CRICKET: Brooks sends Oxford top

11:21pm Sunday 17th August 2008

Comments (7)   Have your say »

Home Counties Premier League - Div 1

Oxford roared back to the top of the table with an incredible ten-wicket thrashing of previous leaders Tring Park on Saturday.

Opening bowlers Jack Brooks (6-22) and Stuart Hole (4-34) ripped through Tring on a wicket with pace and bounce as the visitors crumbled to 58 all out.

Oxford then completed the humiliation with Ian Crosby (29no) and Stuart Laudat (26no) securing victory inside seven overs and by 1.50pm!

Captain Jason Harrison had spoken of Oxford's desire to avenge a heavy defeat at Tring in June, but he scarcely could have predicted this.

Oxford inserted Tring, and had to wait until the seventh over before Brooks had James Steptoe caught behind.

Brooks claimed the next two wickets before Hole got in on the act - his third scalp making it 38-6 as he clean bowled Paul Atkins.

Tring's demise was complete in the 27th over when Brooks had Ben Kempster caught and bowled.

After lunch, Laudat showed Oxford were in no mood to hang around by hitting three fours off Simon Stanway's first over.

Oxford had scored 20 after two overs and never looked back as Buckinghamshire players Stanway and Tom Brooks took a hammering.

Crosby's 29 came off just 18 balls, while Laudat took 21 to score 26.