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Cricket: Oxford are denied by last pair

From the archive, first published Monday 4th Aug 2003.

A marathon spell by skipper Rupert Evans took Oxford to the brink of victory before Beaconsfield's last pair held out for a draw in a tense finish to their Division 1 clash at the Oxford University Sports Ground, Marston on Saturday.

The veteran off-spinner produced a monumental effort, bowling throughout to return excellent figures of 5-72 from 27 overs.

However, he was foiled as struggling Beaconsfield held on at 138-9 at the close, Oxford having made 203-8 after being put in to bat on a rain-affected wicket.

Mark Shepherd, who survived two chances to finish unbeaten on 72, was Beaconsfield's saviour, safely negotiating the final seven overs with last man Denzil Owen.

Evans was well-supported by seamer Graham Charlesworth, who took 2-33 from 17 accurate overs.

Earlier, Keith Mustow had top-scored in Oxford's innings with a patient 65.

West Indian left-arm spinner Ryan Cunningham, with 4-62, was the pick of the bowlers for Beaconsfield, while Northants and Scotland seamer John Blain went away wicketless.

OXFORD

R Eason c Storie b Cunningham...13

P Jobson c Swindle b Mahood...13

S Laudat b Batty...11

A Nambiar c Storie b Owen...27

K Mustow b Cunningham...65

A Cook run out...27

I Crosby c & b Cunningham...3

G Charlesworth not out...15

I Evans st Shepherd b Cunningham...7

Shahbaz Ali not out...6

Extras...16

Total (8 wkts, 66 ov)...203

Fall: 1-27, 2-46, 3-46, 4--97, 5-168, 6-169, 7-175, 8-194.

Bowling: Blain 7-1-21-0, Mahood 5-1-11-1, Cunningham 21-2-62-4, Batty 26-4-88-1, Owen 7-2-11-1.

BEACONSFIELD

A Storie b Charlesworth...20

P Lynch lbw Charlesworth...1

M O'Reilly b R Evans...7

L Shepherd b R Evans...7

M Shepherd not out...72

J Batty c Cook b R Evans...2

J Blain c & b R Evans...8

R Cunningham run out...12

P Swindle lbw R Evans...6

J Mahood b Cook...0

D Owen not out...0

Extras...3

Total (9 wkts, 54 ov)...138

Fall: 1-13, 2-28, 3-28, 4-42, 5-46, 6-74, 7-98, 8-110, 9-123.

Bowling: Charlesworth 17-4-33-2, R Evans 27-8-72-5, Shahbaz Ali 5-0-26-0, Cook 4-2-6-1, Nambiar 1-1-0-0.

ÝOxford 14pts, Beaconsfield 7

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