BY THEIR own high standards, Premiership outfit the Hatchet (Childrey), are not having a good campaign. A fifth defeat from nine starts has consigned them to the foot of the table, four points adrift of their nearest rivals.

Contrast this with the position of that of their latest conquerors, the White Hart (Eynsham), whose fourth successive win, 72-60, has elevated them to the head of affairs in the West.

A successful title defence looks eminently possible but, like last year, they will be chased all the way by the Windrush Club (Witney), whose latest victory, 60-52, over the Sun (Hook Norton), leaves them within a point of the divisional pacesetters.

Despite back-to-back setbacks, the most recent at the hands of the Green Dragon (Haddenham), 61-68, the Black’s Head (Bletchingdon) remain in contention, a further point behind in third.

Early season front-runners, the Royal Sun (Begbroke), suffered an agonising last- question disappointment resulting in a 63-64 reverse at home to the Eight Bells (Long Crendon), and their quest for championship honours looks increasingly forlorn. On a cheerier note, the Woodman (North Leigh) finally opened their account for the season in edging out the Crown (Church Enstone), 64-62.

Indeed, it was not a good week for teams in the North with all five contestants being beaten.

In addition to the Sun and the Crown coming off second best, table toppers and defending champions, the Blue Boar (Chipping Norton), returned empty handed from their trip to Wolvercote, having succumbed 76-52 to the Ploughman’s Bunch!

Near neighbours, the Chequers, also travelled to Oxford, but they met a similar fate in being overwhelmed, 74-55, by Far From The Madding Crowd ‘A’ (Oxford City).

The Bell (Lower Heyford) completed the series of defeats for sides from the North but not after having given Premier Section leaders, the Plough (Wolvercote), an almighty fright. Complete outsiders after only one win in six, and facing the county’s current leading light, the Bell took their illustrious opponents down to the wire, with the latter just holding their nerve to see out the contest, 65-64.

Also scraping home were the King’s Arms (Wheatley), 62-61 over the plucky Gardener’s Arms (North Parade), and they stay second in the East, albeit somewhat remotely, behind the Green Dragon. The Chandos Arms lie fourth after demolishing Far From The Madding Crowd ‘B’, 63-41, but the poor run by the Gatehanger’s Inn (Ashendon) continues, on this occasion being seen off by the Black Swan (East Oxford), 67-46.

Matters could not get any tighter in the Oxford division, with the three principal challengers boasting identical records of six wins and three losses. The Green Road Club (Kidlington) just shade top billing on account of their heavier scoring prowess, and by accounting, last Thursday, for the previous leaders, the North Oxford Conservative Club (Summertown), 69-60. The Seacourt Bridge (Botley) slipped to third after they failed to take account of the Con Club’s misfortune by going down, 70-62, at the Bell (Grove).