Shipton crash to Downs in round 3

Shipton-under-Wychwood, twice winners of the npower Village Knockout, crashed out to local rivals Oxford Downs in the second round of the competition on Sunday.

The game had been switched to Oxford Downs’ Standlake ground as Shipton’s ground was waterlogged.

Shipton chose to field on a soft damp pitch, but Downs put on a rapid 49 for the first wicket before Wes Bartlett was caught behind off Chris Panter for 41.

Left-arm spinner Shaun Miler, turning the ball sharply, commanded respect and picked up three wickets but when Mark Wingfield-Digby (29) joined Charlie Sutton (56 not out) in a brisk stand of 54, marked by some big hitting and sharp singles, Downs were able to reach 173 for 8, a competitive score on a difficult pitch.

Shipton’s innings got off to a disastrous start with skipper Steve Bates and Paul and Andy Hemming falling early to Bartlett and Sutton, and 6 wickets were down for 32 by the twelfth over.

Downs maintained the pressure with good catching and fielding, and Shipton subsided to a meagre 88 with nine of the ten wickets falling to catches, notably a stinging effort by Danny Lee at mid-off to dismiss the dangerous John Hartley.

Downs, who were re-instated in the competition after Tiddington admitted playing an ineligible player in the previous round, now play Kidmore End in the Oxfordshire Group semi-finals at Standlake next Sunday.