ONLY an eighth wicket stand between Robin Churchman and John Hottinger that realised 57 runs saved Dumbleton from an embarrassing National Village Championship exit last Sunday.

Dumbleton's batting crumbled in the face of some fine bowling from Shipton-under-Wychwood's Paul Snell and Chris Panter and a heavy defeat looked on the cards as the hosts chased 185 for victory.

The reply had slumped to 72-7 when young Hottinger joined Churchman and the pair really set the alarm bells ringing in Oxfordshire heads.

However, after landing the ball over the ropes twice in three balls, Churchman succumbed to a fine catch at deep backward square leg for a gallant 44 and hopes of an unlikely place in the last 16 ended in the 34th over.

The last two wickets fell tamely to leave Shipton, finalists in 1997, with high hopes of a Lord's return.

After coming through a tough Glou-cestershire group challenge, Dumb-leton again had high hopes of progress but lost out to an Oxfordshire side for the second successive year.

They made a bright start as skipper Mike Gibson ran out opposite number Paul Hemming in the fifth over but Steve Bates and Stewart Gillett guided the visitors to within one run of three figures in the 25th over.

Gillett departed in similar circumstances and another swift scalp visibly lifted the Dumbleton players.

However, Cheltenham Town trainee, Shane Duff, who spent two months on loan at Evesham United last season, quickly started to put bat to ball and lifted his side's score to 154 with seven overs still to bowl.

Dumbleton's chances of a breakthrough were dashed by some sloppy fielding but, when Bates edged a skier to stumper Graeme Piesse, the Oxfordshire side's innings crumbled.

Five more wickets fell for just 14 runs but Duff's unbeaten 44 lifted the final total to 184 with skipper Gibson's six overs costing 51 runs.

Nigel Stanton and Mike Barfoot both produced excellent second spells and it was left to Dumbleton's strong batting line-up to respond similarly.

Snell, though, produced a crucial nine-over spell that cost just 22 runs and brought the downfall of Piesse, Stanton and Pete Boorman.

Panter accounted for Townsend and Gibson's despair was plain to see when adjudged lbw to Panter as the home reply slumped to 48-5.

It didn't get any better until Hottinger joined Churchman but the latter's demise brought an end to hopes of a dream trip to Lord's.