CHRIS Sandbach's all-round efforts saw Oxford Downs get close to beating Cherwell League Division 2 leaders Challow & Childrey.

He took 4-50 as the visitors were restricted to 190-8 in their 53 overs, before hitting 52 to get the reply off to a good start.

But after Sandbach and skipper Wasim Mehmood (41) were dismissed, Downs lost their way and ended up 176 all out –14 runs short.

A five-wicket haul for Robbie Shurmer helped Great & Little Tew 2nd to a 74-run home win against Buckingham Town 2nd.

Batting first, Tew racked up 215-8 in their 53 overs, Dave Fanghanel-Powles hitting 50 and Liam Manley adding 52 not out down the order.

Buckingham were never in the hunt, with Shurmer taking 5-35 to help dismiss the visitors for only 141.

Sandford St Martin easily saw off hosts Wolverton Town by 87 runs.

Batting first, Sandford set 189-7 in their 53 overs, Chris Thompson hitting 37 and Steve Dobson 35.

Daniel Jason-Smith then claimed 4-23 as Wolverton were shot out for 102.

Oxford Downs 2nd saw off hosts Tiddington 2nd by three wickets, but needed plenty of overs to do so.

Jack Soppett’s fine haul of 5-36 helped to dismiss Tiddington for 180 in the 42nd over.

This gave Downs 58 overs to reach the target, and they took it down to the wire, only scrambling home with three balls remaining.

This was largely due to veteran Darryl Woods’s careful knock of 62 off 148 balls, as he helped Downs to victory.

Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd clung on for a draw at Banbury 3rd, for whom Ed Phillips smashed 124 in their 260-7 in 53 overs.

Steve Bates’s 61 helped Shipton’s cause, but they were never in the hunt, and were left hanging on at the end on 167-9 to frustrate Banbury.

Witney Mills crashed to a six-wicket defeat at Brackley after being shot out for 67 in Division 4.

Douglas Smith (4-16) and Rob Cartwright (3-16) were the pick of the attack for Brackley, who then took 36.5 overs to reach 68-4.

In Division 7, Shipton-under-Wychwood 3rd were skittled out for a paltry 48 as they crashed to a seven-wicket at Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts 2nd.

Rustam Rabani took 4-8 in nine overs to rip through Shipton, Nondies knocking off the required runs in just 8.5 overs of their reply.