Leighton stay in title mix

Town’s 26 run victory over the side which started the day top of the table keeps them right in the hunt for an immediate return to Division 1, just 13 points adrift of new leaders Cropredy.

With intermittent sunshine, batting conditions were ideal for Leighton as they took to the crease, but they soon lost Tom Light for 5.

That brought to the crease namesake Tom Callaghan and alongside Phil Whatmore, they soon got the scoreboard ticking over.

Callaghan top-scored for Leighton with 67, while Whatmore (39) and Richard Raine (32) added valuable runs to the board.

Dan Scott, batting at five, also got in on the act with a swashbuckling 66, including three fours and three sixes as Leighton closed on 246-6.

For Buckingham, only Dominic Pritchard really had any joy, taking three wickets late on but it came at a price, as his seven overs went for 43 runs in the process.

The chase threatened to be a repeat of the first innings too as Bucks opener Anthony Romaine (4) was quickly back in the hutch before Steves Brunning (70) and Beck (23) brought the visitors back into proceedings.

Wickets regularly fell though, and while there were threats of a fight from Buckingham, like Callum Cater’s 41, Tom Pope and Alan Priestly took three apiece to keep them firmly in check.

The chase would ultimately come up short though, with Leighton bowling out the visitors for 220 to take 25 points.

Next up for Leighton is a trip to second from bottom side Great & Little Tew.