Oxford Downs were knocked off the top of the MP Sports Cherwell League Division 1 table for the first time this season when they suffered a second successive defeat on Saturday – at home to Buckingham Town.

Andrew Fletcher top-scored with 64 in Town’s 208 all out, while Simon Launder took 3-31 for Downs and Daryl Johnson 3-60.

Jason Ell (5-54) and Vishal Valambhia (3-41) then combined to dismiss Downs for 145, with only Oliver Bailey (40) putting up much resistance.

So Downs have gone from being 32 points ahead of Cumnor to four points behind in the space of eight days.

Oxford Downs 7pts, Buckingham Town 25.

A positive declaration set up 68-tun home win for Shipton-under-Wychwood over Bourton Vale. Skipper Simon Hole hit 90 and Graham Newhook 51 to allow Hole to call his players in after 50 overs with the score on 256-9.

Nick Anderson took 4-49 from 13 overs for Vale, but only Jack Boone (42) and John Nicholson (35) of the visiting batsmen showed much resolve against paceman Ryan Newhook (4-49) as they slipped to 188 all out.

Shipton-under-Wychwood 25, Bourton Vale 7.

Oxford 2nd collected their first win of the month and leapfrogged their opponents Bletchley Town as a result.

Town had started well by restricting Oxford to 141 all out.

Ricardo Brown wrapped up the innings with 3-12 after Mark Sheehan (54) and James Smith (30) had been the only visiting batsmen to get going.

But Mark Murfett then took 4-31 and Wasim Mehmood 3-9 as Town tumbled to 98 all out and a 43-run defeat.

Bletchley Town 5, Oxford 2nd 25 Andy Harris captured 4-16 in an impressive 13-over spell as Great & Little Tew bundled out Leighton Buzzard Town for only 98.

Tew lost one early wicket, but no more as Edmund Gross (50no) and Harry Smith (43no) steered the home side to a nine-wicket win that dumped Town into the bottom two.

Great & Little Tew 25, Leighton Buzzard Town 1.