CORNWALL'S Unicorns Counties Championship title hopes are all but ended after they were heavily beaten by Oxfordshire, writes Michael Weeks.

They lost the match at Banbury by 266 runs, which equals the second highest ever defeat by runs.

By co-incidence, a year ago to the day they lost by the exactly same margin to Herefordshire.

Set an unlikely 407 to win, in what turned out to be an academic minimum of 95 overs, Oxfordshire only needed half of them with victory coming in mid afternoon, as Cornwall slid to 140 all out.

Matt Rowe and Matt Robins both departed in the first six overs and Brad Wadlan, who had made 28, and Christian Purchase, 11, but both had gone by lunch.

After the interval, Scott Harvey, Paul Smith and Antony Angove departed in the space of nine balls to all but finish the game off.

Only Jake Libby, who carried his bat for 49, offered any serious resistance as he batted for over three hours and survived 110 balls.

In a game that they could not afford to lose, Cornwall were never at the races if truth be told.

The home side made 284 in their first innings, declaring an over short to ensure Cornwall did not get a fourth bowling point.

The Duchy’s first innings never got going with Scott Harvey and Kelvin Snell top scoring with 36 in the 172 all out which meant no batting points.

Oxfordshire built steadily on the 112 run advantage and declared after four overs on Tuesday morning at 294-9, with Brad Wadlan finishing with figures of five for 77.

This result means Oxfordshire have taken over at the top of the table and are 13 points ahead of Berkshire with Cornwall a further four points behind with only one game remaining.

Their attention now turns to Sunday’s rearranged Unicorns Trophy Knock Out semi final against Hertfordshire at Harpenden.

Banbury – Oxfordshire 284-8 dec (HR Darby 92, JA Cater 80, LC Ryan 51; N Ivamy 3-91, BL Wadlan 2-100) & 294-9 dec (HD Ward 81, JL Garratt 49; BL Wadlan 5-77). Cornwall 172 (SA Harvey 36, KJ Snell 36, MH Rowe 33; LC Ryan 4-25, HE Eltham 3-24) & 140 (JD Libby 49no, BL Wadlan 28; HE Eltham 5-31, KW Penhale 3-50). Oxfordshire (23pts) beat Cornwall (3pts) by 266 runs.