NEW signing Alex Davies smashed a fantastic century as Cumnor toppled leaders Dinton in the new format of 50/50 in Cherwell League Division 1 on Saturday.

Davies’s superb knock helped Cumnor chase down Dinton’s formidable total of 274 all out with one over left.

The home side’s Ashley Smith (53) and Neil Roberts (52) shone, but Andrew Russell (3-40) and Davies (3-48) helped to keep the scoring rate down to a little over five an over.

Cumnor’s reply started badly as opener Callum Russell fell for six, but Joe Dale (36) and skipper Matt Lake (30) got them back on track, before Davies took control with a composed and classy 125 not out.

Harry Ackland chipped in with 33 as Cumnor reached 276-7 at the end of the 48th over.

Dinton 8pts, Cumnor 25

Hendrick Robyns starred with bat and ball to help Aston Rowant 2nd to a 93-run win at home to struggling Tiddington.

Robyns hit 69 and Ben Knowler 35 not out as Rowant posted 235-7 in their 50 overs.

Tiddington were never in the hunt in their reply as Robyns returned 3-16 and Knowler 3-25.

Aston Rowant 2nd 25, Tiddington 5

Brothers Jack and Justin Lambden helped Banbury 2nd to a four-wicket win at home to Great Brickhill.

Two wickets apiece for Jack Briggs, Will Briggs and Alexander Shortt helped to dismiss the visitors for 135 in 42.2 overs.

In reply, Banbury were thankful to Justin Lambden (33) and Jack Lambden (30) as they secured victory at 137-6.

Banbury 2nd 25, Great Brickhill 4

Bilal Afzal top-scored with 79 and then took 3-29 to help Twyford to a narrow nine-run victory at Leighton Buzzard.

Bilal’s knock helped Twyford to 281-9 in their 50 overs, Antony Francis claiming 4-67 for the hosts.

Buzzard were always in the hunt, thanks largely to Phil Whatmore’s 54, but Afzal’s three wickets kept them in check as they closed on 272-9.

Leighton Buzzard 9, Twyford 25

Horspath 2nd dropped into the relegation zone after crashing to a seven-wicket defeat at Long Marston.

James Beesley was the star of the show for the home side as his 5-32 skittled Horspath out for only 113.

Beesley then hit 46 to steer Long Marston to 115-3 in the 23rd over.

Long Marston 25, Horspath 2nd 1

DIVISION 2

CHALLOW & Childrey extended their lead at the top of Division 2 after they edged to a thrilling one-wicket victory at home to Sandford St Martin on Saturday.

In a rain-affected match, Challow were thankful to last pair Luke Cheshire and Ross Packham, who held their nerve at the death to scramble them over the line.

Winning the toss, Sandford opted to bat first, but they got off to a poor start as Henry Portman fell cheaply.

A 53-run stand between Kris Jones (58) and Jim Howe (35no) got the visitors back on track, but after Jones’s dismissal, wickets fell regularly, with Packham the pick of the attack, taking 3-24 from eight overs.

Sandford finished on 179-9 from their 47 overs.

Justin Penrose was an early dismissal in Challow’s reply as he was run out for four.

His fellow opener, John Pechey, top-scored with 52, while Patrick Bryan chipped in with 38 batting at five.

But the pattern of the home side’s innings followed in much the same vain as Sandfords, as many failed to get going in the face of some tight bowling.

Tom Goffe claimed 3-39, to keep his side in the game, but the young last pair of Packham and Cheshire knocked off the final seven runs to secure the narrowest of victories.

Challow & Childrey 25 pts, Sandford St Martin 12

JAKE Heath went agonisingly close to taking all ten wickets for Cropredy as his side thrashed visitors Wolverton Town by eight wickets.

Heath claimed outstanding figures of 9-32, taking the first nine wickets, only for youngster George Buckingham to deny him the chance of all ten when Wolverton’s Jamil Raja offered a simple catch to Russell Beckett for 40.

Wolverton were shot out for 72 in 19.3 overs, and then Russell Beckett top-scored with 44 as Cropredy reached 77-2 in the 16th over.

Cropredy skipper Tony Vickers said: “We think it’s a club record for Jake, but he was gutted to miss out on all ten.

“We’d actually dropped the last guy off Jake’s bowling a bit earlier, so it was close to all ten as you could get.

