Cricket: Wiltshire’s Minor Counties Championship match against Oxfordshire at Trowbridge ended in a draw on Tuesday.

Wiltshire won the toss and chose to bat scoring 389 for 9 off their 90 overs.

Joe Breet (14) and Ben Walker (42) put on 45 for the first wicket and then Wes Durston joined Walker and they took the score to 105 when Walker was out.

Greg Lamb then joined Durston and these two put on 199 for the 3rd wicket in 49 overs when Durston was out for 150.

Lamb soon followed out for 94 and then the innings closed at 389 for 9 with James Hayward scoring 36 and Jon Chandler 20. For Oxford Keith Arnold took 4 for 72 and Daniel Rowe 3 for 73.

During the innings Keith Arnold broke the record for the number of Championship wickets taken by an Oxfordshire bowler which previously stood at 670 wickets.

At close of play on the first day Oxfordshire had reached 49 for 3 wickets.

The innings continued on the second day and closed at 250 for 9 off their 90 overs. Richard West scored 68 and Ian Hawtin 57. For Wiltshire James Hibberd took 2 for 18, Pat Turk 3 for 57 and Ross Crick 2 for 33.

Wiltshire started their second innings with a lead of 139 and by close of play had extended it to 305 with the score standing at 166 for 4 with Jon Chandler scoring 66 and Wes Durston 49.

On the third day Wiltshire batted for a further 19 overs declaring at 222 for 6 and setting Oxfordshire 362 to win in a minimum of 80 overs. Joe Breet scored 44 and Steve Bullen was 32 not out.

Oxfordshire started badly and at lunch were 27 for 3 and immediately after lunch were reduced to 27 for 4 but then the Oxfordshire batsmen started a determined rear guard action led by Richard Kaufman who scored a magnificent 130 not out off 271 balls and assisted by Jack Taylor (34) and Daniel Rowe (26).

With the spinners doing most of the bowling Wiltshire bowled 97 overs and with 7 overs remaining last man James Phillips joined Kaufman and they held on for the draw.

Wes Durston took 5 for 96 off 31 overs and Pat Turk 3 for 95 off 30 overs. Oxford finished at 260 for 9 wickets.

During the match Wes Durston was awarded his county cap.

Points Wiltshire 12 points Oxfordshire 10 points.

Wiltshire’s next match is a 3 day Minor Counties Championship match against Cornwall at Camborne on Sunday/Monday/Tuesday July 5/6/7th.