defending Premiership titleholders the Ploughman’s Bunch! (Wolvercote) are in danger of relinquishing their crown and we have only just completed round two of the current campaign.

The narrowest of defeats, 81-80, inflicted by the Royal Blenheim ‘A’ (Oxford City) has meant the Bunch! have now succumbed to both of their chief rivals, housemate the Plough being the other, and although they have four more fixtures against these formidable foes, there is an enormous amount of ground to be made up.

By contrast, the Plough maintained their excellent summer form, following up their success on Day One with a comprehensive victory over the Woodman (North Leigh), 80-59.

Needless to say, my ‘bigging up’ of the White Hart (Eynsham) in last week’s column would prove a portent of doom come Thursday night.

After a magnificent display the previous week at the Green Road Club (Kidlington), they were brought back down to earth as home advantage counted for nought in a 72-68 reverse to the Seacourt Bridge (Botley).

The latter now top the West courtesy of their heavier weight of scoring and may yet prove the surprise package of the section (oops!) Level with them after also posting back-to- back successes is the Royal Sun (Begbroke). A disastrous start by their opponents, the Chequers (Chipping Norton), left the home team trailing 14-37 after three rounds. A late rally did afford them some respectability but the visitors ran out 74-55 winners, an event topped off, I am reliably informed, by a sumptuous chilli-con-carne. (Note to self: include a trip to the Chequers on the Con Club’s future schedules!).

As complimentary of their hosts was Captain Conway of the Black Swan (East Oxford), albeit from a slightly different angle. “Nice people, nice pub, handy for a lock-in,” was Budweiser’s major shareholder’s succinct verdict on the Chandos Arms after he had led his posse to a convincing 71-61 triumph over the ‘Oakley Army’. I understand however that his wish was not granted on this occasion.

The unavailability of venues resulted in a tie being surprisingly staged at the Bletchingdon Sports and Social Club. An eight-point deficit early doors for ‘home’ side, the Black’s Head, left them rueing the switch, but a strong collective nerve together with the Sun’s inability to put names to pictures allowed them to carry the day, 67-58, over their Hook Norton opposition.

Elsewhere, the generally unheralded Windrush Club (Witney) put in an impressive performance in despatching the Green Road Club, 81-71, while the Blue Boar Bees (Chipping Norton) were equally impressive in overwhelming the Gardener’s Arms (North Parade), 74-61.

Meanwhile, with possibly the result of the evening, if not the season to date, the King’s Arms (Wheatley) demolished their hitherto ‘Bête Noire’, the Eight Bells (Long Crendon), 79-65. Is there a shift in the general order of things developing?

Finally, in the one other game, the North Oxford Conservative Club (Summertown) prevailed over the Royal Blenheim ‘B’, 74-52.