“But my naive young under 16 bowler George spoilt the day by getting him out to a skier, it was a sitter!”

Cropredy 25pts, Wolverton Tn 2

Great & Little Tew 2nd eased to an 81-run victory at Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts.

Robbie Shurmer (90no), Markus Jeacock (70) and Henry Woodward (64) helped Tew rack up 262-5 in 52 overs.

Mubashir Hussain (53no) and Tim Rattigan (52) shone in Nondies’ reply, but Shurmer completed an excellent all-round performance with 4-23, while Ian Bryan claimed 4-36 as the home side were bowled out for 181 in the 40th over.

Oxford & Bletch Nondies 5,

Great Tew 2nd 25

Oxford Downs were denied victory by Buckingham Town 2nd, who clung on for a draw.

James Ellwood top-scored with 70 as Downs racked up 243-9 in their 53 overs, Lester Smart taking 5-77.

Nick Rivett claimed 3-26 for Downs as Buckingham lost regular wickets, but they shut up shop to close on 117-8 to deny Downs maximum points.

Buckingham 2nd 5, Ox Downs 19

Joe Butcher grabbed excellent figures of 7-51 as Abingdon Vale beat Oxford 2nd by 95 runs.

Graham Charlesworth scored 53 not out and Henry Pickford 40 to help Vale to 195 all out having been 81-8, Richard Musk taking 5-35.

Oxford were never in the hunt as Butcher ripped through their ten men for 100 all out for 100, one of their batsman having been unable to bat after being spoken to by the police.

Abingdon Vale 25, Oxford 2nd 6

DIVISION 3

ELLIOT Matthews starred as Didcot helped his side to a resounding 127-run victory at Tiddington 2nd.

Matthews top-scored with 83 as Didcot racked up 218 all out, leg-spinner Leon Desai claiming 4-36 for the hosts.

Tiddington were then tumbled out for just 91 as Matthews took 3-4, Robert Keat 3-20 and Aiden Kammel 3-31.

Tiddington 2nd 5pts, Didcot 25

Jonathan Hart’s half century and four-wicket haul helped Horley to a five-wicket victory at Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd.

The home side were bowled out for 119 as Hart claimed 4-29, Tim Senior top-scoring with 44.

Hart then scored 53 in Horley’s reply as they took 20.4 overs to reach 123-5.

Shipton 2nd 6, Horley 25

Banbury 3rd easily beat hosts Oxford Downs 2nd by 88 runs in a rain-affected match.

Batting first, Banbury posted 202-7 in their 39 overs, Andrew Proctor top-scoring with 60 and Ali Jarvis hitting 51.

Young off-spinner George Tait then returned figures of 4-23 and Sam Manning took 3-47 as Downs were bowled out for 114 with one over remaining.

Ox Downs 2nd 4, Banbury 3rd 25

Blewbury & Wallingford fell to a 58-run defeat at home to Cublington.

Kit Gordon-Stewart hit 103 in Cublington’s 194 all out, Scott Harris taking 3-62 for Blewbury.

Ollie Fairhurst then claimed 5-55 as Blewbury fell to 136 all out.

Blewbury & Wall 7, Cublington 25

Great Brickhill 2nd edged past visitors Bledlow Village by one run.

Jilesh Pattni hit 60 in Brickhill’s 147 all out, David Pearce taking 4-46.

Hamid Miah then took 4-51 Bledlow fell just short on 146 all out.

Gt Brickhill 2nd 25, Bledlow Vill 7

DIVISION 4

RAMPANT Westbury again proved their title credentials with another crushing quick-fire victory – this time visitors Stokenchurch falling victim to the south Northants side.

Westbury have hardly been challenged this year, and this game proved no different.

Charlie Harper took 3-27 as the visitors were skittled out for just 60, and then Tom Gurney hit 36 not out as Westbury raced to 61-1 inside ten overs.

Westbury 25pts, Stokenchurch 1

Witney Mills are fifth after a 92-run victory at home to Kimble.

Liam Hare (64) and Malcolm Evans (63) allowed Mills to set 211-8 in 45 overs in a rain-affected match, Arulanantham Nanthan taking 6-56.

Ben Madden then returned outstanding figures of 6-44 as Kimble fell to 119 all out.

