ABINGDON Vale and Didcot are celebrating promotion.

Abingdon’s Cherwell League Division 2 clash at Oxford Downs was called off after heavy rain, and the abandonment was enough to secure both sides a top-two finish.

It means Abingdon will play top-flight cricket for the first time in their history.

Didcot, meanwhile, beat Banbury 3rd by seven wickets to be crowned Division 3 champions.

At Downs, the hosts were 115-5 when the rain arrived, with Chris Sandbach on 49 not out and Tom Costley unbeaten on 31 with Henry Pickford (4-41) the pick of Abingdon’s bowlers.

Vale have spent 20 of the last 23 years in Division 2, with three third-place finishes their best campaigns before this one.

Didcot proved a class above Banbury 3rd to seal their promotion.

Aiden Kammel claimed 5-30 as Banbury were shot out for 91 in the final first-team match at the club’s old Power Station ground.

Didcot then took just 21.1 overs to reach 95-3, Elliot Matthews hitting 38 not out and Ian Demain 30 not out.

Blewbury & Wallingford lost by four wickets at Great Brickhill 2nd, but are virtually assured of safety.

Warren Ainsworth (55) and James Barrett (54) helped Blewbury to 186 all out in the 46th over.

James Casson claimed 3-38 for Blewbury, but Brickhill reached 189-6 thanks largely to 92 from Lawrence Armstrong.

In Division 5, Abingdon Vale 2nd saw their promotion bid hit by the rain.

With the top two – Thame Town 2nd and Horspath 3rd – drawing, victory would have seen Abingdon go top.

But after they reduced Kingston Bagpuize to 146-8, rain meant they only had 23 overs to chase down their target, and then ended 11 runs short on 135-7, despite the efforts of Matt Darley (43) and Tom Allen (33).