Oxfordshire Under 25s made a winning start to their Junior Home Counties League programme with an 80-78 victory over Berkshire at Kidlington.

In a tense finish, two massive bowls from Oxon skips Chris Gilkes and Shane Cooper on their rinks made the difference between winning and losing as the hosts edged home by two shots.

George Schwab with team captain Lee Wilkinson, 12-year-old Brandon King and Will Soden led the way for Oxon with a 26-17 win over Mitchell Cooper.

Oxfordshire U25 80 (9pts), Berkshire U25 78 (5)

(Oxon rinks first)

Rink 1: O Bennett, C Hathaway, S Watts, C Gilkes 19, J Sanders, T Dimmock, K Mallandain, D Miles 20.

Rink 2: S Swanson, S White, R Full, D Wakeman 16, T Moore, E Stacey, L Brown, BJ Byles 22.

Rink 3: J Wilkinson, B Dickson, D Wakeman, S Cooper 19, L Hancock, T Belcher, T Bicknell, M Iremonger 19.

Rink 4: B King, W Soden, L Wilkinson, G Schwab 26, D Hancock, B Claridge, L Stacey, M Cooper 17.