CRICKET: Mushtaq and Higgs shine to Thame Town clear at the top

It was a one-sided affair as Thame cruised home in just 15 overs after bowling the visitors out for 100.

Hassam Mushtaq was the pick of the Thame attack with 4-21, while Sam Lachlan took 3-30.

Thame wasted little time in their run chase, Mike Higgs hitting 55 not out to see them to 101-1.

The win sees Thame maintain their 15-point lead over Great Brickhill.

Twyford 2pts, Thame Tn 25

Cumnor were also in a hurry as they romped to an eight-wicket success at Wolverton.

The hosts chose to bat after winning the toss, but had no answer to the bowling of Adam Cook (4-36) and Andrew Russell (3-11) as they were shot out for 109 in the 31st over.

Matt Lake then hit a quick-fire 63 to inspire Cumnor to victory at 111-2 in the 19th over.

Wolverton Tn 3, Cumnor 25

Basement boys Oxford 2nd could not prise out Tiddington’s last wicket as they were denied what would have been their first win of the season.

Youngster Sulaiman Hussain top-scored with 49 in Oxford’s 179-7, and then picked up 3-41, which together with Malik Salim’s 5-55, kept Tiddington on the back foot.

Chris Goodman (46) top-scored for the visitors, but with every result possible going into the closing stages, they finished on 176-9 in what proved to be a thrilling draw.

Oxford 2nd 15, Tiddington 9

Banbury 2nd fell to a five-wicket defeat at title-chasing Great Brickhill.

Tom Bartlett hit an entertaining 68 in Banbury’s 183-8, Iqbal John claiming 5-35 for the Buckinghamshire side.

Mark Nelson then hit 71 and Nick Cadman 53 to see Brick-hill to 187-5, despite 3-26 from visiting skipper Charlie Hill.

Great Brickhill 25, Banbury 2nd 8

James Beesley took 4-19 to help Long Marston to a nine-wicket win over visitors Long Marston.

The visitors were skittled out for 60, and Long Marston took just ten overs to reach 62-1 for a crushing win.

Long Marston 25, Leighton Buzzard Tn 1

Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts shocked second-placed Aston Rowant 2nd with a four-wicket win in Division 2.
Andrew Dyer (80) and Hendrick Robyns (75) helped Rowant to 226 all out as Mark Strong picked up 5-52.
But, led by Pablo Mukherjee (50) and Chris Day (44), Nondies reached 227-6 in the 46th over, with Strong finishing unbeaten on 34.
Oxford & Bletch Nondes 25pts, 
Aston Rowant 2nd 11
Horspath 2nd stretched their lead at the top by easily seeing off a depleted Abingdon Vale by 71 runs.
Vale inserted Horspath at Hales Meadow, and, led by Kit Cutter (75) and Joey Todd (59), they rattled up 221-5.
Adam Krol then returned superb figures of 6-38 in Vale’s reply as their youthful line-up crashed to 150 all out, despite 53 from Amith Premkumar.
Abingdon 4, Horspath 2nd 25
Hamish Matthews hit 65 to help Challow & Childrey to a five-wicket win over visitors Sandford St Martin.
Earlier, Sandford had posted 178-9, with Nick Leader hitting 79 as Connor Jones (4-25) and Olly Dimbylow (4-49) shone for the home side.
Matthews’s half-century and 47 from Tim Linnane then led Challow to 181-5.
Challow 25, Sandford 8
There was a thrilling finish at Oxford Downs, who beat Didcot by one wicket off the final ball.
Ian Demain (62) saw Didcot post 165-8, with seamer Johnny Law taking 4-32.
Wasim Mehmood led the way in Downs’ reply with 41, while David Slade took 3-30 for Didcot.
But it was left to No 11 Jonny Meardon to scramble the winning run off the last ball.
Oxford Downs 25, Didcot 12
Great & Little Tew 2nd fell to a three-wicket defeat at Bledlow Village.
Tew were bowled out for 158, Harry Smith top-scoring with 41, while Matthew Pearce took 5-37.
Will Woodward then struck 73 for the home side to steer them to 159-7 in the 44th over.
Bledlow Village 25, Gt Tew 2nd 9

Blewbury & Wallingford maintained their Division 3 promotion challenge with a comfortable victory over visitors Oxford Downs 2nd on Saturday.
The hosts saw off the Standlake-based outfit by 29 runs to consolidate second spot, and keep their outside title hopes alive in the process.
Downs’ skipper Darryl Woods won the toss, and after back-to-back defeats in which his side had been shot out for less than 70, he decided to put Blewbury in to bat.
And Downs got off to a good start, removing opener Mark Carey lbw for two and Jamie Fraser for three.
But, led by Will Emmett, who hit an enterprising 97, Blewbury managed to reach 220 all out in the final over their innings.
Alex Ling claimed 4-43 and Gus Millar 3-27 for Downs.
Ian Caunce hit four sixes in a rapid opening knock of 45 for Downs, while Darryl Woods chipped in with 35 down the order.
But, with Scott Harris (4-86) and Fraser (3-24) bowling well in tandem, wickets fell at regular intervals for the visitors.
Downs kept going for the victory, but lost their final four wickets for only 22 runs as they fell to 191 all out in the 40th over and will continue to look over their shoulders at the chasing pack in the relegation battle.

