Finchampstead bounced back from their home defeat at the hands of leaders Aston Rowant to secure a vital eight-wicket win at Oxford.

As Oxford are one of the only three sides below Finch in Home Counties Division One, it was a game both sides badly needed to win.

So Finch are pleased to have put more space between themselves and their fellow strugglers and will extend it if they manage to win at third-bottom Horspath this coming Saturday.

“It was a very important win for us,” said Dan Lincoln who had asked Oxford to bat first on a wicket with green tinges.

And the visitors were soon among the wicket with Ryan Quinn dismissing both openers Ollie Tong-Jones (11) and Fergus Nutt (12).

The young paceman also had Muhammed Ayub (8) and Jamie Perkin (0) caught behind by Simon Bell to leave Oxford 39-4.

Calvin Dickinson, who emerged as his side’s top scorer with 18, fell to another Bell catch, this time off the bowling of Craig Hodges.

Hodges also accounted for Josh Barrett (8) to leave the Oxford innings in shreds.

Darren Augustus was brought back into the attack and the paceman cleaned up the tail, with the home side all back in the pavilion with only 86 runs on the board after just 21 completed overs.

Augustus finished with 4-30 off 7.1 overs, Quinn 4-33 and Hodges 2-22, both getting through seven overs. It was a good day for keeper Bell with six catches.

Finch openers Greg Smith and Adam Dewes put on 38 in 12 overs before Smith was caught in the covers for 13 and then Dewes was lbw for 21, both wickets going to spinner Sam Mendis.

But after that it was plain sailing with Tommie Predgen (18) and Lincoln, whose 30 contained two sixes, easing their side home in the 25th over.

In the Thames Valley League Division 2b, Finch 2nds defeated Royal Ascot by a very comfortable margin.

They made 231-8 with good contributions from Gary Loveday with 80, Matt Jones 70 and Andy Lazenbury 44, with the latter then taking 4-32 and Ollie Armstrong-Wood 4-18 as the visitors were shot out for 113.

In Division 3a, Finch 3rds totalled 200-9, but table-topping High Wycombe 3rds replied with 203-5 to win with three overs to spare.

Finch 4ths were bundled out for just 78 (Rob Cassie 7-18) and Reading 4ths went on to win by seven wickets in Division 6b.

Finch 5ths enjoyed another win to stay top of Division 9a. They totalled 194-8 with Simon Eldridge top scoring on 87, while Kidmore End 3rd made 185 in reply, Mike Simmonite taking 4-29.