FRANKIE Crouch and George Sandbach scored half-centuries as Oxford Downs proved too strong for Horspath 2nd in Cherwell League Division 1.

Hosts Downs won by five wickets with more than 12 overs to spare.

Horspath’s decision to bat first appeared a good one as Kit Cutter (62) and Dom O’Connor (20) put on 73 for the first wicket.

But when they fell to Amin Rafiq and Will Watts respectively, Downs began to get on top.

Spinners Rafiq (2-26) and Wasim Mehmood (3-39) applied the brakes to the Horspath innings as they crawled to 178 all out in 47.5 overs.

The total never looked like being enough and Downs eased home at 179-5, Crouch top-scoring with 56 and Sandbach hitting 51.

Chris Thompson hit 92 and Steve Dobson 66 to help Sandford St Martin to a crushing 118-run win at Oxford 2nd in Division 2.

Sandford rattled up 285-8 in their 50 overs, Mark Robey chipping in with 35.

Oxford were never in the hunt as they were bowled out for 167, Simon Smith taking 4-31 and Tom Rothwell 3-40.

Great & Little Tew 2nd defeated struggling hosts Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts by four wickets to leave Nondies bottom of the table.

Liam Manley (3-10) was the pick of the Tew attack as Nondies were bowled out for 108 in 35.5 overs.

Tew lost regular wickets in reply, but reached 111-6 to claim victory.

Oxford Downs 2nd lost by 122 runs away to Horley in Division 3.

Downs were made to rue their decision to bowl first as Horley racked up a massive 314 all out in 47.4 overs.

Dave Clark (76), Steve Palmer (69) and Dave Eaton (65) shone.

Ben Ling struck 88 in Downs’s reply, but they were dismissed for 192, Jamie Abbotts taking 3-40 and Craig Lynes 3-50.

Division 4 leaders Minster Lovell suffered a scare before edging home against visitors Bletchley Town in a low-scoring clash.

Minster inserted their visitors on a damp pitch and dismissed them for just 68, Eddie Dunn taking 3-17.

The hosts also struggled with the conditions, losing six wickets in their chase, before reaching 69-6, Jude Ramanadanpulle the pick of the Bletchley attack with 3-19.

Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd drew for the fourth time in six matches as visitors Witney Mills denied them a victory.

Russell Hayes made 61 in Shipton’s 212-6, before Paul Hemming claimed 5-49 in Mills’s reply which closed on 172-8, while Pete Claridge (49) and Sam Cross (41) shone with the bat.

Division 6 leaders Sandford St Martin 2nd crushed hosts Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts 2nd by seven wickets.

Greg Pearson took 6-47 in Nondies 163 all out, before Colin Simpson (46) and Tom Tanner (38no) led Sandford to 166-3.

Minster Lovell 3rd batsman Russell Whitlock hammered an extraordinary century to help the Division 10 leaders to a crushing nine-wicket win at Shipton-under-Wychwood 4th.

Whitlock’s maiden century (101 not out) came in just 35 balls as Minster chased down Shipton’s total of 124 all out in 14 overs.

Whitlock smashed nine sixes and nine fours to ensure an early finish.