A MASSIVE win by Jason King’s rink against Watlington cemented Headington A’s place at the top of Division 1 in the Bridle Insurance Oxford & District League.

The match turned on King’s defeat of Steve Gilkes’s men.

While the rest of the Gilkes family, Bob and Chris, led their rinks to victory, Steve lost by 28 shots, giving Headington a 92-70 victory.

West Witney won by the same scoreline away to a Banbury Central team missing five of their main squad, thanks to big wins from Kevin Alder and Paul Skidmore.

In Division 2, Witney Town won just rink at Witney Mills, but still took the match 73-63.

Skip Tim Ludlow’s 12-shot margin swung the match as the other rinks were separated by no more than a single shot.

The closest match of the week came in Division 3 at Bicester, who won 77-76 against Banbury Central.

The hosts’ only success came from skip Kevin Taylor, who won the final rink by 15 shots to snatch the match and share the points.

Charlbury ran up the only ton-plus score in their defeat of Blackbird Leys, Eric Pitts and Malcolm East’s rinks both racking up more than 30 shots.

BRIDLE INSURANCE OXFORD & DISTRICT LEAGUE

Division 1

Banbury Central A 70 (1pt), West Witney 92 (5) (Banbury skips first): W Campion 13, K Alder 27; K McNeil 13, P Skidmore 24; I Whelpton 20, W Parker 26; L Young 24, A McIntyre 15.

City & County A 74 (4), South Oxford A 61 (2) (City skips first): C Pollard 16, D Claridge 17; C Earl 17, M Keen 16; A Ley 15, J Hall 18; P Comley 26, K Mobley 10.

Headington A 92 (4), Watlington 70 (2) (Headington skips first): J King 34, S Gilkes 6; H Watts 24, S Cooper 20; R Gaskins 14, R Gilkes 21; N Rae-Welsh 20, C Gilkes 23.

Division 2

Chipping Norton 82 (5) Shiplake 59 (1) (Chipping Norton skips first): T Sealey 17, M Shepherd 16; N Siford 16, B Evans 22; K Field 24, G Kennedy 12; J Martin 25, J Bland 9.

Witney Mills 63 (2½), Witney Town 73 (3½) (Witney skips first): R Barnett 18, B Bloomfield 17; C Weller 19, P Demczak 18; L Days 16, A Scholan 16; A Wiggins 10, T Ludlow 22.

Division 3

Hanborough 94 (5), Chadlington 59 (1) (Hanborough skips first): M Oliver 31, C Brett 9; K Williams 16, P Radbone 20; G Haynes 22, P Madeley 13; C Hayley 25, C Smart 17.

Bicester 77 (3), Banbury Central B 76 (3) (Bicester skips first): K Taylor 26, R Cox 11; M Graves 16, J Pickering 23; A King 18, M Leather 22; A Hall 17, T McKenna 20.

Charlbury 101 (5), Blackbird Leys 66 (1) (Charlbury skips first): M Smith 22, C Bennett 17; D Cooper 17, P Sage 19; E Pitts 30, A Fleming 18; M East 32, J Baldwin 12.

Division 4

Thame 78 (4), West Oxford 74 (2) (Thame skips first): J Timms 17, J Parker 16; G Andrews 16, C Sherwood 23; P Heafey 32, A Blackburn 14; R Jenner 13, G Richardson 21.

South Oxford B 60½ (1), City & County B 82 (5) (S Oxford skips first): E Lamb 18, B Stone 21; P Power 14, T Gripe 22; D Lyne 17, J Glenn 13; D Bye 11½, G Powell 26;.

Bloxham 96 (6) Oxford Univ Press 48½ (0) (Bloxham skips first): T Gardner 22, P Tweddle 17; J Lucas 32, R Cann 9; A Miles 23, T Cox 15; D Morse 19, G Jordan 7½.