IF YOU’RE going to defeat one of the Premiership ‘big guns’, the key is to back it up the following week.

This is exactly what the White Hart (Eynsham) achieved last Thursday when, after humbling the Hatchet (Childrey) seven days earlier, they successfully negotiated a tricky tie against the Sun, Hook Norton, seeing off their hosts, 68-59.

With this fifth consecutive win, the victors have retained top spot in the West. However, remaining hot on their heels is the Windrush Club (Witney), courtesy of a 72-61 success over the Chequers (Chipping Norton).

These two principal title contenders have now opened up a sizeable gap over their nearest challengers aided by a 76-50 thrashing suffered by the Black’s Head (Bletchingdon) at the hands of the King’s Arms (Wheatley), and a fifth straight reversal for the Royal Sun (Begbroke), this most recent setback, a narrow 68-72 loss to the Hatchet.

In the East, a tiny glimmer of hope was afforded the King’s Arms. That splendid triumph over the Black’s Head allowed them to cut the deficit on pace setters, the Green Dragon, this after the Haddenham outfit made a fruitless venture to Oxford, losing comprehensively, 87-63, to Far From The Madding Crowd ‘A’.

The King’s Arms must continue to rely on favours from other teams if they are to reduce arrears still further, but where there’s hope….

In the North Division, the Crown (Church Enstone) will equally be praying for the intervention of others. Front runners, the Blue Boar (Chipping Norton), maintained their relentless pursuit of a successful championship defence with an 83-39 demolition of visitors, Far From The Madding Crowd ‘B’, but the Crown remains in touch, just, after beating the Bell (Lower Heyford), 69-63. A six-point margin with eight fixtures to go may, nevertheless, prove too big a hurdle to surmount.

In stark contrast, it was all change, yet again, at the top of the Oxford Division. Over the last few weeks, three different teams have had the honour of looking down on their competitors, and the latest to take a turn is the North Oxford Conservative Club (Summertown). This feat they realised after repelling the advance of the ‘Oakley Army’ (Chandos Arms), 75-63. They replace the Green Road Club (Kidlington), who showed gutsy resistance before falling, 76-70, to those crafty old soldiers of the Bell (Grove).

The night was made sweeter still for the Con Club with the narrow defeat of their other close challengers, the Seacourt Bridge. Knowledge of Anglesey bird colonies off enabled the Black Swan (Cowley) to snatch a last gasp, 68-67 success from their Botley hosts. The Gardener’s Arms (North Parade) stay fifth after despatching the Gatehanger’s Inn (Ashendon), 67-41.

It is as you were in the Premier Section. The Plough (Wolvercote) stays top following an impressive, 85-61 win over the Woodman (North Leigh), whilst the FFTMC ‘A’s defeat of the Green Dragon keeps them second. The Ploughman’s Bunch! (Wolvercote) retains third after downing the Eight Bells (Long Crendon), 88-70.