NEIL Cartwright came back from the brink to beat veteran Karl Bushell and win the Oxford & District League singles title for the first time

Bushell (Forum B) Cartwright led 2-1 and was close to victory at deuce in the fourth set.

But the British Rail man hit back to win 11-5, 2-11, 10-12, 16-14, 11-7 and get his name on the Oxford Mail Cup for the first time.

In the restricted (handicap) singles final Jake East over Feng Gu 21-19 in a fiercely contested final between two Division 3 players. Gu had eleminated Jake’s father Guy in the semi-finals.

In the men’s doubles, Cartwright claimed his second victory on finals night when he and Greg Donovan defeated Bushell and Waddup 11-9 in the fourth.

Forum B, represented by Ross Henderson, Andrew Flint and Jeremy Flint, claimed the Aubrey Hughes Handicap Shield when they beat Vikings B’s Paul Borrowdale, Simon Cox and Mike Aistrop in the final.

Despite conceding a handicap of 51 points, Forum won by 39.

ROLL OF HONOUR

League champions – Div 1: winners British Rail; runners-up: Forum A. Div 2: Forum D; Gladiators A. Div 3: Forum I; Vikings C. 2-a-side: Bicester F; Forum J.

Leading players: Div 1: D Jones. Div 2: P Knight. Div 3: J East. 2-a-side: JM Ruiz.

Best junior newcomer: R Fleming. Junior boy: J McKenna-Jones. Junior girl: P Karabulut. Most improved: K Shaddel. Service award: A Borrowdale.

Men’s singles: N Cartwright bt K Bushell 11-5, 2-11, 10-12, 16-14, 11-7. 3rd G Donovan 4th C Savage.

Men’s doubles semi-finals: G Donovan & N Cartwright bt C Savage & J Camacho 11-6, 11-4, 11-2; K Bushell & L Waddup bt J Roake & C Westbury 11-4, 11-3, 11-4. Final: Donovan & Cartwright bt Bushell & Waddup 11-9, 7-11, 12-10, 11-9.

Restricted (handicap) singles semi-finals: J East (20) bt J McNeil (26) 21-16, 21-16; F Gu (24) bt G East (28) 21-20, 21-16. Final: J East bt Gu 21-18, 20-21, 21-19.

Aubrey Hughes Handicap Shield semi-finals: Forum B 422, Forum E (+147) 407; Holton A 373 (+126), Vikings B 424. Final: Forum B 404, Vikings B (+51) 365.