SKIPPER Lloyd Sabin shone as Banbury maintained their Division 1 title push with a 71-run victory at home to local rivals Great & Little Tew.

The win moves the north Oxfordshire side up to second and they remain 25 points behind leaders Finchampstead with three games remaining.

Captain Sabin top-scored with 83 from as many balls in the Home Counties Premier League clash.

His knock included eight boundaries and two sixes, as Banbury set 245-8, with Tew skipper Andy Harris starring with the ball, taking 5-33.

The west Oxfordshire side were never in the hunt and were dismissed for 174 off the penultimate ball of the match.

Hosts Banbury won the toss and elected to bat, with openers Craig Haupt (36) and Ollie Clarke (42) putting on 62.

Once they both fell, the home side were on 109-2, but a third-wicket stand of 110 between Sabin and Richard West (44) proved crucial.

After they were dismissed in quick succession to leave Banbury 219-4, the middle order struggled to contribute further as the hosts posted 245-8 from their 50 overs.

Tew’s reply did not get off to the best of starts as they were restricted to 30-3.

Joe White (39) helped stabilise the ship in fourth and fifth-wicket partnerships with Lloyd Brock and Curtly Slatter to take the visitors to 102-4.

But when he fell, Tew lost three wickets for 24 runs to leave them on 126-8.

A ninth-wicket partnership of 39 between Robbie Shurmer and Matthew Warner only delayed the inevitable as Tew were dismissed for 174.