OXFORDSHIRE kept alive their hopes of qualifying for the latter stages of the Middleton Cup by beating South Section B leaders Surrey 83-68 in a rain-curtailed match at Oxford City & County.

Playing three rinks on each green because of heavy rain before the start, the teams did well to complete the 72 ends required for the result to stand.

After completing 83 of the 126 ends, the rain had the final word with each side leading on three rinks.

However, Oxfordshire had a 15-shot win to collect 16 points to Surrey’s six and open up the group title race.

The key display came from Oxon skip Mark Sykes’s rink of Joe Abercrombie Paul Mabbutt and Shane Cooper, who were 17 shots ahead after 17 ends when play was halted.

Oxon’s other two winning rinks were skipped Mark Charlett, who triumphed 17-10 after 15 ends, and Ian Snowdon, who finished eight shots clear.

The result means Oxfordshire are just five points behind Surrey.

They have all to play for in the last game against Hampshire in Southampton on July 9.

Surrey will entertain the bottom team Bucks.

Oxfordshire 83 (16pts), Surrey 68 (6) (after 83 ends, Oxon rinks first) Rink 1: S Watts, P Comley, B Lambourne, P Sharman 7; H Cushen, P Bennett, D Morris, S Clarke 12 (13 ends).

Rink 2: H Beall, T Prew, I Henwood, R Gaskins 8; Y Friday, D Olver, L Dickson, M Sigmoney 16 (14 ends).

Rink 3: K Holloway, I Kibble-White, J King, M Charlett 17; C Souter, J Cable, E O’Flynn, G Clark 10 (15 ends).

Rink 4: P Lopez, C Weller, A J Docherty, I Snowdon 14; J Winter, J O’Leary, M White, D Hennessy 6 (15 ends).

Rink 5: J Abercrombie, P Mabbutt, S Cooper, M Sykes 24; M Porter, R Cushen, J Graham, N Beeson 7 (17 ends).

Rink 6: D Leighfield, K Alder, N Rae-Welsh, W Parker 13; A Neal, S Shanley, F Morton, P McDonnell 17 (15 ends).

OXFORDSHIRE bowed out of the Balcomb Trophy when losing to Berkshire in the regional finals at Croydon.
Berkshire had built up a 43-18 lead before Oxon conceded.
Scores (Oxon rinks first): J Abercrombie, P Sharman, R Gaskins, M Sykes 12; BJ Byles, N Jones, S Jones, R Newman 20; S Watts, I Snowdon, M Charlett, H Watts 6, D W-Emberson, L Brown, L Sabatini, A Knapper 23.
Chris Lewis (Oxford C&C) received his 50-game badge in Oxon’s 145-94 win over Herefordshire in a friendly at Eastnor.
Oxfordshire 145 Herefordshire 94 (Oxon rinks scores): A Hunt, S Tolhurst, C Weller, T Gripe won 30-19; P Demczak, E Dorling, K Williams, A Hall won 28-10; M Cameron, A French, J McGeough, I Whelpton won 31-11; C Lewis, R Slater, M Oliver, A Ley won 17-16; H Franklin, A Fleming, C Haley, B Bloomfield won 26-13; B Willoughby, J Timms, M Jones, J Lucas lost 25-13.
l THE funeral of former Oxfordshire BA president Mike Pargeter (East Oxford) will be held at the Temple Cowley Reform Church, Oxford Road, on Wednesday July 20 (11.15am).

OXFORDSHIRE Ladies suffered a heavy 148-90 defeat by Sussex in their Johns Trophy tie at Horsham.
The visitors could not replicate their previous victory against the Isle of Wight and won on only two rinks.
Rink scores (Oxon skips first): C Penson 22, C Watson 17; B Havard 19, W Davies 16; D Knight 17, K Sayers 23; W Cross 14, B Davis 30; A Ives 11, L Kuhler 34; J Berry 8, D Hodd 28.
There was another defeat for Oxfordshire Ladies as they lost 38-27 to Kent in the Walker Cup at Egham.
Oxfordshire 27, Kent 38 (Oxon rinks first): J Berry 10, S Honnor 20; D Knight 17, W King 18 (played 20 ends).