OXFORDSHIRE succumbed to a heavy defeat as Chris Peploe took eight wickets for Berkshire at Challow yesterday.

The 36-year-old left-arm spinner, once tipped as a successor to Phil Tufnell at Middlesex, returned remarkable figures of 8-15 from 20.2 overs as Oxon subsided in their second innings from 103-3 to 131 all out.

This gave the visiting county a massive victory in the Western Division match by an innings and 53 runs.

On Monday, Peploe had scored a brilliant century to turn the match irreversibly Berkshire’s way.

Oxon resumed the final day on 55-2 in the second innings, still trailing Berkshire by 129 runs.

All went well at first with youngsters Tom Condon and Jordan Garrett taking their third-wicket stand to 60.

But it all changed when Garrett was caught at cover for 36 to give Peploe his first wicket.

The innings ground to a halt. Condon became the first of four batsmen to edge turning deliveries to James Morris at slip to end his dogged innings of 40 from 139 balls.

In a spell of 14 overs, Oxon lost five wickets for just four runs as Peploe and fellow spinner Akbar Raja dominated the passive home batsmen.

Richard Kaufman, James Fitzjohn and Ollie Clarke all fell for ducks, while Harvey Eltham hung around for 24 balls for two

At least Leo Bethell was caught on the boundary having a swing.

However, it was not long before last man Brad Taylor was caught at leg slip to end Oxon’s innings on 131 ten minutes before lunch.

Watching all this from the other end was Oxon skipper Jonny Cater, who was unbeaten on 17, having faced 78 deliveries.

Unusually, in an innings lasting 67.2 overs there was not a single extra.

Oxon’s passive display made it hard watching.

Their supporters will be hoping for a better performance in their final Championship match away to Cheshire from August 13 to 15.