CAPTAIN John Barrett has praised spinners Chris Humphreys and Harvey Eltham ahead of Oxford’s trip to Burnham in Division 1.

The duo have taken 39 wickets between them in the Home Counties Premier League this season.

Humphreys was in particularly good form last week, taking season’s best figures of 5-28 during the draw with Great & Little Tew.

Barrett is hoping they can continue to cause problems in the top tier.

He said: “Chris is a brilliant acquisition, quite an unknown one. I don’t think he was aware of what he’s capable of.

“Harvey and Chris were superb together last weekend and turned the game in our favour – they bowled close to 30 overs for 32 runs and were excellent.

“It’s a good partnership.”

Newly-promoted Oxford sit fifth in the table and Barrett has named an unchanged side.

The skipper added: “The aim was to consolidate and we’re still looking to do that.

“But we’re really looking to build towards the future and everything is going in the right direction.”

Horspath captain Will Eason is expecting a hard test at leaders Henley.

The Oxford Road-based club, in their first season back in the top-flight, sit third in the table after seven games.

But they are hit by unavailability this weekend with Robbie Eason and Ian Slatcher both away on holiday.

Alex Thomas steps up from the second XI to keep wicket, while bowler Ajmal Shahzad returns.

The former England paceman, who is on a short-term deal from Sussex, was not released by his parent club for last week’s draw at Slough after suffering a slight back injury.

Eason said: “Our availability is not great again – if we had a regular team out it (playing Henley) would be a really good test.

“We’re missing a few, as well as others who have not been available recently, so it’s going to be a really hard test.

“It’s exciting and we’re going there with no pressure on us.”

Teenager Harrison Ward is among those unavailable.

The Sussex Academy player was named in last week’s squad, only to be withdrawn, but went onto play in Oxfordshire’s win over Devon.

Eason said: “As far as we were aware he was available and then on Thursday Sussex pulled the plug.

“I’m not quite sure what is going on at the present.”

Banbury bid to arrest a five-match winless run when they host second-placed High Wycombe.

Second bottom Great & Little Tew welcome basement side Tring Park to Ledwell Road.

TOMORROW’S TEAMS

Oxford (v Burnham, away): Tong-Jones, Eltham, Ayub, Clough, Perkin, Barrett, Mendis, Beer, Musk, Fallah, Humphreys.

Horspath (v Henley, away): Coleman, Fitzjohn, Jefferson, Cosford, Green, W Eason, Mohammad, Faruk, Belcher, Thomas, Shahzad.

WILL Rooney has been tipped to be a success as Thame Town’s stand-in skipper for tomorrow’s Division 2 clash at home to struggling Reading.

The seamer, who has taken 14 wickets in six games this season, takes over the duties with regular captain Michael Beard away on holiday.

Thame are riding high after their 104-run win over Chesham.

And Beard, who will return next week, is confident Rooney will deliver against the league’s basement boys.

He said: “Will has been fantastic.

“He’s always had potential. He’s been unlucky in previous years, but this season he’s reaping the rewards.

“He’s bowled superbly and it has been coupled with some great catching from Will Sutcliffe which makes the difference at this level.

“Hopefully the captaincy will take Will (Rooney) on a bit and he will run through Reading.”

Liam Evans is also unavailable, but Mike Higgs and Andy Russell return.

Shipton-under-Wychwood skipper Charlie Brain is calling on his players to believe in themselves as they travel to leaders Amersham.

Despite overseas star Anupam Sanklecha’s brilliant eight-wicket haul last weekend, the West Oxfordshire side suffered a one-wicket defeat to Buckingham to remain third from bottom.

But they did pick up 11 points in the loss and Brain is backing his side to cause Amersham problems tomorrow.

He said: “We’re dangerous, we’re not to be taken lightly, we’ve got match-winners.

“Pam took eight wickets last week, we can beat anyone on our day.

“The guys need to realise we are playing back-up to Pam because he is that much better than probably anyone else in our league.

“But we’re not going there in dread, we’ll give it a good go.”

Shipton make four changes with Simon Hole on holiday and Harry Davies unavailable, while Luke Champion and Ian Lewis will play for the second XI.

Andy Hemming and Craig Wood return, as do left-arm seamer Matt Brown and spinner Tom Swann.

Second-placed Aston Rowant bid for a seventh win in eight games when they visit struggling Great Brickhill.

TOMORROW’S TEAMS

Thame Tn (v Reading, home): C Russell, Sutcliffe, Kanishka, Straughan, Adams, Mushtaq, Phippen, Jeffcock, Rooney, Higgs, A Russell.

Shipton-under-Wychwood (v Amersham, away): Brain, C Miller, Sanklecha, I Harris, Cross, S Harris, S Miller, Hemming, Wood, Brown, Swann.