DOGGED openers Masoor Khan and Mike Porter struck up an unbeaten century partnership as Dorset made a solid start against Oxfordshire at Dean Park.

On the back of their first Minor Counties Championship victory in two years, Chris Park’s charges eventually ended their visitors’ innings for 262 before their top two settled in to score 111 before close of play.

Oxfordshire, bottom of the Western Division standings, won the toss and elected to bat but the hosts struck early to leave the strugglers on 12 for two.

Richard Kaufman (55) camped in alongside Jamie Perkin for a third-wicket stand of 59 but good work from Tom Hicks (3-75) and James Hayman (2-49) kept the score down to 166 for seven.

It was Charlie Keegan who was to prove Dorset’s nemesis, however, with an unbeaten stand of 91 which featured no fewer than 10 fours and four sixes from just 81 balls.

Keegan linked well with Karl Penhale to put on 82 for the eighth wicket, but Sam Thomson (2-8) helped tidy up the tail.

In response, Khan (46*) and Porter (54*) sat tight and chipped away at the total, frustrating the away side’s bowlers for 43 overs during a two-and-a-half hour spell at the crease.

Dorset trail Oxfordshire by 151 runs going into tomorrow’s action which starts at 11am.