DIDCOT’S outside title hopes suffered a huge blow after they lost to relegation-threatened Shipton-under-Wychwood.

The 40-run defeat means they are now 37 points behind leaders Great Brickhill with just three Cherwell League matches remaining.

Charlie Miller (63) and Calum Taylor (49no) led Shipton to 206-7, before Taylor claimed 5-21 as visitors Didcot fell to 166 all out, Adam Webb top-scoring with 65.

Cumnor look to be the only side who can catch the leaders after they saw off struggling visitors Buckingham Town 2nd by 62 runs to stay 20 points off the top.

Buckingham inserted their hosts, who racked up 303-9 in their 50 overs as Harry Ackland hit 88 and James Lee and Tom Powell 55 apiece.

Callum Price struck a terrific 134 in Buckingham’s reply, but they were all out for 241 as Powell claimed 3-36.

Brickhill saw off hosts Tiddington by five wickets.

Jude Ramanadanpulle claimed 5-27 as Tiddington were bowled out for 184, Matthew Johnston hitting 79 and Will Cooper 52.

Brickhill reached 188-5 with five overs to spare.

Abingdon Vale won a low-scoring thriller with visitors Westbury by one wicket.

Westbury were shot out for just 117, but Vale were thankful to Amith Premkumar (36) as they struggled to 120-9 with nine balls remaining, an unbroken last-wicket stand of 24 securing a narrow win.

Twyford slipped to a three-wicket defeat at Long Marston.

They were all out for 184, Asif Shah top-scoring with 48, before the home side reached 187-7 with one ball remaining.

Aston Rowant 2nd closed the gap on leaders Cropredy to seven points as they won their top-of-the-table clash by 43 runs.

Andrew Tolson top-scored with 74 as Rowant set 186-8 in their 50 overs.

Tom Brine then took 5-38 in Cropredy’s reply as they stumbled to 143 all out.

Challow & Childrey continued to pull away from danger, at the same time denting Banbury 2nd’s title hopes with a three-wicket win.

Joe Harris and Cameron King took three wickets apiece as Banbury were all out for 132, before Luke Stevens top-scored with 46 to steer Challow to 136-7, Richard Simpson taking 5-26.

Bicester & North Oxford’s slim title hopes are still intact after a 46-run win over Bledlow Village.

Bicester had been shot out for only 122, but Matt Woods claimed 4-12 as visitors Bledlow were dismissed for 76.

Minster Lovell celebrated their first win since May as they squeezed past hosts Horspath 2nd by two wickets off the last ball.

Harry Ebsworth took 5-35 to help dismiss Horspath for 167.

James Merriman (35) and Nathan Harris (31) led the reply, Elliott Crowther hitting the winning runs.

Despite the win, however, Minster look doomed to relegation.

Elsewhere, Wolverton Town beat Leighton Buzzard Town by four wickets.

With the top two teams in Division 3 both winning, the title race will go to the wire.

Sandford St Martin edged out hosts Horley by four runs in a thriller.

Steve Dobson (91) helped Sandford to 243 all out, but Horley got close to a surprise victory, only to finish just short on 239-9.

Oxford Downs 2nd kept their title chase on track with a seven-wicket win at Banbury 3rd.

Prav Chahal took 3-33 in Banbury’s 177-9, before James Ellwood (60) and Rory Garrett (53) saw Downs home in the 41st over.

East Oxford stayed in third with a 110-run win at Great Brickhill.

Syed Shah (55) helped East Oxford to 280-8, before Brickhill were dismissed for 170 in reply.

Oxford 2nd crashed to a nine-wicket defeat at Stokenchurch, while Thame Town 2nd posted a nine-wicket win at home to Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts.

Sam Haselgrove smashed a century as leaders Witney Mills hammered visitors Long Marston 2nd by 125 runs in Division 4.

Haselgrove scored 113 as Mills posted a huge 272-5.

Veteran spinner Steve Kelly then took 3-22 as Marston were bowled out for 147.

Brackley kept up the pressure on Mills with a 14-run win at home to Tiddington 2nd.

Toby Parker smashed 152 not out to help Great & Little Tew to a crushing 152-run win at home to already-relegated Abingdon Vale 2nd, while Horspath 3rd hammered visitors Charlbury by nine wickets.

Meanwhile, Bletchley Town saw off hosts Kimble by 50 runs.

Max Mortimer smashed an unbeaten century as Aston Rowant 3rd beat leaders Didcot 2nd by 54 runs to leapfrog them to the top of Division 5.

Mortimer hit 125 not out in Rowant’s 238-8, before three wickets apiece for Ben Knowler and Tim Foster saw Didcot close on 184-9.

In Division 6, Twyford 2nd hammered Oxford 3rd by 285 runs.

Josh Goff (81), Umar Zaman (74) and Tom Jackson (69) helped Twyford to an imposing 343-6, before Nathan Perna took 6-19 as Oxford were rolled over for just 58.

Oscar Bean scored a maiden century as Didcot 3rd thrashed Witney Mills 2nd by 133 runs in Division 7.

James Head (114) and Bean (103no) saw Didcot to 246-1 in their 45 overs.

Bean then took 3-8 as Mills fell for 113.

In Division 8, Challow & Childrey 3rd were shot out for just 20 as they crashed to a 226-run defeat at Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts 2nd.

Nondies set 246-8 in their 45 overs, Tousef Ahmed and Charlie Bethell both scoring 55.

Rustum Rabani took 7-11 as Challow were skittled inside 17 overs.

Paul Costello’s 111 was in vain as Didcot 4th lost by 44 runs at Cropredy 3rd in Division 9, while in Division 10, Westbury 3rd leapfrogged Chearsley 2nd to go top with a 51-run win.