GREAT & Little Tew 2nd condemned sorry Oxford 2nd to their sixth defeat out of seven to plunge them further into the relegation zone in Cherwell League Division 2 on Saturday.

Oxford, who dropped out of the top division last year, struggled to post 146 all out at Tew, who then cruised to victory inside 29 overs of their reply.

Tew captain Ian Bryan stuck Oxford in first after winning the toss, and the home side quickly made inroads into the Oxford order.

Young opening seamer Jack Belmont began the torment for the visitors, and he finished with impressive figures of 3-43 from 14 overs, while veteran spinner Bryan took 4-31 as he took out Oxford’s middle order.

No Oxford batsman really got going, although Arthur Muir provided at least a modicum of stability in the middle order with 25.

A 55-run opening partnership between Robbie Catling and Markus Jeacock got Tew off to the perfect start in their reply, and although they both fell with the scores in the 50s, followed quickly by Henry Woodward, Tew reached the target with no further alarms as David Powles (30) and Josh Garrett (29no) saw them to a comfortable win.

LEADERS Challow & Childrey were too strong for visitors Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts, racing to a six-wicket victory.

George Trewby (4-18) and Ross Packham (4-25) shone for Challow as they shot their visitors out inside 45 overs for just 110.

Skipper Ryan Gordon then blasted 53 not out, which included seven fours and a six, to lead Challow’s reply as they eased home at 113-4 after 29.1 overs.

l Challow 25pts, Ox & Bletch Nondies 5

Tom Costley inspired Oxford Downs to a seven-wicket victory at home to Cropredy, moving his side up to second place.

Costley returned excellent figures of 5-37 to help dismiss Cropredy for 111, Harry Sutton also taking 3-42.

Skipper Wasim Mehmood then hit 52 in their reply, leading his side to 112-3 in the 25th over.

Downs sit 13 points behind Challow in the table, and are now 19 clear of the joint

third-placed teams Sandford St Martin and Abingdon

Vale.

l Oxford Downs 25, Cropredy 4

Sandford St Martin climbed up to third place courtesy of a comfortable seven-wicket win against visitors Abingdon Vale.

Ollie Ong (3-4) and Daniel Jason Smith (3-26) proved a deadly combination as Vale were all out for 89 in 41 overs of toil.

Sandford needed just 21 overs and two balls to reach 90-3 to wrap up victory, Chris Thompson top-scoring with 31 not out.

The defeat ended Abingdon’s run of four straight wins.

l Sandford St Martin 25, Abingdon 3

Harry Martin and Ben Laycock both scored 50 as Buckingham posted 153-9 in their clash at Wolverton.

However, the hosts secured maximum points when another 50 from Jamil Raja saw them to 154-7 off 41.3 overs.

It was Wolverton’s first win of the season in nine attempts.

l Wolverton Town 25, Buckingham 2nd 9

DIVISION 1

CUMNOR continued their upward momentum, after a comfortable five-wicket win at home to Great Brickhill.

Devane Warner (3-26) and Max Mannering (3-28) combined to dismiss the visitors for only 122 in the 31st over.

Alex Davies (35no) then continued his good form for Cumnor, leading his side to 123-5 in 28.4 overs.

The success moved Cumnor into second spot, six points behind the leaders.

l Cumnor 25pts, Great Brickhill 3

Aston Rowant 2nd were knocked off top-spot and leapfrogged by Dinton as they lost by seven wickets in Saturday’s Division 1 clash at Butts Way.

Rowant won the toss and elected to bat first, and, thanks to Tom Condon (46) and Tim Morgan (42), set what appeared a competitive total of 216-8 in their 50 overs.

However, Dinton were up to the challenge, as, led by Faisal Ali (71) and Ashley Smith (53), they eased to 218-3 with four overs to spare.

l Aston Rowant 2nd 5, Dinton 25

Ed Oakley starred for Horspath 2nd in his side’s five-wicket win at home to Leighton Buzzard Town.

Oakley claimed brilliant figures of 5-24 as Buzzard were shot out for 74 inside 22 overs.

