OXFORDSHIRE 171 & 226 lead DORSET 119 & 5-2 by 273 runs

DORSET face a mammoth task to rescue a positive result from their Unicorns Championship match after Oxfordshire swept into a commanding position on the second day in Banbury.

Resuming on 80-7, Dorset lost skipper Chris Park (3) and Alex Eckland (23) early on, before a valuable 33-run stand between Jigar Naik (20) and James Hayman (11no) was brought to an end by Gareth Andrew (8-40).

Ex-Hampshire, Somerset and Worcestershire all-rounder Andrew’s career-best figures handed Oxon a 52-run first-innings lead, a margin extended in the second innings to 84 until Richard Kaufman (15) was trapped lbw by Josh McCoy (1-51).

From 32-1, Dorset continued to press as wickets for Jigar Naik (3-53) and Josh Digby (3-68) reduced the hosts to 67-4.

Digby and Naik were particularly impressive, the former accounting for Callum Russell (12) and Owyn Tong-Jones (20), before Ben Wells ran out George Tait (0) as Oxon slipped to 113-7.

But the irrepressible Andrew (72) produced a possible match-winning 97-run partnership with Joe Thomas (31), the duo striking 12 boundaries as the home team eventually posted 226 all out to set Dorset a 278 target for victory.

Andrew (1-5) returned to remove Tom Arnold (0), aided by Tom Price (1-0) ousting Wells (5), as the visitors closed on 5-2, 273 adrift.