Duncan Bradshaw has joined Bicester from Kidlington

An all-Oxfordshire Division 1 for the first time since the competition began in 1974 is set to add extra spice to what promises to be a highly-competitive top flight this season.

With Aston Rowant relegated from the Home Counties Premier League last year, they will again face long-standing rivals such as Banbury Twenty, Bicester & North Oxford and Shipton-under- Wychwood.

Banbury 2nd, last season's runners-up, and promoted Oxford 2nd represent the Home Counties big guns.

Oxford Downs, Great & Little Tew and Cumnor will look to build on their solid campaigns in 2007.

And added into the mix are Horspath, who completed a meteoric rise by winning Division 2 last season - their fourth successive title triumph.

Bicester & North Oxford will be looking to Oxford University all-rounder Duncan Bradshaw to lead their promotion charge.

Bradshaw, who scored a first-class century for Oxford UCCE against Notts in The Parks last month, has been snapped up from Kidlington.

Bicester's overseas player is Andrew House, who has played first grade cricket for Wynyard in Australia, and is a strong middle order batsman.

He will keep wicket when Phil Warson becomes unavailable later in the season.

With Gary Sansome back from injury and Paul Jeacock expected to be more available, the side looks more balanced than in previous seasons. Skipper Darryl Woods is also hoping to see his son, Matthew, a 16-year-old Middlesex Junior Academy player, Northants Under 19 player Krishan Talsania and Oxfordshire youth batsman Nat Watkin make their mark.

Richard Beer, son of former Swindon BR seamer Derek Beer, will lead Oxford 2nd in their return to Division 1.

The attack will be lead by Joseph Endicott, a 6ft 5ins opening bowler from Queensland, Australia.

He will be supported in the seam bowling department by Richard Gilbert, head of cricket at Oxford's Magdalen College School and formerly of Scarborough CC, Sean Olivier, who spent the last three seasons playing in Scotland, Chris Clark, from Exmouth CC, and Beer.

The spin bowling will be provided by Ian Evans & Nathan Absolom.

Simon Gray, another new arrival from Radlett CC, should strengthen the batting which includes Tim Marcon, Chris Thomas, Ian Evans, John Barrett, and Paddy Stern.

Horspath enter the season with the nucleus of the side that was in Division 5 in 2004.

They will benefit from having a very experienced captain in Adrian Manger and a strong middle order in Robbie Eason, Phil Chanel and Ned Murray, when available.

The seam bowling department has been strengthened by the arrival of Lee Mason, from Bicester & North Oxford, and 18-year-old Ollie Robinson, from Tasmania University.

However, Horspath will miss the all-round talents of Ben Thompson, who is unlikely to be available.

Banbury Twenty have recruited left-arm seamer Robin Pyper, who used to be at the famous Gordonstoun School, near Elgin in Scotland, and now works with skipper Dave Clark at Bloxham School.

With Andrew Grubich, their overseas player for the last two seasons having returned to Australia, Twenty have replaced him with 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Matthew Wright, from Tasmania.

The side again boasts plenty of experience with the likes of Oxfordshire seamer Keith Arnold, Michael Thomas, Steve Hart and Mark Haupt in the line-up. Australian player-coach Anthony Smith returns as Great & Little Tewcaptain.

His squad has been strengthened with the signing of young Tom Geeson-Brown, from Charlbury, and Rob Wilson-Fry, from Duns Tew.

Wicketkeeper Ian Widdows has joined Charlbury, while Matt Thompson has moved to Sandford St Martin.

Shipton-under-Wychwood have signed Sri Lankan batsman Sahan Wijeratne as player-coach.

Opening bowler Rob Pike and all-rounder Jason Constable have moved on, with the latter joining Minster Lovell.

Oxford Downs's seam bowling has been strengthened by two new signings.

Simon Launder joins from Banbury, while Lester Smart has also moved into the area from the north east where he played Premier League cricket for Sunderland CC, where he opened the bowling opposite West Indian test bowler, Mervyn Dillon.

The young Cumnor side will be led by new captain, Carl Thompson, while they welcome back Kiwi wicket-keeper-batsman Andrew Robertson.

5:19pm Thursday 8th May 2008

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