DARRYL Woods hit a magnificent unbeaten century as Oxfordshire earned a nail-biting ten-run win over Worcestershire in the ECB Over 50 Championship at Abingdon Vale.

Electing to bat first, the hosts posted 220-2 from their 45 overs, thanks to Woods’ fine 101 not out.

He was well-supported by Alec Cunningham (49no) and Russell Hayes (46).

Oxfordshire took wickets at regular intervals to keep them in the driving seat.

That proved pivotal as although the visitors closed in on the total, they ended just short on 210-9, with Paul Hemming (3-51) and Mike Simpson (3-42) doing most of the damage.

Oxon’s Over 60s slipped to a 21-run defeat to Shropshire at Wellington.

The hosts batted first in the West Midlands Group match, posting 215-4 from their 45 overs, thanks to a 193-run partnership between John Foster (128) and Alan Denver (61).

Andrew Wingfield Digby (2-55) was the pick of the Oxon bowlers in the Over 60 Championships encounter.

The visitors got off to the worst possible start when both openers were dismissed without scoring a run.

Oxon’s middle order went about recovering the situation, with Ady Manger hitting a half-century (53), while Wingfield Digby chipped in with 33 and Ian Caunce blasted 29.

But wickets continued to fall and, despite Jerry Senior finishing unbeaten on 26, the visitors fell short on 194-9.

  • CARLA Wood took eight wickets for as many runs as Oxfordshire Women picked up two victories in the ECB County Championship T20 at Bournemouth.

They beat Wiltshire by seven wickets in Division 3 Group A, before another clinical performance earned the same result over Dorset.

In the first match, Oxon immediately put Wiltshire, who elected to bat, under pressure.

Wood inflicted most of the damage, taking 4-2, to help restrict their rivals to 61-9.

Oxon had no problem chasing down the total, with Genny Porter and Abigail Flory doing most of the work as they eased to victory on 65-3 in the ninth over.

Against Dorset, the county’s bowlers carried off where they left off.

Their hosts could only post 89-4, Wood, once again, starring as she took 4-6, while Hannah Timmins took 1-11 from four overs.

Oxon made light work of sealing victory as Wood finished on an unbeaten 29, while Abi Currie scored 28, in another fine team display.