YOUTH CRICKET: Sheer agony for Oxon in one-wicket defeat (From Bicester Advertiser)

YOUTH CRICKET: Sheer agony for Oxon in one-wicket defeat

11:40am Saturday 7th July 2012 in Sport

AN agonising one-wicket, penultimate ball defeat all-but ended Oxfordshire Under 15s’ hopes in the ECB County Cup as they were beaten by Staffordshire at Christchurch.

Oxon were satisfied with their batting effort, posting 194-9 from their 50 overs.

Tom Costley top-scored with 68, while Alex Davies chipped in with 51 and Tom Condon 30.

Staffordshire’s reply got off to a solid start with Daniel Betty and Tom Ball sharing 59 for the first wicket.

But after that, wickets tumbled at regular intervals, Matthew Butcher taking 2-25 and Leo Bethel 2-43.

Aided by three run outs, Oxon sensed a chance of victory, only for the last-wicket pair to edge Staffordshire to the narrowest of victories with one ball remaining.

l OXFORDSHIRE Under 14s lost by 53 runs away to Warwickshire in their ECB Cup match held at Marston Green.

The home side recovered from 92-7 to post an impressive 219 all out after No 9 Chris Camwell top-scored with a fine 74.

Harvey Eltham was the pick of the Oxfordshire bowlers, taking 3-36 from 8.2 overs.

Oxon got off to a poor start in reply, losing both openers with just 17 on the board.

Aadam Samiullah hit 45 to help get Oxon going, but they were never really up with the required rate as they fell to 166 all out.

l OXFORDSHIRE Under 10s went down to a one-run defeat in their friendly away to Shropshire in a low-scoring encounter.

Oxon’s decision to insert the hosts looked the right one as early wickets left Shropshire on 15-4.

They recovered briefly, but were dismissed for 96 in their 40 overs, with David White and Caspar Mason taking two wickets apiece.

Gus Miller top-scored with 24 in Oxfordshire’s reply, but 4-15 from Lewis Evans proved vital as the home side dismissed their visitors for 95 for a narrow victory.