A poor batting display cost Banbury the points and top spot as they lost by 46 runs to Falkland on Saturday.
Although High Wycombe could only draw with Oxford, they secured enough points to take over from Banbury at the top.
Winning the toss, Banbury decided to field on a green wicket which appeared seamer friendly. The humid conditions also aided movement through the air.
Falkland began very positively and after only five overs were 32-0
After this initial period the Banbury bowlers then began to put on the pressure.
Surprisingly, in the conditions, it was the spin of Jimmy Phillips and Richard Kaufman that did the damage.
Phillips bowled particularly well and was unlucky to pick up only two wickets, although his 21 overs only cost him 59 runs.
Kaufman came on to break the main stand and then picked up three further lower order wickets to finish with 4-33.
Two dropped catches and the occasional lapse in the field during the Falkland innings did cost Banbury, but the bowlers did an excellent job in restricting the home side to 218-9 off their 66 overs.
Chris Smith, returning from Cardiff UCCE, and Paul Taylor put on 41 for the first wicket before both departed in successive overs on a dryingf pitch.
Kaufman departed first ball and Banbury were in trouble at 47-3.
Craig Haupt and Danny Harding batted sensibly and their stand of 82 for the fourth wicket got Banbury back on track
There was never any doubt that Banbury were always going to go for victory, but when Haupt (43) and Harding (33) were dismissed in successive overs, that prospect soon became more difficult to achieve.
Falkland’s fielding was excellent, and the two catches that dismissed Steve Beck and Calum Taylor would not have been out of place on the international stage.
Despite some lusty blows from Banbury’s lower order, the chase finally ended in the 51st over when Simon Launder was caught by Foster with the score on 172.
Spinner Khalid Zafar finished with figures of 7-57 off 18.3 overs.
FALKLAND
J Bloodworth c Harding b Wolstenholme…31
T Heath c Phillips b Launder…25
M Abrams b Launder…42
J Morris c Harding b Kaufman…45
Khalid Zafar st Harding b Phillips…24
R Kamar run out…18
R Gowland c C Taylor b Kaufman…1
R Geraghty lbw Kaufman…4
M Foster b Kaufman…5
N Tamper not out…3
M Baker not out…0
Extras…14
Total (9 wkts, 66ovs)…218
Fall: 1-39, 2-91, 3-121, 4-166, 5-195, 6-202, 7-202, 8-208, 9-209
Bowling: Launder 18-4-47-2, Murrey 10-2-27-0, Wolstenholme 7-0-23-1, C Taylor 1-0-8-0, Phillips 21-4-59-2, Kaufman 9-0-33-4.
BANBURY
C Smith c Morris b Khalid Zafar…14
P Taylor c Morris b Kamar…28
C Haupt c & b K Zafar…43
R Kaufman c Morris b Kamar…0
D Harding c Foster b Khalid Zafar…33
C Taylor c Abrams b Khalid Zafar…13
S Beck c Trumper b Khalid Zafar…11
J Wolstenholme c Foster b Kamar…0
O Murrey c Abrams b Khalid Zafar…6
S Launder c Foster b Khalid Zafar…11
J Phillips not out…0
Extras…11
Total (all out, 50.3 ovs)…172
Fall: 1-41, 2-47, 3-47, 4-129, 5-129, 6-145, 7-147, 8-154, 9-166, 10-172.
Bowling: Baker 7-1-20-0, Trumper 7-2-18-0, Khalid Zafar 18.3-4-57-7, Kamar 13-1-45-3, Morris 5-0-24-0.
Falkland 25pts, Banbury 6