Horspath didn’t have it all their own way, however.

Jack Kempster was the pick of the visitors’ attack with 3-39, but Horspath took the points, reaching 75-5.

l Horspath 2nd 25, L Buzzard Tn 2

Matt Maule top-scored for Tiddington as they recorded their second victory in a row, thrashing Banbury 2nd by 124 runs.

Maule hit 74 and Jeff Higgs 50 to help Tiddington to an imposing 267-7 in their 50 overs.

Steve Beck scored 56 in Banbury’s reply, but his was the only resistance as they fell to 143 all out, Max Smith taking 3-10 and Jon Ponsford 3-32.

l Tiddington 25, Banbury 2nd 5

Twyford saw off visitors Long Marston by four wickets in the first Cherwell League clash to be decided on the Duckworth/Lewis system.

Marston’s innings was curtailed after 38 overs with their score on 178-4, Simon Butler hitting 64 and Jeremy Smith 53 not out.

Twyford’s revised target after the rain was 230, and they reached the winning line at 231-6 in the 31st over, thanks largely to Shahid Mehmood’s excellent 97.

l Twyford 25, Long Marston 5

DIVISION 3

BANBURY 3rd beat local rivals Horley by five wickets, thanks to two outstanding individual performances.

James Risbridger claimed 5-28 in bowler-friendly conditions to help dismiss the home side for 164, George Tait also taking 3-50.

Ollie Morgan then led Banbury’s reply, top-scoring with 73 to steer his side to 166-5.

l Horley 8pts, Banbury 3rd 25

Oxford Downs 2nd were no match for leaders Bledlow Village as they were sent spiralling to an eight-wicket defeat in Buckinghamshire.

Wesley Bartlett’s 62 was the only bright spot in Downs’ 151 all out, Roger Downes taking 3-5 and Dave Pearce 3-53.

Matthew Bolton then hit 70 not out for Bledlow as they eased to 154-2 in the 27th over.

l Bledlow Vill 25, Ox Downs 2nd 4

Didcot were denied victory by a stubborn Blewbury, who were left clinging on well behind Didcot’s total.

Batting first, Didcot racked up 259-5 declared in 45 overs, Elliot Matthews top-scoring with 83 and Connor Morrison chipping in with 66.

But despite having eight extra overs to bowl at the visitors, Didcot failed to prise out Blewbury’s final two wickets, as they closed on 140-5, Robert Keat taking 4-27.

l Didcot 19, Blewbury & Wall 4

Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd fell to a four-wicket defeat away to Great Brickhill 2nd.

Tim Senior’s 44 and 33 from Russell Hayes saw Shipton set 177 all out, James Wagg taking 4-19 for the hosts.

Jilesh Pattini then hit 69 not out for Great Brickhill, who reached 181-6 to wrap up victory.

l Gt Brickhill 2nd 25, Shipton 2nd 9

Cublington recorded a six-wicket victory over Tiddington 2nd.

The hosts easily chased down their target of 132 to pick up maximum points.

l Cublington 25pts, Tiddington 2nd 6

DIVISION 4

LEG-SPINNER Richard Simpson claimed a six-wicket haul to help Bicester & North Oxford to a four-wicket win at home to Kimble.

Simpson was in superb form, taking 6-40 in Kimble’s dismal 97 all out.

Stafford Sansome then hit 42 not out to steer Bicester to 98-6 to take maximum points.

l Kimble 6pts, Bicester & NO 25

Westbury recorded an exciting two-wicket win over East Oxford to stay 30 points clear at the top.

Ben Rae’s 64 helped the leaders edge past their target of 193, where Johannes Jacobus hit 67 and Graham Judd took 3-11.

l Westbury 25, East Oxford 12

Veteran slow bowler Steve Kelly and young left-arm spinner Sam Haselgrove helped Witney Mills to a 39-run victory at Stokenchurch.

Pete Claridge’s 52 was the main contribution in Mills’s 183-8, which would normally be a below-par total on Stokenchurch’s small ground.

