Oxford Downs are still winless and bottom of Cherwell League Division 1 after they were on the wrong end of a rain-hit draw at home to Thame Town.

Openers Mike Higgs (44) and James Neilson (33) got Thame off to a good start after they elected to bat, then No 3 James Crichton made 51.

Richard Beer took 4-46 from 11 overs to check the scoring a little.

However, the visitors’ total of 204-8 was always going to be too many given that Downs only received 26 overs in reply.

So it proved despite the best efforts of Wes Bartlett (54) and James France (36) as they closed on 165-7.

Oxford Downs 9pts, Thame Town 14 Great & Little Tew 2nd lost opener Sam Barnes to the first ball of their Division 2 match at leaders Sandford St Martin and never recovered as they collapsed to 116.

Danny Smith was the successful bowler, and although he took some tap, he finished with stand-out figures of 6-63 from 11.1 overs.

At 73-6, Tew were struggling to reach three figures until No 8 Sam Smith (37) gave their bowlers something to defend.

Sandford were also 0-1 when Lawrence Brock (3-33) removed Thomas Goffe with the first ball.

But Grant Phillips-Tebb (33) stabilised their reply and the pacesetters managed to scrape together 117-8.

Sandford St Martin 25, Great & Little Tew 2nd 9 Neil Davies took 4-14 as Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd were restricted to 118-6 from 40 overs after being put into bat at Dinton 2nd.

David Bugge top-scored with 33 not out.

Robert Seymour then took 4-37 to keep Shipton in the game, but Dan Ripley held his nerve to hit 32 not out and steer the hosts to 122-7.

Dinton 2nd 25, Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd 8 Witney Mills had only 20 overs to chase home side Great Brickhill 2nd’s 194-7 from 40 in Division 4.

However, Mills finished on 155-8 after Adam Mayho made 34 and Malcolm Evans thumped 32. Drew Burrows bagged 4-37.

Before tea Chris Jones had scored 54 and Simon Chapman chipped in with 47.

Great Brickhill 2nd 18, Witney Mills 5 Bill Wallace’s spell of 6-11 was not enough to prevent Shipton-under-Wychwood 3rd losing out by one wicket at Cumnor 3rd in Division 8.

Simon Howarth took 3-10 and Matt Todd 3-24 to dismiss Shipton for 65, but that was nearly enough.

Cumnor scraped home at 66-9 as Wallace did his best to deny them.

Cumnor 3rd 25, Shipton 3rd 5