Sandford St Martin became the first side to avoid defeat at the hands of Horspath 2nd as the two sides played out a high-scoring draw in Division 2 of the Cherwell League on Saturday.

Hosts Sandford started well through Ian Reynolds (50) and Martin Anson (42), who added 91 for the first wicket.

Charlie Beeson then hit 74 from 84 balls as Sandford closed on 286-7.

Horspath responded positively through Jack Biggs (85) and Dominic O’Connor (55), but both were removed by Simon Smith, who went on to finish with 5-71 and leave the visitors short on 260-8.

Sandford St Martin 18pts, Horspath 2nd 9

Markus Jeacock (92) and Matt Warner (67no) saw Great & Little Tew 2nd to 249-7 against Oxford Downs.

Amin Rafiq (54no) steered the visitors to safety on 194-8 despite the efforts of Warner (3-31) and Matthew Clark (3-69).

Great & L Tew 2nd 19, Oxford Downs 7

Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd secured a surprise victory at secondplaced Blewbury & Wallingford in Division 3.

Put into bat, the hosts were bowled out for 168.

Warren Ainsworth (40) and Ian Harris (39no) shone with the bat, while Jack Davies (3-38) and Paul Hemming (3-51) did the damage with the ball.

Shipton’s 170-5 was built around the innings of Charlie Miller (51) and Liam Hare (36no).

Blewbury & Wallingford 8, Shipton 2nd 25

Oxford Downs 2nd saw off lowly Dinton 2nd by two wickets.

Downs reduced the visitors to 92-6 and 146 all out thanks to another good spell from Steve Roberts (3-30).

Matthew Kelloway ran out of partners to finish 52 not out.

The hosts were then 37-3 before Wes Bartlett (61) helped Downs reach 148-8.

Oxford Downs 2nd 25, Dinton 2nd 10

Dan Swindells struck exactly 100 not out and Malcolm Evans hit an unbeaten 45 not out as Witney Mills hammered Chearsley by eight wickets in Division 4.

Chaminda Wimalarathna (3-30), Swindells (3-32) and Pierre Lefort (3-47) had shared the wickets as the hosts were all out for 186, before Mills consumed only 31.1 overs in making 188-2.

Chearsley 5, Witney Mills 25

A century from Jamie Nelson was not enough to force victory for Shipton-under-Wychwood 3rd against Bicester & North Oxford 2nd in Division 7.

He hit 130, with Harry Davies making 43 in Shipton’s 259-5.

However, Bicester held on for a draw at 120-7, Kishan Dave making an unbeaten 45 and Robbie Panting taking 5-34.

Bicester & North Oxford 2nd 3, Shipton-under-Wychwood 3rd 18