Cherwell League.

Division 1.

Rain prevented Horspath extending their winning start to six matches just as they were closing in on victory at Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts on Saturday.

Nondies were struggling on 103-8, with Shabaz Alam (30) back in the pavilion and Will Eason (4-40) and Patrick Foster (3-31) in command, when the match ended 11 overs early.

Horspath had earlier struggled against Ross Brown (4-43) and Mark Strong (3-27), and had relied on Foster (49) to help them reach 145 all out.

* Oxford & Bletch Nondescripts 6pts, Horspath 16. Horspath still increased their lead because rain also denied Oxford Downs the chance of victory at Great & Little Tew.

Mark Wingfield-Digby took 5-29 from 12 overs to put Downs in control, as Tew tumbled to 142 all out in their final over.

Ashley Hubbert (39) and Harry Smith (31) scored nearly half of the home side’s runs between them.

Matt Taylor then took 3-11 from seven overs to leave Downs on 74-3 in the 25th over when the rain came.

Great & Little Tew 12, Oxford Downs 5. Great Brickhill all-rounder Garth Davson came out on top of a titanic battle with Cumnor’s talisman Ali Morteza.

Davson hit 47 in Brickhill’s 218 all out and then took 5-31 as the home side succumbed for 169 and so suffered their first defeat.

Morteza captured 6-66 before the interval and struck some lusty blows in his 73 afterwards, but his efforts were in vain.

The other star of the show was Doug Aris, who was unbeaten on 97 in Brickhill’s innings.

* Cumnor 8, Great Brickhill 25. Banbury 2nd stay bottom after their match at Buckingham Town was abandoned just as it was coming to the boil.

Anish Desai (55) and Adam Wirth (47) helped the visitors reach 206-7.

Rob Lightfoot then hit 36 and Platts plundered 31 for Town, who were 132-5 with 12 overs remaining when rain prevented any further action.

* Buckingham Tn 5, Banbury 2nd 15. James Sprittles (5-50) and Wasim Fayyaz (4-25) put Bletchley Town in a strong position at the halfway stage of their match at Leighton Buzzard Town.

Antony Francis and Dan Scott scored 39 apiece for Buzzard, who fought back through Alan Priestley (5-33) to leave Bletchley teetering on 124-9 when rain arrived with three overs left.

* L Buzzard Tn 17, Bletchley Tn 6.