Oxfordshire's remote promotion hope from Division 1 of the BDO Inter-County Championship were dashed when they lost 20-16 to Dorset at Poole.

The visitors had to settle for sixth spot in the final table.

The Oxon ladies B side saw the return of Julie Newman who opened up the weekend with a 3-2 win, but that was their only success.

George Grant, who proposed to his fiancee Lisa Young on the stage before the match, proceeded to secure Oxon’s first point in the men’s B team contest.

Dave Fowler made it a winning debut, while further victories from Dan Butler, Eamonn Lilly, Adam Bowman, man-of-the-match Kevin Lowe and Simon Key secured a 7-5 victory to reduce Oxon’s overnight deficit to 10-8.

England captain Deta Hedman, Casey Gallagher and promoted Newman’s second win of the weekend, helped Oxon to draw the women’s A match.

The deficit was still two points as Oxon men’s A took on a Dorset side containing reigning BDO world champion Scott Mitchell.

Wins from Nick Cobb, Kevin Wilkins, Josh McCarthy and a man-of-the-match performance from Pete Hall kept in with a chance, but Hants won the next five games to clinch victory, despite Preben Krabben’s late win.