HARRY Sutton claimed a six-wicket haul as Oxford Downs maintained their unbeaten start to the Division 1 campaign with an emphatic 197-run victory over visitors Abingdon Vale.

Despite losing Frankie Crouch early on in the Cherwell League clash, the hosts soon put the Vale attack to the sword.

Adam Beck starred – the Kiwi top-scoring with 99, falling just one short of a ton when he was caught by Joe Butcher off Charles Pickford’s bowling.

Beck had shared a 143-run stand with George Sandbach, who hit a fluent 52 from 58 balls, while Amin Rafiq continued where he left off two weeks ago, following up his century with a quickfire 60 from 45 balls as Downs made 297.

Arthur Jones was the pick of the Vale attack with 4-41 from ten overs.

Abingdon’s reply got off to a woeful start, losing Amith Premkumar to the first ball.

Jon Jenkinson and Will Barker quickly followed, leaving Vale reeling on 12-3.

Sutton bowled with venom and Vale never recovered from their dreadful start, being dismissed for 100 in the 24th over, Adam Scholey top-scoring with 27.

Cumnor are the early pace-setters after easing to a 63-run victory at Challow & Childrey.

Batting first after winning the toss, Cumnor posted 218-9 as James Lee top-scored with 46.

Challow’s Ryan Gordon hit 36 in their reply, but Max Mannering claimed 4-27 as the hosts lost wickets at regular intervals before being bowled out for 155 with 11 overs remaining.

Will Goodman scored an excellent 85 not out to steer Tiddington to a six-wicket victory at Banbury 2nd.

Tiddington put their hosts in after winning the toss, and restricted them to 149-9 as Neil Smith claimed 3-33.

Goodman and Will Cooper (30) then shone in Tiddington’s reply as they eased home at 150-4, Jack Wilkins taking 3-38.

Shahid Mahmood slammed a century for Twyford as they brushed aside Great Brickhill by six wickets.

The hosts had set 237-7 as Doug Aris hit 56 and Arjun Jhala 50 not out.

But Mahmood’s 114 in 121 balls, including 21 fours, plus 53 from Shabaz Alam, saw Twyford home at 239-4.

Callum Cater, brother of Oxfordshire skipper Jonny, led Buckingham 2nd to 230-6 at Long Marston, setting up a 35-run win.

Cater hit 65 not out and Jason Ell 51 in Buckingham’s 230-6, before James Gear took 3-20 and Wasim Fayyaz 3-27 as Marston were all out for 195.

In Division 2, Westbury posted their third straight victory after seeing off hosts Oxford 2nd by 57 runs.

Olly Tice fell two runs short of a century and Tom Wilson struck 54 as Westbury set 275-5 in their 50 overs, Mursaleen Sadiqi taking 3-60 and Andrew Busby 2-28.

Mursaleen Sadiqi then scored 51 and Abdullah Sadiqi hit 30 in Oxford’s reply, but tight bowling from veteran Richard Tredwell (3-33) and Graham Judd (3-40) restricted them to 218-9.

Sandford St Martin were involved in a tie with visitors Bledlow Village, with both teams finishing on 276.

Mark Robey took 6-33 as Bledlow posted 276-9 in their 50 overs, Matt Bolton scoring 78 and Mike Winson 75.

Sandford’s Mark Robey (97) and Kris Jones (66) shone in their reply, but with Ben Moore taking 5-45, the west Oxfordshire side were bowled out off the final ball of the match as it ended in the most thrilling of circumstances.

Didcot suffered their first defeat as they fell to a 34-run loss at Aston Rowant 2nd.

Chris Eaton hit 76 and Oliver Shaw 52 in Rowant’s 232-8.

Left-arm spinner Chris Leaney then claimed 4-27 for Rowant as Didcot were bowled out for 198, Adam Webb top-scoring with 46.

Horspath 2nd saw off hosts Wolverton Town by five wickets.

Mohson Rana took 3-21 and George Horsley 3-32 to help dismiss Wolverton for 161.

The ever-consistent Dominic O’Connor then struck 56 in Horspath’s reply, helping them to 167-5.

Ed Somerton’s brilliant unbeaten century saw Cropredy to a six-wicket win against visitors Leighton Buzzard Town.

Earlier, Mike Amos-Simpson claimed 4-32 in Buzzard’s 250 all out.

But Somerton then scored 105 not out as Cropredy cruised to 251-4 with six overs to spare.

Bicester & North Oxford went top of Division 3 after beating Great Brickhill 2nd by 63 runs.

Bicester racked up 255-6 as Stafford Sansome hit 87 and Dan Savin 51 not out.

Brickhill were never in the hunt, falling to 192 all out, Ryan Moore taking 3-27 and Danny Clark 3-40.

Tim Wyatt’s century for Great & Little Tew 2nd was in vain as they fell to a 65-run defeat at Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts.

Nondies were put in and proceeded with few alarms to 243-4 in their 50 overs, Garry Adamson hitting 70 and Pablo Mukherjee 56.

Wyatt then scored 108 off 97 balls in Tew’s reply, but they lost regular wickets at the other end to fall for 178.

Horley proved far too strong for hosts Cublington as they cruised to a 140-run victory.

