THERE was a thrilling finish as Abingdon Vale won an exciting low-scoring Division 1 clash with visitors Long Marston by three runs.

Batting first, the hosts had no answer to Alastair Bee, his 5-33 sending them tumbling to 130 all out.

Jeremy Smith struck 35 in Marston’s reply, but wily left-arm spinner Paul White (4-41) shone as the visitors were bowled out in the 48th over for 127.

Leaders Oxford Downs eased to a six-wicket victory against struggling Banbury 2nd as they returned to winning ways.

Going into the final four games of the season, Downs are just one point ahead of second-placed Great Brickhill, whom they play in two weeks’ time.

After inserting Banbury, they quickly rattled through the order, bowling them out for 120, Harry Sutton taking 3-57.

Downs needed only 21 overs to reach 122-4, Adam Beck hitting 49 not out and Chris Sandbach 44.

Tiddington lost by seven wickets at home to Great Brickhill.

Sean Gilson’s haul of 6-30 dismissed the visitors for 172, Will Cooper scoring 55.

Mark Nelson then smashed a brilliant 110 to guide Brickhill to 174-3.

Struggling Challow & Childrey fell to a six-wicket defeat at Twyford to stay in relegation danger.

Choosing to bat first, the visitors were all out for 189 as Atif Ali took 5-48 and Ryan Gordon hit 59.

Shabaz Alam (82) and Shahid Mahmood (58no) then guided Twyford home at 194-2.

Cumnor went down by three wickets away to Buckingham Town 2nd, who moved off the bottom.

Will Bull (88) helped Cumnor to 194 all out, but Sam Younghusband (48) led the home side to 195-7.

Westbury won their crunch Division 2 top-of-the-table clash with hosts Bledlow Village by 17 runs to stretch their lead to a near unassailable 57 points.

The visitors were dismissed for 180, Harry Gordon hitting 64, with Matthew Pearce and Harry Bartlett taking four wickets apiece.

Richard Tredwell then rolled back the years with 6-22 as Bledlow were dismissed for 163, despite 73 from Bartlett.

Didcot maintained their late push for promotion with a six-wicket win over visitors Oxford 2nd.

Richard Cook claimed 5-18 as Oxford were all out for 159, before Richard Underdown struck 81 to steer his side to 160-4.

Sandford St Martin’s wretched season continued as they were hammered at Horspath 2nd by 134 runs.

The hosts reached 248-9, Dom O’Connor hitting 46.

Mark Skelton then took 5-45 and Jehan Mohammed 4-18 as Sandford crumbled to 114 all out.

Cropredy’s Ed Somerton smashed a superb 163 to help his side to a 42-run win at Wolverton Town.

Somerton’s super knock and 63 from Joe Fox led Cropredy to 296-6.

Patrick Somerton then claimed 6-64 as the home side were dismissed for 254.

Aston Rowant 2nd fell to an 88-run defeat at Leighton Buzzard Town.

Buzzard set 297-8 in their 53 overs, Greg Proudfoot hitting 88.

Ben Knowler top-scored with 54 in Rowant’s reply of 209.

Bicester & North Oxford moved to within one victory of the Division 3 title as they saw off hosts Minster Lovell by 49 runs.

The visitors were bowled out for 196, as Will Irvin hit 69 and Leigh Smith claimed 4-50.

Minster never looked like getting close as Dan Savin took 5-36 in the hosts’ 147 all out.

A depleted Oxford Downs 2nd dented Horley’s hopes with a 45-run win.

Downs had been dismissed for only 142, Dave Eaton taking 6-37 and David Finch 4-63.

But Horley then crashed to 97 all out in their reply against Brad Airey (5-36) and Jack Soppett (5-52).

Banbury 3rd boosted their hopes of avoiding relegation with a nine-wicket win at home to Cublington.

Ollie Murrey took 5-46 to send the visitors stumbling to 137 all out, before Mark Pallett hit 62 not out to take Banbury to 138-1.

Markus Jeacock’s 129 was in vain as Great & Little Tew 2nd drew at home to Stokenchurch.

The visitors set 284-8, Arshad Latif scoring 99 and Dan Sherborne taking 7-48.

Led by Jeacock’s ton, Tew had to settle for the draw at 255-8.

Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts’ stumbling season continued as they lost by two wickets at strugglers Great Brickhill 2nd.

They were all out for 150 as Dylan Cilliers took 5-36.

Arfan Ahmed claimed 4-43 for Nondies, but Brickhill edged home at 151-8.

In Division 4, East Oxford won a crucial top-of-the-table clash at home to Thame Town 2nd by four wickets, after Chetan Walia took 6-38 to dismiss the visitors for 114.

Charlie Sinton starred as Charlbury defeated visitors Tiddington 2nd by five wickets.

Sinton took 6-52 to dismiss Tiddington for 160, and then Thomas Harris (45) and Ben Sinton (44) saw Charlbury home at 162-5.

Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd and Witney Mills battled out a draw, but Shipton were far the happier.

Mills inserted their hosts, who proceeded to 225-9, Andy Hemming hitting 99.

Mills lost regular wickets to Paul Hemming (6-40) and had to shut up shop for the draw at 177-9.

Abingdon Vale 2nd eased to a seven-wicket win at Brackley.

Matthew Darley took 5-33 and Luke Maslen 3-23 in the hosts’ paltry 68 all out.

Kingston Bagpuize took over at the top of Division 5, despite having to settle for a draw at home to Dinton 2nd.

Alex Bowles hit 96 and Jonathan Warner 55 in Kingston’s 235-5.

Stuart Bullen then took 5-33, reducing Dinton to 185-9.

Aston Rowant 3rd moved into second after getting the better of a draw with previous leaders Cropredy 2nd.

They set 217-8 as Leigh Lewis hit 59.

Lewis then claimed 4-37 as Cropredy were left clinging on at 152-9.

Horspath 3rd fell to a 118-run defeat against visitors Leighton Buzzard Town 2nd.

Buzzard were bowled out for 258, Swapnil Kulkarni taking 5-34, but Horspath then fell for 140.

Cumnor 2nd won a thriller at home to Didcot 2nd by one wicket.

Batting first, the visitors were bowled out for 168 as Luke Higgins hit 57 and Sam Herbert took 5-32.

Ollie Deans and Ben Harden both hit 30 to lead Cumnor to 169-9.

Andrew Stevens’s century was in vain for Banbury 4th as they lost by four wickets at Buckingham Town 3rd in Division 6.

Stevens hit 101 in Banbury’s 210-9, but the hosts reached 102-6 with four balls to spare.

Challow & Childrey 2nd duo Alex Lynch and Harry Whitehead both hit centuries, but they could not force a victory against visitors Horley 2nd.

Lynch hit 117 not out and Whitehead 114 in Challow’s 280-3.

Horley were left clinging on at 193-8.

Mark Adams struck 109 to help Bicester & North Oxford 2nd to a nine-wicket win at home to East Oxford 2nd in Division 7.

The visitors made 162, before Adams led Bicester to 166-1.

Omer Tariq hit 99 for Kingston Bagpuize 2nd in their 16-run win at Stokenchurch 2nd in Division 9.

Tariq’s knock saw Kingston to 222-9, and then Liam Turnbull took 3-46 as Stokenchurch were dismissed for 206.

In Division 10, Owen Noonan struck 105 not out to help Cropredy 3rd to a 110-run win over Thame Town 4th.