Witney Mills 25, Kimble 4

Bicester & North Oxford leapt up to third place with a tense nine-tun away to East Oxford.

Half-centuries from Dan Murphy (69) and Ryan Moore (51) helped Bicester to reach 207 all out from 52.3 overs.

Johannes Jacobus (73) led East Oxford’s reply, but good bowling from Chris De Kock (4-62) and Daniel Savin (3-57) saw them dismissed for 199 in the 43rd over.

East Oxford 9, Bicester & N Oxford 25

Struggling Oxford 3rd crashed to a seven-wicket defeat at home to Bletchley Town.

Ricardo Brown took 3-8 as Oxford slumped to 75 all out, before Bletchley raced to 78-3 in 14.3 overs.

Oxford 3rd 3, Bletchley Town 25

Rob Cartwright took 5-18 to help Brackley to a seven-wicket win at home to Dinton 2nd.

The visitors were shot out for 76, and then Michael Lowe hit 47 not out to lead Brackley to 77-3 in the 21st over.

Brackley 25, Dinton 2nd 3

DIVISION 5

HORSPATH 3rd cut the gap to leaders Thame 2nd after a thrilling eight-run victory at Kingston Bagpuize.

Batting first, Horspath were all out for 185 as Stuart Berry top-scored with 95, while Jamie Cox took 5-40 for the home side.

George Woodley’s maiden league half-century (54) got Kingston within touching distance of victory, but Tom Smith (3-28) and Berry (3-31) condemned them to 177 all out after 49 overs.

K Bagpuize 8pts, Horspath 3rd 25

Thame Town 2nd were held to a draw at Chearsley to see their lead cut.

Dan Patey (58) and Chris Jeffcock (44) helped Thame to 202 all out in 51.5 overs.

Chearsley held on to deny Thame maximum points as they reached 184-7.

Chearsley 10, Thame Tn 2nd 15

Pierre Du Plessis claimed 5-47 to help Cumnor 2nd to a three-wicket victory at home to Abingdon Vale 2nd.

Du Plessis’s excellent haul helped to bowl Vale out for just 121.

George Glew then hit 55 not out to steer Cumnor to 122-7, Matt Butcher taking 4-42.

Cumnor 2nd 25, Abingdon 2nd 8

Didcot 2nd’s last pair frustrated Bledlow Ridge as they clung on for a draw.

Phillip Brooks (90) and Simon Lloyd (78) helped visitors Bledlow to 284-4 declared in 52 overs.

Ross Fryatt (71) and Sean Winton (55no) shone for Didcot, but it was down to last pair Sean Winton and Kane Durrant to deny Ridge maximum points as Didcot closed on 245-9.

Didcot 2nd 6, Bledlow Ridge 20

Banbury 4th beat visitors Leighton Buzzard Town 2nd by 20 runs.

They were all out in the 52nd over for 183, before the visitors were dismissed for 163 in reply.

Banbury 4th 25, L Buzzard 2nd 8

DIVISIONS 6-9

ASTON Rowant 3rd and Cropredy 2nd fought out a thrilling tie in Division 6 as Cropredy lost their final wicket with the scores level.

Matt Luxford top-scored with 82 as Rowant set 209-7 in their 53 overs, Luke Cherry taking 4-54.

Thomas Bunting hit 92 in Cropredy’s reply, while Jacob Humphreys took 4-85 for the home side.

With Cropredy needing just a single to win, Mark Twynham was adjudged lbw to Tim Foster to secure a tie.

Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts 2nd stayed top of Division 7 after beating hosts Sandford St Martin 2nd by 76 runs.

Wasim Mohammed top-scored with 49 in Nondies’ 184 all out, before Rustam Rabani took 4-39 as Sandford were shot out for 108.

Division 8 leaders Westbury 2nd marched on with a 76-run win at Great & Little Tew 4th.

Tom Boardman followed up his century from the previous week to top-score with 53 in his side’s 219 all out.

Veteran Ron Ridgway then claimed 5-6 as Tew were bowled out for 143, Gordon Sellwood hitting 69.

Billy Harper’s 105 not out helped Twyford 3rd to a 58-run victory at Stokenchurch 2nd in Division 9 North.

Harper starred in Twyford’s 260-5, before Stokenchurch were then bowled out for 202.