Rhys Oxley had a remarkable afternoon at Lapstone Park – the Fair Oak skipper took four wickets in four balls en route to figures of 10 overs, 6 maidens, 4 for 18 – and then top-scored for the hosts. But he still finished up on the losing side as Fair Oak lost by six wickets to a St Cross Symondians second team.

A slow pitch and soft outfield made scoring difficult throughout. St Cross openers Alan Whitman and Fergus Haycock had to feel their way, particularly against the tight bowling of Andy Mash (5 overs for 7). But their stand of 42, ended when Whitman was caught off James Gradwell (2-21) for 25, was to prove crucial.

Haycock went on to 29, and with Jack Jenkins and Kevin Neave both providing support, St Cross gave themselves a lunching pad at 88 for 2. But Haycock fell to Asad Abbas (1 for 17), and when Oxley, pictured left, wove his magic, sending back four batsmen in as many deliveries as the score plummeted to 94 for 8, Oaks appeared to have the game in the bag.

The St Cross tail eked out a few more runs, the visitors finishing their 50 overs with just 118 for 9 on the board. But that was to prove more than enough. Nick O’Connor (4 for 20) ripped through the Oaks top order to leave the home innings in ruins at 22 for 5.

Oxley, with help from Shayne Freemantle, tried to swing the pendulum back Fair Oak’s way with a stand of 43. But Tom Fay put an end to the game by dismissing Oxley for 21 and Freemantle for 13, finishing with 3 for 16. He also engineered the run-out of Abbas, Oaks’ last recognized batsman; the game ended with 20 of Oaks' 50-over allocation to spare.