Blewbury 25, Oxford Downs 2nd 9

Simon Hole, Shipton-under-Wychwood’s first-team skipper, made the most of his side’s match at Cove being washed out by hitting a century for the 2nd XI in a 69-run victory at home to Horley.
Hole smashed 102 to help Shipton post 254-8 as John Hart took 4-99.
Dave Clark then hit 56 in Horley’s reply, but 4-40 from Paul Hemming broke the back of the visitors’ innings and they were bowled out in the 40th over for 185.
Shipton 2nd 25, Horley 6
Bicester & North Oxford’s sorry season continued when they were beaten by one wicket at Dinton 2nd in their bottom-of-the-table clash.
Bicester were restricted to 178-8, with Peter Baker picking up 4-50.
Leg-spinner Richard Simpson took 4-42 for Bicester, but the basement boys edged over the winning line at 179-9, thanks to 79 from Daniel Ripley.
Dinton 2nd 25, Bicester & NO 12
Leaders Cropredy fell to their first defeat of the season with a five-wicket loss at home to Buckingham Town 2nd.
Cropredy were bowled out for 193, with Joe Fox making 48 and Ben Laycock taking 4-37.
Laycock then hit 77 in Buckingham’s reply, and, with Tim Riley adding 70 not out, the visitors reached the target with ten balls to spare.
Cropredy 9, Buckingham 2nd 25
Banbury 3rd drew a high-scoring encounter with visitors Cublington after rattling up 266-7.
Ali Jarvis (75) and Ollie Murrey (68) led the way for Banbury.
But, helped by a brilliant 116 from Sam Carter, Cublington closed on 252-7, despite Murrey completing an excellent all-round display by taking 4-67.
Banbury 3rd 16, Cublington 9

Tiddington 2nd got their Division 4 title bid back on track after last week’s defeat in emphatic fashion with a 172-run hammering of sorry Witney Mills.
Jeff Higgs hit an unbeaten 100 for Tiddington, who were able to declare an over early after amassing 271-8.
Mills were never in the hunt, crashing to 100 all out as Patrick Knightley took 5-19.
Tiddington remain 20 points clear of Great Brickhill.
Tiddington 2nd 25, 
Witney Mills 4
Kingston Bagpuize also suffered a resounding thrashing as they lost by ten wickets at home to Great Brickhill 2nd.
Hamid Miah (5-10) and Lee Morgan (3-43) combined to shoot the hosts out for a paltry 98 in the 43rd over.
And Brickhill raced to victory inside 19 overs, Pat Prasad hitting a rapid 85 not out.
Kingston Bagpuize 0, 
Great Brickhill 2nd 25
Arshad Latif led the way with 66 to help Stokenchurch to a four-wicket win at home to Chearsley.
Ryan Gurton (3-14) and Marvin Taylor (3-29) were to the fore to dismiss the visitors for 145.
Latif’s knock then saw Stokenchurch reach 148-6 in the 24th over.
Stokenchurch 25, Chearsley 8
Bletchley Town defeated hosts Leighton Buzzard 2nd by six wickets.
Ricardo Brown took 5-38 to help dismiss Buzzard for 142, before Kieran Turner hit 49 not out to see Bletchley to 143-4.
L Buzzard 2nd 6, Bletchley 25
Brackley were left frustrated as Kimble clung on for a draw.
The home side set Kimble 198-8 in their 53 overs, led by David Barnes (52).
Josh Markham took 3-37 in Kimble’s reply as they crawled to 82-7 in their 45 overs.
Brackley 17, Kimble 3East Oxford stretched their lead in Division 5 to 39 points with a  five-wicket win at second-placed Oxford 3rd.
Ali Shah (4-50) and Atif Ali (3-33) combined to restrict the hosts to 153 all out, despite 50 from Chetan Walia.
In reply, Amir Butt top-scored with 35 as East Oxford reached 156-5 in the 44th over.
Oxford 3rd 7, East Oxford 25
Cumnor 2nd kept their promotion hopes alive by crushing an under-strength Abingdon Vale 2nd by seven wickets.
Nine-man Vale were all out for 98 as Christopher De Verteuil took 3-16.
The hosts wasted little time in reaching 101-3, Jake Taylor top-scoring with 38.
Cumnor 2nd 25, Abingdon 2nd 3
Dan Patey’s unbeaten half-century helped Thame Town 2nd to a comprehensive nine-wicket victory at Twyford 2nd.
Earlier, Chris Jeffcock took 5-29 to bowl Twyford out for only 127.
Patey’s 53 not out led the way for Thame as they eased home at 129-1 in the 22nd over.
Twyford 2nd 2, 
Thame Tn 2nd 25
Horspath 3rd bounced back to winning ways with a three-wicket victory at home to Bledlow Ridge.
Adeel Rehman (3-12) and Ryan Hicks (3-38) shone as Ridge fell for 125.
Adrian Manger (32no) then saw Horspath to 128-7 after Robbie Cooke had made 32 as Matt Donnelly took 4-42.
Horspath 3rd 25, Bledlow Ridge 8
Aston Rowant 3rd are still seeking their first victory following a draw at home to Long Marston 2nd.
Tim Foster claimed 4-36 to help restrict the visitors to 181-8 in their 53 overs.
Marc Walker (43) and Jonathan Hern (41) shone for Rowant, but they finished short of the target on 162-7.
Long Marston 2nd 14, 
Aston Rowant 3rd 8