CRICKET: Champions Thame sign off on a high

Thame dominated with bat and ball against the Hertfordshire side, who opted to bat first after winning the toss.

The home team made early inroads as Michael Beard took the wicket of Matt Shepherd in his first over, and Jarryd McPhee then removed James Beesley for nine as Thame made a good start.

Matthew Storey (51) and Simon Butler (29) restored some order for the visitors with a third-wicket stand of 52, but when Butler fell, Storey lost regular partners with Mike Higgs and Hassam Mushtaq bowling well in tandem.

Mushtaq was the pick of the Thame attack again as he returned superb figures of 5-41 from 12.2 overs, while skipper Higgs posted economical figures of 2-36 from 17.

Marston were all out in the 48th over for 157, leaving Thame 52 overs to reach the target.

But they were in a hurry as they chased down the total in just 24.3 overs.

A century opening stand between Will Taylor and Will Sutcliffe broke the back of the run chase, Sutcliffe falling for 40 and Taylor for an excellent 81 from 74 balls.

Although Thame lost Harry Thomas for a duck, there were no further alarms as McPhee (32no) secured Thame got over the winning line at 163-3 to secure the perfect finish to their championship campaign.

Thame 25pts, Long Marston 5

OXFORD 2nd’s nightmare campaign ended without a single victory as they crashed to an eight-wicket defeat at home to Banbury 2nd in the final game of the season, bringing the curtain down on senior cricket at Roman Way.

Oxford move on to Jordan Hill for 2016, and they may be pleased to see the back of the ground after a dreadful season for both firsts and seconds.

Skipper Phil Evans decided to bat after winning the toss, but, despite an enterprising 34 from Sulaiman Hussain, they slumped to 86 all out in 39.2 overs.

Charlie Hill took 5-18 and Stephen Hart 5-21 as Banbury were presented with a meagre target.

And they wasted little time, cruising to 87-2 in 24.4 overs, Andrew Sabin marking his retirement from cricket with 36 not out.

Oxford 2nd 2pts, Banbury 2nd 25

Cumnor fell to a narrow one-wicket defeat at Leighton Buzzard Town.

Cumnor were all out in the final over for 215, George Setterfield top-scoring with 30, while Lee Selfe claimed 5-38.

Andrew Russell (4-64) and Max Mannering (3-47) shone for Cumnor, but, helped by Phil Whatmore’s 91, Buzzard edged home with just one ball to spare at 218-9.

Leighton Buzzard Tn 25, Cumnor 13

Tiddington slipped to a seven-wicket defeat at home to Great Brickhill.

Only Will Cooper (44) really got going against a good Brickhill attack as they reached 150-9 in their 53 overs.

Mark Nelson (79) and Doug Aris (48no) then led the runners-up to 151-3 in the 29th over.Tiddington 5, Great Brickhill 25 Twyford condemned visitors Wolverton to bottom spot in the table with a five-wicket win.

Bilal Afzal was the pick of the Twyford attack as he took 5-23 in Wolverton’s 111 all out, before Shahid Mahmood scored 53 not out to lead Twyford home at 113-5.

Twyford 25, Wolverton Tn 6

DIVISION 2

ASTON Rowant 2nd overhauled Horspath 2nd to wrap up the title after a thrilling three-run victory in a winner-takes-all clash.

Horspath had led the table throughout the season, but three straight defeats, culminating in this loss against Rowant, meant they had to settle for the runners-up spot.

Horspath put the hosts into bat, with Jehan Mohammed (4-17) and Tom King (4-42) combining to dismiss Rowant for 147 in the 46th over.

But Horspath got off to a dreadful start in their reply, and were quickly reduced to 6-3.

From that, they never really recovered, and, despite 54 from Jack Biggs, they were dismissed for 144 as Andrew Dyer finished with outstanding figures of 6-51.

Aston Rowant 2nd 25pts, Horspath 2nd 7

At the other end of the table, Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts secured survival with a 55-run win at Bledlow Village.

