after two matches and will hope to fare better than last week’s 154-run home hammering by Harpenden.

Second-placed Thame Town are unchanged for the visit of third-placed Reading in Division 2 West.

Vice-captain Michael Higgs said: “We have made a good start to the season and want to keep that going.”

Banbury (v Aston Rowant, home): Wright, Tew, Haupt, Hawkes, L Sabin, E Phillips, Ryan, Hawtin (capt), Blanchard, J Phillips, Gutheridge.

Aston Rowant (v Banbury, away): from Morgan, Jewell, Todd, Watling, Morrick (capt), Lyon, Lewis, T Needham, Penhale, Humphreys, Dutton, Leaney, Whatman.

Oxford (v High Wycombe, away): Sandbach, Harrison (capt), Laudat, Ferraby, I Evans, Crosby, Hole, J Evans, Mendis, Van Dyk, P Evans.

Thame Town (v Reading, home): Beard, P Patel, Jeffcock, Damaina, Bhatti, Parmar, Barnett, Higgs, Lachlan (capt), Rooney, S Patel.