But Kelly (4-18) and Haselgrove (3-52) bowled well in tandem to dismiss the home side for 144.

l Stokenchurch 5, Witney Mills 25

There was a tight finish at Dinton 2nd, where Oxford 3rd edged to a six-run victory.

Miles Picknett hit 57 and Julian Lawton-Smith 35 to help Oxford to 193-9 in their 50 overs.

Dinton got close to victory, but fell just short on 187 all out as Gareth Langley took 5-31.

l Dinton 2nd 7, Oxford 3rd 25

Bletchley Town and Brackley played out a draw, with visitors Brackley clinging on for dear life at the end.

Matt Shepherd hit 81 in Bletchley’s 196-9.

Brackley were never in the hunt, but they shut up shop to finish on 127-8, despite 3-29 from Ricardo Brown.

l Bletchley Tn 18, Brackley 5

DIVISION 5

VETERAN Danny Hartley starred with bat and ball to help Abingdon Vale 2nd to a thrilling 13-run win at home to Chearsley to go top of the table.

The evergreen Hartley, not known for his exploits with the bat, led the way with a well-constructed 67 not out in Vale’s 143-9.

He then took over with the ball, claiming 4-37 as the visitors were bowled out for 130, despite 56 from James Venness.

l Abingdon 2nd 25pts, Chearsley 6

Kingston Bagpuize picked up only their second win of the season, seeing off hosts Leighton Buzzard 2nd by the slender margin of five runs.

Toby Ricks (41) and James Kemp (38) saw Kingston to 158 all out, Andy Smith taking 6-24.

Spinner Arthur Verdin then claimed 5-40 and young George Woodley 3-21 to help dismiss the home side for 153 to wrap up a thrilling win.

l L Buzzard 2nd 7, K Bagpuize 25

Thame Town beat Cumnor 2nd by five wickets.

J Taylor (54) and Michael Race (42) helped Cumnor to 165, with Alaistair Taylor claiming 4-44.

James Adams then hit 53 not out and with Richard Carr’s 45, Thame secured victory, despite the efforts of Mo Chatterji (4-61).

l Thame Tn 2nd 25, Cumnor 2nd 8

Horspath 3rd fell to a 119-run defeat at Bledlow Ridge.

Doug McIndoe (53) helped Bledlow to 210-7 in their 53 overs, and Horspath were no match for that target as they slumped to 91 all out, Mark Dakin taking 4-29.

l Bledlow Ridge 25, Horspath 3rd 3

Didcot 2nd edged out Banbury 4th by two wickets.

Banbury posted 174-9 in 47 overs, and although Didcot lost wickets at regular intervals, they reached 180-8 to secure victory.

l Banbury 4th 11, Didcot 2nd 25

DIVISIONS 6-9

ABINGDON Vale 3rd won a thrilling Division 8 clash by just two runs, despite being bowled out for just 105.

Vivian Lobo was the pick of the Mills’ attack, as he took 6-32, but 4-23 from Natarajan Kaliyamoorthy and 3-16 from George Evans saw Mills bowled out for 101.

P Jackson and Mohammed Shafaquat were too hot to handle for Aston Rowant 3rd as Twyford 2nd ran out 74-run victors in Division 6.

Alan Gilder’s 80 saw Twyford to 204-8 in their 53 overs, Leigh Lewis taking 5-39 for Rowant.

But in reply, Rowant could never really get going as Jackson claimed 4-17 and Shafaquat 4-19, Rowant falling to 130 all out.

Colin Simpson’s 5-10 helped Sandford St Martin 2nd to a 119-run win at Long Marston 3rd in Division 7.

Ben Ackland-Snow top-scored with 61 not out in tricky conditions as Sandford posted 165-9 in their 45 overs.

But Simpson’s haul helped to skittle the hosts for just 46.

In Division 9 South, father and son Richard and Will Woodley inspired Kingston Bagpuize 2nd to a six-wicket win at home to Shipton-under-Wychwood 4th.

Richard Woodley took 3-20 as Shipton were all out for 69, before young Will Woodley hit 41 not out to steer his side to 73-4.