Oxfordshire can still avoid the wooden spoon in the Home Counties League after a 101-97 win over Buckinghamshire in their basement battle at Kidlington.

Oxon now need seven points from their last game against Middlesex at West Ealing on Saturday to move above Bucks and Berkshire.

Despite losing on four rinks against Bucks, the results of Chris Earl’s and George Schwab’s fours saw Oxon triumph 14-8 on points.

Enforced changes to the team saw Earl move to skip in place of the absent Ian Snowdon, and romp home 24-9 against Ray Gaskins.

His four of Paul Comley, Nigel Galletly and last-minute call-up Steve Tolhurst won 14 ends.

Schwab’s under 25s four of Shane Cooper, Joe Woodward and Sam Watts won the first seven ends to set up a 20-7 victory over Don Savage.

Skips Ian Henwood, Jason King and Mark Charlett lost by two, seven and eight shots respectively.

Bicester 16-year-old Dan Swanson and Headington’s Ian Kibblewhite made their county debuts on Henwood’s rink, alongside Steve Jones.

King was accompanied by Chris Tomlins, Adie Twinn and Les Days, while Mark Plested, John Mc-Geough and John Hardie were in Charlett’s four.

The sixth rink, skipped by Alan Ley and featuring Paul Lopez, Gordon Hooker and Richard Barnett, lost by seven.

Oxfordshire 101 (14pts), Buckinghamshire 97 (8) (Oxon skips first): M Charlett 15, D Simpson 23; C Earl 24, R Gaskins 9; J King 13, B Long 20; I Henwood 16, D Rose 18; A Ley 13, P Gositt 20, G Schwab 20, D Savage 7.

OXFORDSHIRE were blown away 135-101 as they welcomed Gloucestershire to Witney Town’s new clubhouse for a friendly.

The visitors finished strongly to win on five rinks, and were only denied a whitewash by Trevor Prew’s last-end save as his four achieved a 19-19 draw.

A colts badge was awarded to Witney Town’s Roy Radband.

Oxfordshire 101, Gloucestershire 135 (Oxon rink scores): V Webb, E Dorling, B Bloomfield, A Ley lost 18-15; R Radband, M Jones, D Wedge, I Whelpton lost 25-13; K Washington, T Backer-Holst, G Weedon, J Lucas lost 23-20; C Haley, J Timms, J McGeough, M Petersen lost 26-16; N Satchell, P Brittin, L Days, B Gilkes lost 24-18; M Cameron, S Tolhurst, K Williams, T Prew drew 19-19.

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