Banbury consolidated their position at the top of Division 1 with a comprehensive nine-wicket win against newly promoted North Mymms on Saturday.
The Hertfordshireside elected to bat on a day threatened by heavy showers, but it wasn’t long before Banbury made inroads.
Simon Launder and Ollie Murrey bowled magnificently in tandem for the first 20 overs, reducing the home side to 26-5.
Murrey was more successful in a spell of 4-18, although Launder bowled equally as well, picking up the other wicket, while only conceding eight runs.
Jon Wolstenholme con- tinued the rout for Banbury, returning 3-17 in a six-over spell.
At 5-88, the home side looked dead and buried and an early afternoon finish was on the cards.
But Wendell Roberts (45), the Leeward Islands paceman, batted sensibly for 20 overs to frustrate Banbury’s attack.
The introduction of Jimmy Phillips broke the deadlock, trapping the West Indian lbw, not offering a shot to his arm ball. Phillips then polished off the innings for 109.
Banbury’s reply started cautiously, with Paul Taylor and Mark Rorich facing the barrage from Roberts and left-arm seamer Mahoney.
Rorich survived a confident caught behind appeal off Roberts and then twisted his ankle, and so required a runner.
The pair put on 78, before Rorich played on.
Craig Haupt finished off the match with a couple of sixes, while Taylor ended with 48 not out, which included one six and six fours
NORTH MYMMS
C Stead c Harding b Murrey…2
K Claxton lbw Launder…9
A Lewis c Harding b Murrey…0
S Clements c Kaufman b Murrey…0
J Mather c Harding b Murrey…4
N Bamford b Wolstenholme…10
K Canagasabey c Ryan b Wolstenholme…11
W Roberts lbw Phillips…45
B Mahoney b Wolstenholme…0
N Black not out…23
D Dullan c Launder b Phillips…2
Extras…3
Total (all out, 48.2 ovs)…109
Fall: 1-4, 2-8, 3-12, 4-14, 5-19, 6-29, 7-44, 8-48, 9-97.
Bowling: Launder 13-6-25-1, Murrey 10-2-18-4, Wolstenholme 6-2-17-3, Taylor 14-0-42-0, Phillips 5.2-2-5-2.
BANBURY
M Rorich b Conagasabey…22
P Taylor not out…48
C Haupt not out…18
Extras…22
Total (1 wkt, 24.2 ovs)…110
Fall: 1-76.
Bowling: Roberts 10-2-36-0, Mahoney 9-1-28-0, Duggan 3-0-23-0, Conagasabey 2.2-0-15-1.
North Mymms 2pts, Banbury 25