CUMNOR set up a crunch showdown next week at home to Dinton after a crushing nine-wicket victory at Long Marston closed the gap on the Cherwell League Division 1 leaders to just seven points.

Cumnor put the home side in to bat and they rattled through the Marston order to dismiss them for 186 in the 48th over.

Alex Davies was the pick of the attack with 4-43, while Andrew Russell claimed 3-33, James Beesley top-scoring for the home side with 67.

Cumnor made light work of the target as Joe Dale hit 69 not out and Callum Russell 68 not out, the visitors cruising to a nine-wicket win with more than nine overs left.

It means next week’s home match with leaders Dinton could prove crucial in the title race.

l Long Marston 3pts, Cumnor 25

Leaders Dinton crashed to a 112-run defeat at home to Great Brickhill.

Graeme Carter’s 89 led Brickhill to 196 all out, before Josh Simmons took 6-9 as Dinton slumped to 84 all out.

l Dinton 5, Great Brickhill 25

Aston Rowant 2nd returned to winning ways to maintain their title challenge with an 18-run win at home to Horspath 2nd.

Batting first, Rowant racked up 250-8 as Tim Morgan top-scored with 97, while Jehan Mohammed took 3-55.

Mohammed led Horspath’s reply with an excellent 73, while Mark Skelton hit 61.

But 3-43 from Hendrick Robyns and 3-44 from Ben Knowler restricted the scoring and Horspath finished on 232-8.

l A Rowant 2nd 25, Horspath 2nd 8

Tiddington boosted their hopes of avoiding relegation after a crushing nine-wicket win at home to Twyford.

Neil Smith claimed 5-13 as the visitors were shot out for just 100.

With five ducks in the Twyford lineup, the visitors were thankful to Nicholas Evans contributing 53 of those runs.

Tiddington took just 16.1 overs to reach the target as Will Goodman struck 52 not out.

l Tiddington 25, Twyford 1

Banbury 2nd saw off visitors Leighton Buzzard by three wickets.

Bottom side Buzzard set 193-6, Tom Scott hitting 67 not out.

Tom Bartlett hit 35 in Banbury’s reply as they reached 195-7 to secure victory.

l Banbury 2nd 25, L B uzzard Tn 7

DIVISION 2

OXFORD Downs took another step towards the title after a thrilling one-wicket victory at Challow & Childrey.

After restricting their hosts to 199-7 in 53 overs, Downs edged home with just over two overs to spare as No 11 Jonny Meardon hit the winning boundary.

Downs put their hosts in to bat and Challow’s innings was dominated by opener John Pechey.

With the home side losing wickets regularly, Pechey defied everything the Downs attack could send down, hitting an outstanding 109 from 185 balls.

The only other Challow batsman to really get going was Mark Foster (36), who shared a 76-run partnership with Pechey for the fourth wicket.

In their reply, Downs made the perfect start as youngster Alex Ling and George Sandbach shared 107 for the first wicket.

Sandbach fell for 50, followed immediately by Will Watts, who was out for a golden duck.

Ling soon followed for 54 as wickets started to tumble, with George Trewby taking 4-62 and Ryan Gordon 3-14.

But with nine wickets down and last pair Law and Meardon at the crease, No 11 Meardon hit a match-winning four with 13 balls to spare.

Challow & Childrey 13pts, Oxford Downs 25

Abingdon Vale’s Paul White took 4-9 as his side defeated visitors Cropredy by five wickets to maintain their promotion challenge.

Left-arm spinner White and paceman Henry Pickford (3-42) combined to dismiss Cropredy for only 82.

Sam Chilvers (28no) led Vale’s reply as they reached 83-5.

The victory keeps Abingdon in second place, and although they are 35 points behind leaders Oxford Downs, they stretched their advantage over third-places Challow & Childrey to 19 points.

l Abingdon Vale 25pts,

Cropredy 5

Sandford St Martin continued their good form as they eased past bottom side Wolverton Town by six wickets to maintain their push for a top-two finish.

