SKIPPER Lloyd Sabin shone as Banbury maintained their Division 1 title push with a 71-run victory over local rivals Great & Little Tew in the Home Counties Premier League.

The win moves the north Oxfordshire side up to second and they remain 25 points behind leaders Finchampstead with three games remaining.

Captain Sabin top-scored with 83 from as many balls, which included eight boundaries and two sixes, as Banbury set 245-8, with Tew skipper Andy Harris taking 5-33.

The west Oxfordshire side were never in the hunt and fell short on 174.

Hosts Banbury won the toss and elected to bat, with openers Craig Haupt (36) and Ollie Clarke (42) putting on 62.

Once they both fell, the home side were on 109-2, but a third-wicket stand of 110 between Sabin and Richard West (44) proved crucial.

After they were dismissed in quick succession to leave Banbury 219-4, the middle order struggled to contribute further as the hosts posted 245-8 from their 50 overs.

Tew’s reply did not get off to the best of starts as they were restricted to 30-3.

Joe White (39) helped stabilise the ship in fourth and fifth-wicket partnerships with Lloyd Brock and Curtly Slatter to take the visitors to 102-4.

But when he fell, Tew lost three wickets for 24 runs to leave them on 126-8.

A ninth-wicket partnership of 39 between Robbie Shurmer and Matthew Warner only delayed the inevitable as Tew were dismissed for 174.

SHAHBAZ Ali and Adam Price hit contrasting half-centuries as Division 2 leaders Horspath claimed a nerve-jangling two-wicket win at Aston Rowant.

Chasing Rowant’s 199 all out after putting the hosts in to bat, Horspath were in trouble at 42-4, with overseas star Rameez Raja among the wickets to fall.

But Price scored fluently with 59 off 62 balls, including eight boundaries, to dominate a fifth-wicket stand of 75 with Ali, who grafted away to turn the game around.

After Price departed, Ali stepped up a gear to finish unbeaten on 61 from 121 deliveries, with six fours, and see Horspath home with four balls to spare despite losing late wickets.

Earlier, Steven Richards and Tom Condon both made 44 as Rowant were pegged back from 90-1 by good spells from Raja (3-36), Lloyd Belcher (3-39) and Mark Skelton (2-34).

Third-placed Oxford remain on Horspath’s tail after a 44-run victory at Datchet.

The visitors elected to bat and were struggling on 58-3, but George Munsey (40) and John Barrett (39) put on 66 for the fourth wicket.

However, they, along with Shami Mendis, fell within 12 runs of each other as Oxford slumped to 136-7.

Ian Crosby and Harvey Eltham soon fell to leave Oxford on 174-8, but the tail stepped up to the mark.

Freddie Simon smashed 48 off 21 deliveries, including five boundaries and three sixes, as they were eventually dismissed for 241.

Oxford quickly reduced Datchet to 23-2 in reply and they were struggling at 96-6.

A seventh-wicket partnership of 81 between Steven Naylor (70) and Samuel Finn boosted the home side’s hopes.

But once they fell, Datchet were quickly all out for 197, with Shami Mendis (3-40) and Harvey Eltham (3-49) starring.

Shipton-under-Wychwood arrested a run of three defeats in beating Cookham Dean by four wickets at home.

Shaun Cross claimed 4-41, while Anupam Sanklecha and Thomas Swann both took 3-41, as the hosts dismissed their visitors for 202.

Shipton were never in trouble, with opener Simon Hole hitting 60, while Ian Lewis (46) and Anupam Sanklecha (31no) helped steer the home side to victory

Thame Town fell to a seven-wicket defeat at Buckingham Town.

The visitors elected to bat and posted 214, thanks to Honey Garg’s 53.

But the hosts made light work of the chase, reaching their target in the 48th over.