Having been set a target of 371 to win in 63 overs, they reached 108-1 off 32 with Simon Macey unbeaten on 61 and David Barnes 35 not out.

They had come together when Harry Stephens was dismissed without a run on the board.

No sooner had the players left the field at the tea interval, down came the rain and it was not long before the two captains – Berkshire’s James Morris and Oxon’s Luke Ryan – soon shook hands to end the game.

It means that both sides will go into their final Western Division fixtures in two weeks time still seeking their first Unicorns Championship win of the season.

But at least Oxon have the Unicorns Trophy final against Devon at Wormsley to look forward to in three weeks.

Berkshire had made a promising start to the game on Sunday, thanks to Matt Carter and Stephens.

Carter, who had scored 79 runs for Henley against Harefield on Saturday, helped bowl out Oxfordshire for 227 in 70 overs, taking 5-52 off 20.1 overs.

Waqas Hussain claimed

2-49, Gurveer Singh 1-38 and Rob Williams 1-48, while the other wicket came from a run-out engineered by Richard Morris.

Oxfordshire, who had elected to bat after winning the toss, owed much to Richard Kaufman who cracked 76 off 116 balls.

Finchampstead’s Stephens made 69 not out off 125 balls, enabling his side to finish the opening day looking well-placed at 126-2 off 40 overs.

But the game changed dramatically on Monday.

Stephens was dismissed without an addition to his overnight score, while James Morris (34) and brother Richard (0) were both trapped leg before wicket.

In all, eight wickets went down for 80 runs and Berkshire were dismissed just before lunch for a disappointing total of 206, a first-innings deficit of 21.

In their second innings, Oxon stumbled from 55-1 to 76-4 before Chris Watling and Jon Cater took the total to 162, when the latter was out for 70.

Then Chad Keegan added 42 in a sixth-wicket stand of 72, departing with the score on 234.

Watling went on to reach 107 off 160 balls and Francois Vainker was also unbeaten on 58 when Oxon declared on 349-6, setting Berkshire a target of 371 to win.

That was well out of their reach, especially when Stephens was dismissed in the first over, but Harefield’s Macey and Henley opener Barnes got their heads down and battled on to the end.

Oxon 1st innings: 227 (Kaufman 76, Watling 45; Carter 5-52).

Berks 1st innings: 206 (Stephens 69, James Morris 34).

Oxon 2nd innings: 349-6dec (Watling 107no, Vainker 58).

Berk 2nd innings: 108-1 (Macey 61no, Barnes 35no).

Berkshire team: David Barnes (Henley), Waqas Hussain (Slough), Harry Stephens (Finchampstead), James Morris (Bashley), Richard Morris (Bashley), Simon Macey (Harefield), Andy Rishton (Reading), Matt Carter (Henley), Rob Williams (Reigate Priory), Gurveer Singh (Henley).