Johnny Law took 6-29 in an outstanding display that saw Oxford Downs stun Sandford St Martin in Division 2 of the Cherwell League on Saturday.

Sandford were unbeaten in five matches coming into Saturday, and had emerged as the head of the chasing pack behind the three second teams in the division.

But they came horribly unstuck at Downs, who are rebuilding after suffering relegation last term and a slow start to this year’s campaign.

The visitors struggled after being put in to bat, limping to a meagre 127 all out from 49.4 overs.

Law was well supported by Wasim Mehmood, who finished with 3-24.

Frankie Crouch then ensured that the Standlake-based outfit would win without suffering any undue alarm, hitting an unbeaten 48 as they cruised to 128-3 in only 33.1 overs.

With Sandford coming up from Division 3 last summer, and half this year’s matches now played, both these teams look like consolidating their positions by finishing in midtable.

However, with the bottom two already adrift, they can play positively in the second half of the season and could yet mount a promotion challenge if they find the required level of consistency.

Oxford Downs 25pts, Sandford St Martin 4 Joe Butcher took a hat-trick on his way to figures of 6-26 as Abingdon Vale sent Great & Little Tew spinning to 96 all out.

Six Tew batsmen went without scoring as only opener Michael Darby’s quick-fire 39 suggested Tew would chase Vale’s 170 all out.

Butcher was ably supported by Luke Mitchell, who finished with 3-46 in a rare first-team appearance.

Earlier, Vale had been in all sorts of trouble on 66-7 against Matthew Warner (4-53) and Jack Belmont (3-18), but were rescued by number nine Sam Chilvers, who smashed 75 from 50 balls to turn the game on its head.

Abingdon Vale 25, Great Tew 2nd 5 An unbeaten 86 from Scott Reynolds’s helped strugglers Sandford St Martin 2nd to a surprise 144-run victory over high-fliers Great & Little Tew 3rd in their Division 6 derby.

Reynolds and Andrew Goffe (68) put on 145 for the fourth wicket as hosts Sandford reached 257-4.

In reply, Tew lost seven wickets for 24 runs, with Ryan O’Sullivan taking 4-37 as they were all out for 113.

Sandford St Martin 2nd 25, Great & Little Tew 3rd 2 Shipton-under-Wychwood 3rd beat visitors Brackley 2nd by 31 runs to move up to second in Division 7.

Ali Wolfe (62) and Jerry Senior (59no) got the home side to 206-6.

Harry Davies returned figures of 3-18 as Brackley were dismissed for 175.

Shipton 3rd 25, Brackley 2nd 5 Jack Owen’s 6-56 helped skittle Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts for 131 in Division 9.

Ralph Watts hit 45 as Tew 4th chased the target down with five wickets to spare in the 29th over.

Great & Little Tew 4th 25, Ox & Bletch Nondies 3rd 7