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CRICKET: Banbury close gap
10:22pm Sunday 3rd August 2008
BANBURY brought themselves into the thick of a desperately tight title race with a notable six-wicket victory away to leaders Radlett on Saturday.
With Banbury being the only one of the top five to win on a rain-affected day, they are now only five points behind leaders Tring Park.
Only five points separate the top five teams with five games to go,which should make for a thrilling end to the season.
Two of Banbury's young guns came to the fore after Radlett had chosen to bat first in a match shortened to a 58-48 over splt.
Seamer Ed Smith, who is only 18, tore the heart out of the innings just when it looked as through Radlett were set to post a more than useful total.
He captured three wickets in the second of two accurate spells that brought him 3-22 in 14 overs.
With young spinner Luke Ryan picking up two quick wickets and Nathan Hawkes running out the dangerous Shane Burger, the hosts were bowled out for 162 in the 55th over.
This gave Banbury 51 overs in which to get the runs, but they slumped to 44-3 as Felix Walker captured three quick wickets.
Craig Haupt steadied the ship, but at 124-6 the match was still in the balance.
Then Ryan made his second significant contribution match, scoring 38 not out off just 35 balls with five fours, as he and Ian Hawtin saw Banbury home with more than two overs to spare.
Editor's choice
The Mole and Chicken, Easington, near Thame
One of the pictures on this page gives a good impression of the delights to be enjoyed at the Mole and Chicken on one of those sunny days that now seem as far as can be from our present situation.
Early taste of Christmas wine
Next week is The Oxford Times Wine Club Christmas Tasting and, with just four weeks to go until Christmas Day, it is an excellent opportunity to sample a specially-selected range of wines for the festive season.
Dylan Moran: New Theatre, Oxford
‘I was the first person to discover that if you infected a person with Marmite, he would stand up and bark at the moon.” “Everybody under the age of 35 has the intelligence of raspberry jam.” “Children can hear vegetables hiding.”
Sleeping Beauty, Chipping Norton Theatre
There’s nothing King Couer-de-Loup likes more than a good battle: “We’ll march on King Florizel’s wet and wicked army,” he proclaims. His Queen is not so sure, however. She would rather her husband stayed around: there’s the christening of their daughter Princess Aurora to arrange for a start. And he certainly can’t go out and fight looking like that: “Your chain mail’s got a ladder in it,” she wails.
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