FOLLOWING a sticky start to the current campaign which saw them draw one and lose two of their opening three matches, the Windrush Club (Witney) made it four wins on the bounce as they overturned the front-runner in the North, the Bletchingdon Nomads, 61-54.

This hard-earned victory has enabled them to maintain their own pace-setting duties in the West and remain in hot pursuit of their first major piece of silverware.

They have company though. With their fourth success of the season, the White Hart are just behind. Their task last Thursday was made a lot easier for them when their hosts, the Bell (Lower Heyford), could only muster three of the maximum five players allowed.

Consequently, the outcome was never in doubt as the Eynsham posse cruised their way to a 75-49 demolition job.

Champions in this division for the last two runnings, the Royal Sun (Begbroke) signalled their intention not to relinquish their crown as they sit in close proximity in third after overwhelming a spirited Chandos Arms (Oakley) outfit, 73-42.

Taking full advantage of the Nomad’s slip up, the Sun Inn (Hook Norton) forced their way into convention in the North after edging a belter with the Woodman (North Leigh).

The return journey to ‘Hookey’ would have been all the sweeter after coming off best from the 66-62 scoreline.

In another thriller, the Blue Boar Bees (Chipping Norton) served notice that a third successive title in this section is not yet a forlorn hope despite previously losing five games. In a riveting local derby, they topped next-door neighbours, the Chequers, 68-65.

With both rivals the Royal Blenheim (Oxford City) and the Ploughman’s Bunch! (Wolvercote), having the night off, the Plough (also Wolvercote) grasped the opportunity to consolidate their pole position in the Premiership. In the highest-scoring encounter of the evening, they were pushed all the way by the Seacourt Bridge (Botley) but eventually emerged triumphant, 77-67.

Elsewhere, the top-of-the-table clash in the East went the way of the home team, the Green Road Club (Kidlington). A disastrous opening round for their opponents, the North Oxford Conservative Club (Summertown), created an eight-point deficit they could never quite close and the Green Road clung on to land the spoils 67-62.

After a total nightmare against the Bunch! seven days earlier, Captain Conway wisely decided against reading the questions for this meeting with the Gardener’s Arms (North Parade) and instead resumed captaincy of his Black Swan (East Oxford) charges. This proved to be the right choice as a quick return to form saw them comprehensively outplay the opposition, 71-53.

JAMES CARR'S QUESTIONS

1 The use of which weapon against Christians was banned by Pope Urban II in 1097, with the Second Lateran Council doing the same in 1139?
2 Which Queen song was Sylvester Stallone’s original choice as the theme song to Rocky III, the band denying him permission?
3 Which bone in the upper half of the body takes its name from the Latin word for key?
4 Who contested the Conservative Party leadership three times – in 1997, 2001 and 2005 – being defeated each time?

Answers: 1 Crossbow, 2 Another One Bites the Dust, 3 Clavicle, 4 Kenneth Clarke.