The top-of-the-table clash between Banbury and High Wycombe petered out into a tame draw at White Post Road on Saturday.
With both teams potentially being up for the title, neither wanted to lose – and the tone was set for this match early on.
Winning the toss, High Wycombe elected to bat first on a pitch offering some encouragement for the bowlers.
Matt Eyles (45) played positively and produced a second-wicket partnership of 61 with former High Wycombe skipper Jason Harrison (52) before he was dismissed by Jon Wolstenholme.
Harrison then found an ally in Greg Pooley (70) to produce a stand of 76.
Ollie Murrey again produced a controlled spell of bowling, but Simon Launder and Paul Taylor were off form.
Wycombe’s score passed the 200 mark in the 47th over, and a large total seemed a certainty.
However, excellent bowling by Jimmy Phillips and Wolstenholme restricted the total to 259-6 off 66 overs.
In reply, Banbury needed a positive start if they were to have any chance of reaching Wycombe’s score, but lost Taylor, Andrew Sabin and skipper Richard Kaufman, who needlessly ran himself out,
With the score on 67-3 off 27 overs, Banbury’s tactics of preventing High Wycombe scoring any more bonus points kicked in – and the score progressed to 141-4 by the close.
Craig Haupt was unbeaten on 42 and Danny Harding ended on 36.
Banbury now have a two-point advantage in the league standings.
HIGH WYCOMBE
M Eyles lbw Wolstenholme…45
C Sketchley c Harding b Taylor…5
J Harrison c Harding b Phillips…52
G Pooley c P Taylor b Phillips…70
P Sawyer c&b Phillips…18
M Wright c Phillips b Wolstenholme…21
R Jones not out…4
S Bird not out…1
Extras…43
Total (6 wkts, 66 ovs)…259
Fall: 1-44, 2-105, 3-181, 4-211, 5-239, 6-256.
Bowling: Launder 6-2-16-0, Murrey 13-2-45-0, Taylor 2-0-17-1, Ryan 4-0-16-0, Wolstenholme 20-1-68-2, Phillips 21-5-71-3.
BANBURY
P Taylor c Eyles b Sketchley…14
A Sabin c Russell b Sketchley…15
C Haupt not out…42
R Kaufman run out…18
M Rorich c Jones b A Cole…18
D Harding not out…30
Extras…4
Total (4 wkts)…141
Fall: 1-22, 2-41, 3-67, 4-99.
Bowling: Sketchley 20-6-43-2, Sawyer 12-3-37-0, Jones 5-0-13-0, Senior 10-2-27-0, Cole 7-2-16-1.
Banbury 6pts, High Wycombe 10