Banbury kept up the pressure on the teams above, and kept Oxford too close for comfort to the relegation zone, with a thrilling one-wicket win in the derby clash at Roman Way on Saturday.
Tailender Simon Launder was Banbury’s hero with a big six off Oxford skipper skipper Rupert Evans to give the north Oxfordshire side a nail-biting victory.
Earlier, Evans must have been delighted to win the toss on a pitch which was cracked and dry before the match started and could only get worse.
He had no hestiation in batting and was rewarded as openers Pat Jobson and Johnny Nambiar put on 64 for the first wicket before Jimmy Phillips picked up the first of his four wickets.
The middle order contributed valuable runs and a total of around 200 was looking likely until Paul Taylor took charge after lunch.
He picked up his second five-wicket haul against Oxford in successive seasons as the hosts lost their last five wickets for 14 runs, crucially failing to use all their allotted overs.
Banbury began their reply well, Paul Taylor and Craig Haupt adding 61 in 16 overs for the second wicket, before Evans introduced himself into the attack.
At tea, Banbury required just 58 from 35 overs, but Evans removed both Haupt and Richard Kaufman in successive overs and thereafter batting was a problem.
Ian Tew held the lower order together as Philip Evans (4-21) helped his father Rupert (4-47) reduce the visitors to 156-9.
However, Launder’s six sealed victory for Banbury.
OXFORD
P Jobson c Harding b P Taylor…35
A Nambiar c C Taylor b Phillips…26
S Laudat c Harding b Adams…9
A Cook c Smith b Phillips…22
I Crosby b Phillips…15
G Charlesworth c Haupt b P Taylor…12
I Evans b P Taylor…11
A Suman lbw P Taylor…2
P Evans lbw P Taylor…0
Shazad Rana not out…4
R Evans c Beck b Phillips…0
Extras…23
Total (all out, 58.4 ovs)…159
Fall: 1-64, 2-77, 3-102, 4-108, 5-127, 6-145, 7-149, 8-149, 9-158.
Bowling: Launder 9-3-22-0, Adams 15-3-37-1, Phillips 20.4-3-51-4, P Taylor 14-3-28-5.
BANBURY
C Smith lbw Charlesworth…11
P Taylor b R Evans…38
C Haupt c Crosby b R Evans…36
R Kaufman lbw R Evans…21
S Beck c Cook b P Evans…7
I Tew lbw P Evans…22
C Taylor c&b P Evans…0
D Harding lbw R Evans…1
I Adams b P Evans…1
S Launder not out…15
J Phillips not out…0
Extras…12
Total (9 wkts, 50.2 ovs)…164
Fall: 1-17, 2-78, 3-113, 4-113, 5-138, 6-139, 7-142, 8-143, 9-156.
Bowling: Suman 18-4-61-0, Charlesworth 6-1-26-1, R Evans 16.2-7-47-4, P Evans 10-2-21-4.
Oxford 11pts, Banbury 25