Herefordshire are beaten by nine wickets by Oxfordshire

Boroughs is targeting a final-game win over Wiltshire at Colwall

Herefordshire captain Chris Boroughs felt a first-innings collapse was ultimately the cause of their nine-wicket defeat by Oxfordshire.

Boroughs said his side needed one of their batsmen to build on the start they had made to their innings.

"If one of those on 60 or 70 had gone on to get 120 it would have hopefully been the cornerstone for a big total," Borough told BBC Hereford & Worcester.

"That would have helped our bowlers, as they'd have had something to defend."

Batting first, Herefordshire posted 302 all out with Steve Adshead (79) and Craig Wood (76) the main contributors.

If we could get a win in the last game against Wiltshire at Colwall then it certainly wouldn't be a disastrous season

Herefordshire skipper Chris Boroughs

But they fell away from 244-3, losing their last seven wickets for the addition of only 58 runs.

Oxfordshire responded with 395 all out in their first innings before Herefordshire posted 208 all out second time around, with the home-team bowler Daniel Rowe taking 6-33, including a hat-trick.

That left Oxfordshire needing only 116 to win, which they achieved for the loss of only Richard Kaufman who made 74 to go with the 90 he scored in the first innings.

Boroughs admitted Rowe's bowling performance for Oxfordshire during the Herefordshire second innings had proved decisive.

"He's mopped up our tail very quickly after some very good resistance by Ted Bayliss and Atiq Chisti," he said.

"He has come back on and gone through us, finishing with a hat-trick.

"He has played first class cricket so he is a decent bowler and unfortunately we weren't able to keep him out on this occasion," he added.

Despite the disappointment of the result at Banbury, Boroughs is still confident that his side can finish in a respectable position in the Western Division table.

"A win here would have helped us in that respect and it was disappointing to lose by nine wickets," he admitted.

"But if we could get a win in the last game against Wiltshire at Colwall then it certainly wouldn't be a disastrous season.

"We would still finish up mid-table so that would be a reasonable return."