Daniel Jason Smith took 4-29 and Simon Smith 3-39 as Wolverton were bowled out for 147.

Henry Portman hit 55 not out to lead Sandford home at 148-4 as they stay fourth, but moved just four points behind Challow.

l Sandford St Martin 25,

Wolverton Tn 6

Abdul Saleem’s brilliant haul of 7-44 led the way as Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts beat Oxford 2nd by 68 runs in a relegation battle.

Tim Rattigan top-scored with 38 in Nondies below-par total of 160, Callum Biel doing most of the damage with 5-47.

But Oxford were no match for Saleem, who ripped through their line-up to dismiss them for 92.

l Oxford & Bletch Nondies 25,

Oxford 2nd 5

Great & Little Tew 2nd eased to a seven-wicket win against struggling Buckingham Town 2nd.

They restricted their hosts to just 183-7 in their 53 overs, and then, led by Will Price (73) and Robbie Catling (72), Tew cruised to victory at 187-3 with more than 13 overs to spare.

l Buckingham Tn 2nd 6,

Great & Little Tew 2nd 25

DIVISION 3

AN outstanding unbroken second-wicket stand of 182 between Aiden Kammel and Ian Demain stunned previous leaders Bledlow Village as Didcot cruised to a nine-wicket win to take over top spot.

Jordan Morrison’s earlier haul of 5-51 had dismissed Bledlow for 231, Matthew Bolton top-scoring with 70.

But Kammel (109no) and Demain (102no) then starred in an outstanding partnership.

l Bledlow Village 6pts, Didcot 25

Pip Webb slammed the highest individual score of the season with a remarkable 200 not out, but Cublington only drew with hosts Great Brickhill 2nd.

Webb bludgeoned 23 fours and 12 sixes, reaching 200 in just 97 balls as Cublington declared on 381-5, before Brickhill batted for a draw at 176-6.

l Gt Brickhill 2nd 5, Cublington 25

Horley brushed aside hosts Blewbury & Wallingford by seven wickets.

Jonathan Hart took 5-26 and Dave Eaton 3-39 as the hosts were bowled out for 121, Ian Harris top-scoring with 40.

Adam Webb then scored 68 not out as Horley reached 124-3 in the 29th over.

l Blewbury & Wall 4, Horley 25

Steve Roberts took 7-38 as Oxford Downs 2nd won their basement battle with visitors Tiddington 2nd by 111 runs.

Youngster Freddie Smith hit 59 off 81 balls to steer Downs to 182 all out.

Roberts then starred as Tiddington were all out for 71.

l Ox Downs 2nd 25, Tiddington 2nd 5

Tim Senior’s 100 not out led struggling Shipton 2nd to an eight-wicket victory at home to Banbury 3rd.

Alex Glastonbury’s 67 helped Banbury to 169 all out, Paul Hemming claiming 4-28 and Jason Hunt 3-37.

Senior then blasted his ton from just 76 balls to steer Shipton home, his knock containing 19 fours and two sixes.

l Shipton 2nd 25pts, Banbury 3rd 5

DIVISION 4

LEADERS Westbury fell to their second successive defeat as they were shocked by visitors Bletchley Town, who won by five wickets.

When Westbury played Bletchley earlier in the season, they shot them out for just 26, and so it was no surprise that Westbury opted to bat first.

But they were dismissed for only 152, Tom Boardman top-scoring with 56.

Kieran Turner (53no) and Matt Shepherd (48) then led Bletchley to 153-5 to secure victory, George Markham taking 3-29.

l Westbury 7pts, Bletchley Tn 25

Johannes Jacobus hit 79 not out as East Oxford raced to an eight-wicket win at home to Kimble.

The visitors were all out for 124 in the 47th over, before East Oxford cruised home in just 17.2 overs to keep their promotion bid on track.

l East Oxford 25, Kimble 3

A devastating spell of 6-11 from 11.4 overs by Kishan Dave set up Bicester & North Oxford’s ten-wicket defeat of hosts Oxford 3rd.

The hosts were sent crashing to 95 all out in 37.4 overs, extras easily top-scoring with 29, including 17 byes.

