OXFORDSHIRE’S hopes of qualifying for the latter stages of the Middleton Cup were all but ended when they lost 125-109 to Sussex at Oxford City & County.

Although sharing three rink wins each with their visitors, Oxon crashed to their second successive defeat in South Group B due to a heavy defeat for the the rink of skip Paul Sharman, who went down by 22 shots.

All three of Oxon’s successes came on the southern half of the green from skips Mark Sykes, Baden Sparkes and Ray Gaskins.

The Banbury Borough rink, skipped by Sykes, made a steady start and won by five shots.

Sparkes’s rink were trailing by four after ten, but stormed back by winning nine of the remaining ends for a ten-shot victory.

Ray Gaskins brought his team home by eight on the third rink.

But Sussex took the honours in the other matches.

The previous week’s winning rink, skipped by Ryan Buckett, had a titanic battle.

Trailing by eight shots after 19 ends, Oxon hopes were raised with a four on end 20, but in the end they lost by three.

Charlett won ten of their ends, but by significantly smaller margins than their opponents, who won by 14.

A six on the seventh end brought Sharman level at 8-8.

However, they won only two more as they lost 34-12.

Playing his 100th game for Oxon, Jason King was awarded with a gold badge and David Leighfield was presented with a Middleton Cup flash after his sixth game.

Oxfordshire 109 (6pts),

Sussex 125 (16)

(Oxon’s rink scores)

Rink 1: J Abercrombie, G Schwab, A J Docherty & M Sykes won 23-18.

Rink 2: K Holloway, K Alder, C Gilkes & B Sparkes won 23-13.

Rink 3: M Nash, D Leighfield, S Cooper & R Gaskins won 23-15.

Rink 4: J Bland, M Brain, N Rae-Walsh & R Buckett lost 19-16.

Rink 5: S Witcombe, A McIntyre, J King & M Charlett lost 26-12.

Rink 6: S Watts, P Mabbutt, G May & P Sharman lost 34-12.

l OXFORDSHIRE triumphed 131-104 in their friendly match against Leicestershire at Market Harborough.

Phil Warner, of Witney Town, played his first game.

Leicestershire 104, Oxon 131 (Oxon rink scores): A Carter, A French, M Jones & A Wase won 24-12; C Lewis, P Warner A Fleming & A Hall won 24-18; S Tolhurst E Dorling, P Demcza & J Lucas won 23-12; B Willoughby, B Ealey, T Gripe & M Andrew lost 24-8; M Cameron, J Stephens, D Wedge & M Morris won 22-21; R Slater, R Rudd, P Strange & I Whelpton won 30-17.