David Clark (74no) led Horley to 272-7 in their 50 overs, but the star of the show was Savi Sangha, who took 6-20 as Cublington were shot out for just 132 in reply.

Minster Lovell beat Banbury 3rd by 105 runs.

Elliot Graham (87), Jack Simpson (46) and James Merriman (43) helped Minster to 253-9 after being asked to bat.

Mark Pallett hit 42 and Neil Megson 33 in Banbury’s reply, but skipper Harry Ebsworth took 3-36 as the visitors were bowled out for 148.

Oxford Downs 2nd were put to the sword as Stokenchurch’s Arshad Latif smashed an incredible 213 to see his side to a 96-run win.

Latif hit 28 fours and eight sixes as Stokenchurch amassed a huge total of 356-8 in their 50 overs.

Darryl Woods hit 97 and Andrew Lake 58 in Downs’ reply, but despite their best efforts, they were all out for 260 with five overs remaining.

In Division 4, Matt Furness smashed 144 not out as Thame Town racked up a massive 357-2 against visitors Long Marston 2nd at Church Meadow to go top.

Dave Saunders (85no) and Richard Carr (53) also starred.

Marston’s Hamish Sim then struck a magnificent 152 and Mike Lyons 68, but despite a brave chase, the visitors were all out in the 47th over for 317.

East Oxford edged past Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd by one wicket.

Three wickets apiece for Raja Imran, Kamran Ali Shah and Chetan Walia helped to dismiss Shipton for 174, before Zia Hamid (68) saw East Oxford edge home at 175-9.

Newcomers Charlbury suffered their first defeat as Witney Mills ran out five-wicket winners.

Steve Kelly took 4-14 and Ollie Burney 3-42 to dismiss Charlbury for 131, and then Adam Mayho hit 33 to steer Mills to 132-5.

Abingdon Vale 2nd’s Rob Hood hit a superb 119 not out, but could not save his side from an 82-run defeat at home to Bletchley Town.

The visitors had amassed a huge 335 all out as Matt Shepherd scored 125.

Hood produced a classy knock to give Vale hope.

But despite losing only two wickets in reply, Vale closed on 253-2 in their 50 overs, Chris Butcher ending a barren run of form with 56.

Bletchley had five points deducted.

Tiddington 2nd lost by 80 runs at home to Brackley.

Adam Wirth hit 68 and Josh Rowland 48 not out in Brackley’s 205 all out, Max Smith taking 4-52.

Tiddington never got close as Josh Markham took 4-21 in their 125 all out.

Brackley had five points deducted.

Will Woodley’s brilliant century helped Didcot 2nd to a seven-wicket win at home to Horspath 3rd in Division 5.

Earlier, youngster Kane Durrant had claimed 3-33 to help to restrict Horspath to 195-9 in their 50 overs.

But Didcot made light work of the target as Woodley struck exactly 100 in a superb innings to lead his side to

198-3 with more than five overs to spare.

Cropredy 2nd went top of the table after they defeated hosts Leighton Buzzard Town 2nd by 51 runs in a high-scoring clash.

Buzzard invited Cropredy to bat first, and the visitors promptly made them pay, setting about the hosts’ attack to rack up 316-6, Tom Coggins hitting 68 not out, Ben Ward 67 not out and George Buckingham 56.

Chris Plumbe then took 3-52 as Buzzard were all out for 267 in the 47th over.

Kingston Bagpuize suffered their first loss at Chearsley.

Will Sawrey-Cookson’s 117 not out helped the home side to 251-8 in their 50 overs.

Kingston were bowled out for 225 in reply as Charlie Parker took 4-61 and Ed Holland 3-33.

Aston Rowant 3rd easily saw off visitors Dinton 2nd by 110 runs.

Batting first, Rowant set 277-5 as Sam Lyon top-scored with 76.

Tim Foster then claimed 5-50 to help dismiss Dinton for just 167 in their reply.

Cumnor 2nd fell to a three-wicket defeat at home to Kimble.

Jack Miell hit 38 not out in Cumnor’s 139 all out, but Kimble reached 140-7 with more than six overs remaining to secure victory.

Colin Simpson’s century helped Sandford St Martin 2nd to a thrilling five-run victory at Horley 2nd in Division 6.

Simpson hit 100 and Greg Pearson was agonisingly dismissed for 99 as Sandford amassed 270-8.

Horley put up a great chase, but ended just short on

265-7, Mark Tubb hitting 78 not out and Julian Wright taking 5-61.

Minster Lovell 2nd maintained their 100 per cent start with a 31-run win at Banbury 4th.

Jacob Mayers top-scored with 74 as Minster set 223-7, before Banbury’s brave chase ended when they were bowled out for 192, despite 75 from Luke Wetherill.

In Division 7, Horspath 4th proved too strong for Bicester & North Oxford 2nd, recording a convincing 129-run success.

Mike Naylor (52) helped Horspath to 209-6, but Andy Cummings (5-23) and Trevor Spindler (4-28) then combined to dismiss Bicester for just 80.

Altaf Hussain returned superb figures of 5-6 to help Cropredy 3rd to a seven-wicket win against visitors Eynsham 2nd in Division 10.

Eynsham were skittled out for a paltry 90 thanks to Hussain’s haul, and then Cropredy eased home at 91-3.