Chris Day hit 62 in Nondies’ 155 all out, James Hawkes taking 7-43 for the hosts.

Mark Strong (4-19) and Atif Ali (4-35) then combined to skittle Bledlow for only 100 as Nondies secured victory.

Bledlow Village 6, Oxford & Bletch Nondies 25

Didcot were relegated, despite a four-wicket win at Challow & Childrey.

Jordan Morrison (4-36) and Aiden Kammel (4-13) helped to dismiss the home side for 123, Ryan Gordon top-scoring with 53.

Kieran Johnston then hit 41 and Shaun Birmingham 39 to lead Didcot to victory at 124-6, but it was not enough to avoid the drop.

Challow & Childrey 7, Didcot 25

Johnny Law shone with the ball to help Oxford Downs to a crushing nine-wicket win at Sandford St Martin.

Law took 5-41 and Harry Sutton 3-36 to help dismiss the home side for 141, Jim Howe top-scoring with 53.

George Sandbach (72no) and Wasim Mehmood (66) then led Downs home at 142-1.

Sandford St Martin 3, Ox Downs 25

Great & Little Tew 2nd and Abingdon Vale had to settle for a draw in their mid-table clash.

Tew reached 200-9, Matt Warner hitting 56, while spinners Paul White took 4-33 and Jonathan Jenkinson 4-50.

Vale put in a good chase, but finished ten runs short on 190-8 as Lloyd Brock claimed 3-31.

Great Tew 2nd 15, Abingdon Vale 11

DIVISION 3

OXFORD Downs 2nd avoided relegation by the skin of their teeth, despite a 71-run defeat at home to Shipton 2nd.

Tom Swann top-scored with 86 as Shipton rattled up 215-9, Richard Beer taking 4-74 and Jack Soppett 3-37.

Swann then claimed 4-41 in Downs’s reply as they slumped to 144 all out.

Despite the defeat, however, Downs got enough bonus points to creep above the drop zone.

Oxford Downs 2nd 6pts, Shipton 2nd 25

Bicester & North Oxford crashed through the relegation trapdoor instead as they were well-beaten at champions Cropredy.

Matt Walmesley-Pace hammered 122 not out to help Cropredy to 239-5, before Jake Heath returned superb figures of 6-44 as Bicester were skittled for 90.

Cropredy 25, Bicester & North Oxford 2

Stuart Murray’s magnificent haul of 8-47 helped Banbury 3rd to a four-wicket win at Blewbury & Wallingford to deny the south Oxfordshire side promotion.

Blewbury had no answer to Murray’s heroics as they crashed to 104 all out.

Banbury lost regular wickets in reply, but reached 106-6 to wrap up victory.

Blewbury & Wallingford 7, Banbury 3rd 25

Horley slipped to a 56-run defeat at Cublington.

Pip Webb (86) saw Cublington to 166 all out, Jonathan Hart taking 4-10 and Dave Eaton 4-37.

Greg Jenkins then claimed 5-28 as Horley slumped to 110 all out in reply.

Cublington 25, Horley 6

Buckingham 2nd wrapped up the second promotion spot, condemning Dinton 2nd to relegation with a sevenwicket win.

Dinton were all out for 166, before Ben Taylor hit 64 to lead Buckingham to 168-3.

Buckingham 2nd 25, Dinton 2nd 6

DIVISION 4

KINGSTON Bagpuize brought down the curtain on a disappointing campaign with a 43-run victory at home to Leighton Buzzard 2nd, who join them in relegation as a result.

Kingston were bowled out for just 143 in the 51st over as Andy Smith took 5-31.

Richard Woodley then claimed 4-15 and Arthur Verdin 3-34 to dismiss Buzzard for 100 and confirm their relegation.

Kingston Bagpuize 25pts, Leighton Buzzard 2nd 6

Tiddington 2nd were no match for champions Great Brickhill 2nd as they lost by 150 runs.

Nick Cadman hammered 132 as Brickhill racked up an enormous total of 331-9 in their 53 overs, leg spinner Leon Desai taking 5-88 for Tiddington.