Bicester reached their target without loss in 17.2 overs thanks to Alister Gibbins (61no) and Ryan Moore (33no).

l Oxford 0, Bicester 25

Adam Mayho’s 80 was in vain for Witney Mills, who had to settle for a draw at home to Brackley.

Mayho led Mills to 210, Keith Cartwright taking 5-18.

Liam Hare claimed 4-35 and Sam Haselgrove 3-46 but Brackley held on at 195-9.

l Witney Mills 17, Brackley 11

Stokenchurch drew at home to Dinton 2nd.

Jack Simpson (65) and Paul Maddock (58) led Stokenchurch to 266-9, before Dinton closed on 154-8.

l Stokenchurch 19, Dinton 2nd 6

DIVISION 5

THAME Town 2nd marched on at the top with a comprehensive nine-wicket win at Leighton Buzzard Town 2nd.

Alastair Thomas took 4-35 and Chris Penny 3-57 to restrict Buzzard to 177-9.

James Nielson then hit 92 not out to lead Thame home in the 39th over at 181-1.

l L Buzzard 2nd 4pts, Thame 2nd 25

Skipper Luke Mitchell produced a superb all-round performance as Abingdon Vale stayed second after a 76-run win over Banbury 4th.

Mitchell, the side’s regular No 11, hit a career-best 34 not out to help Vale reach 199-9.

The medium pacer then starred with the ball, taking 5-22 as Banbury were dismissed for 122, Max Owen chipping in with 3-28.

l Banbury 4th 5, Abingdon 2nd 25

Horspath 3rd racked up 301-6 declared as they eased past hosts Didcot 2nd by 70 runs.

James Earnshaw (73) and Chris Jones (63) led the way for Horspath, who then dismissed Didcot for 231 in their reply, Robert Green hitting 60, Ross Fryatt 56 and Kunal Patel 54 not out.

l Didcot 2nd 7, Horspath 3rd 25

Cumnor 2nd kept their outside promotion hopes alive with a seven-wicket win at home to Bledlow Ridge.

Batting first, Ridge posted 194-8, Phillip Brooks top-scoring with 70.

Cumnor cruised home with nine overs to spare as George Glew hit 50 not out, Michael Race 40 and James Lee 38.

l Cumnor 2nd 25, Bledlow Ridge 7

Kingston Bagpuize had much the better of the proceedings in their drawn match at home to Chearsley.

Kingston racked up 259-7 declared, James Boon scoring 60 and Toby Ricks 56.

Marc Hignell’s 74 was the main contribution in Chearsley’s reply, but they clung on at 152-9, James Kemp claiming 4-19.

l Kingston Bagpuize 20, Chearsley 4

DIVISION 6-9

TIM Foster’s superb haul of 6-36 helped Aston Rowant 3rd to a five-wicket win at home to Great & Little Tew 3rd in Division 6.

Foster’s haul restricted Tew to 156 all out, Alex Chapman chipping in with 3-29.

Rowant then reached 157-5 as Leigh Lewis hit 69 not out.

Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts 2nd cruised past hosts Shipton 3rd to continue their dominance of Division 7.

Ben Richardson’s 51 was the only highlight of Shipton’s 107 all out, Idris Mohammed taking 4-28 for Nondies.

Charlie Bethell’s 34 not out then led the way as Nondies cruised in at 110-3.

Abingdon Vale 3rd saw off hosts Great & Little Tew by three wickets in an exciting Division 8 clash.

James Babbage top-scored with 56 not out as Tew posted 203-7 in their 45 overs.

Young Zach Lion-Cachet (40) and Tom Guntrip (35no) then led the way for Vale as they reached 204-7 in the 42nd over.

In Division 8, Cumnor 3rd stayed in third place after a six-wicket win at Brackley 2nd.

Justin Bowerman claimed 4-16 and Robert Shrimpton 3-22 in Brackley’s 113 all out, before Sanjay Mistry hit 34 and Joe Clapton 31 to lead Cumnor to 114-4.