Oxfordshire finished top of Unicorns Counties Trophy Group 4, despite suffering a dramatic one-wicket defeat to Berkshire at Henley yesterday.

Luke Ryan’s side progress as group winners on run rate from Berkshire, and will now face a quarter-final tie against Group 3 runners-up Northumberland at Bicester & North Oxford on Sunday, June 14.

Oxon struggled to 155 all out after electing to bat first.

Hugo Darby and Joe White put on 60 for the first wicket.

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But the introduction of left-arm spinner Euan Brock (4-26) triggered a collapse as he took the wickets of Darby (36), Joe White, Jonny Cater and Richard Kaufman to leave Oxfordshire 88-4.

Off-spinner Harry Stephens (3-22) then dismissed Richard West, Luke Ryan and Chad Keegan.

When Ashley Blanchard fell to left-arm spinner Chris Peploe and Ollie Wright was run out, Oxon were 122-9.

Lloyd Sabin had stood firm, though, to make 52, with three fours and two sixes, before he was the last man out, having put on 33 with Will Rooney to give Oxon a chance.

Oxon then hit back with the ball. Keegan (3-23) had Hussain caught at second slip by Sabin, before Oxfordshire took five wickets for five runs to reduce Berkshire to 50-6, with the former Middlesex man bowling in tandem with left-arm spinner Ryan.

West’s off-spin accounted for Peploe and James Morris, who fell to a superb one-handed diving catch by Keegan at mid-wicket, to make it 90-8.

Brock helped take the score to 127, before he was trapped lbw by Kaufman, who then dropped a difficult chance off his own bowling from Carter.

The Berkshire tail-ender smashed an unbeaten 47 off 44 balls, with fours boundaries and two sixes, before Nugent pulled Kaufman through square leg for four to seal a thrilling victory for the hosts.