John Mackie then hit 68 in the visitors’ reply, but they finished well short as they were dismissed for 181.

Great Brickhill 2nd 25, Tiddington 2nd 7

Left-arm spinner Sam Haselgrove proved the star of the show as Witney Mills wrapped up third place with a seven-wicket win at Bletchley Town.

Haselgrove claimed 5-16 to skittle Bletchley for 89.

Malcolm Evans then hit 30 as Mills reached 90-7 to secure victory.

Bletchley Tn 7, Witney Mills 25

Chearsley survived the drop after beating visitors Brackley by four wickets.

Three wickets apiece from Matt Ricketts, Charlie Parker and Ed Holland dismissed Brackley for 101, and then Neil Davies (37no) led Chearsley to 104-6.

Chearsley 25, Brackley 7

Daniel Bull hammered 113 to help Kimble to 237-7 at Stokenchurch.

Ashley Hunt scored 50 in the home side’s reply, but they fell to 166 all out.

Stokenchurch 5, Kimble 25

DIVISION 5

EAST Oxford wrapped up the title, despite falling to a 36- run defeat at home to Horspath 3rd.

Stuart Berry top-scored with 45 as Horspath reached 173-7, Atif Ali taking 3-41.

The hosts were then shot out for 137 in reply as Berry took 4-21 and Robin Pykett 3-3, Rushikesh Kulkarni hitting 51.

East Oxford 5pts, Horspath 3rd 25

Oxford 3rd had to settle for the runners-up spot after drawing at home to Aston Rowant 3rd.

Rowant posted 216-6 in their 53 overs, Dan Khan the pick of the Oxford attack with 3-57.

Miles Picknett then hit 64 in Oxford’s reply as they got to within five runs of the target, but ran out of time, Tim Foster taking 6-57 for Rowant.

Oxford 3rd 9, A Rowant 3rd 15

Cumnor 2nd eased to an eight-wicket victory at home to Thame Town 2nd.

Mark Kirsten took 5-35 in Thame’s 111 all out, before Jamie Douglas (56no) led the hosts to 112-2.

Cumnor 2nd 25, Thame Tn 2nd 3

A six-wicket haul from the prolific Paul Butcher helped Abingdon Vale 2nd to a comprehensive seven-wicket win against Twyford 2nd at Hales Meadow.

Butcher took 6-18 to help dismiss the visitors for 94, and then Graham Charlesworth hit 63 to lead Vale to 95-3 in the 19th over.

Abingdon Vale 2nd 25, Twyford 2nd -2

Bledlow Ridge edged out hosts Long Marston 2nd by four runs in a high-scoring thriller.

Rory Spiers’ superb 117 helped Ridge set 230-6 in their 53 overs.

James Cockbain (59) and Rory Miscampbell (41) led Marston’s reply, but they were all out two balls from the end for 226.

L Marston 2nd 7, Bledlow Ridge 25

FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD Luke Cheshire was the hero for Challow & Childrey 2nd after his magnificent seven-wicket haul helped his side secure third place with a win at champions Banbury 4th in Division 6.

The Oxfordshire Under 15 left-arm seamer returned brilliant figures of 7-18 as Banbury were shot out for 95 in the 36th over.

Pat Bryan then hit 33 to lead Challow to a comfortable five-wicket victory at 96-5.

It was not quite enough to overhaul Didcot, who wrapped up the second promotion spot with a six-wicket win at home to Cublington 2nd.

Robert Green claimed 6-44 to help dismiss Cublington for 133, and then Elliot Matthews hit 58 to lead Didcot home at 137-4.

Aston Rowant 4th and Cumnor 3rd battled out an enthralling tie in Division 8, which gave Rowant the vital points needed to secure the title.

Winning the toss, Rowant put Cumnor in to bat, and restricted them to 144-9, thanks to three wickets apiece from Andrew Dugmore and David Simpson.

But Rowant were bowled out with the scores level as Cumnor managed to secure a share of the points – but it could not stop the celebrations.