OXFORDSHIRE warmed up for the forthcoming Middleton Cup campaign by winning their trial matches against Northants and Gloucestershire.

In the opening match against Northants at Oxford City & County, the hosts won on five rinks for a 118-102 victory.

The extent of the success was determined by Ray Gaskins’ rink who won by ten shots thanks in part to a six on the tenth end.

Oxfordshire 118, Northants 102 (Oxon rink scores): K Holloway, W Campion, K Alder & M Sykes drew 19-19; A Kernish, B Squires, A J Docherty & I Snowdon won 19-15; M Nash, D Leighfield, S Cooper & R Gaskins won 24-14; S Watts, P Robbins, J King & M Charlett lost 21-20; J Bland, P Comley, I Henwood & N Rae-Welsh won 17-16; A Carter, M Brain, A McIntyre & B Sparkes won 19-17.

A brilliant recovery by Shane Cooper’s rink helped Oxon defeat Gloucestershire 116-111 at Cheltenham.

With the rinks shared 3-3, the result was largely determined by Cooper’s team, who recovered from eight shots down after 13 ends to win 24-16.

Paul Sharman and Mark Charlett skipped the visitors’ two other winning rinks.

Oxfordshire 116, Gloucs 111 (Oxon rink scores): S Watts, P Skidmore, G May & M Charlett won 19-16; A Carter, C Weller, N Lewis & B Sparkes lost 19-14; A Kernish, P Robbins, D Leighfield & A J Docherty lost 19-15; L Young, W Campion, K Alder & S Cooper won 24-16; B Squires, P Comley, A McIntyre & N Rae-Welsh 26- 25; S Witcombe, H Alder, S Aldren & P Sharman won 19-15.

Oxfordshire also beat Northants in a county friendly at Brackley.

Northants 104, Oxfordshire 136 (Oxon rink scores): P Demczak, B Jarvie, M Oliver & R Barnett,won 35-12; V Webb, N Hambridge, K Williams & I Whelpton lost 25-18; S Tolhurst, J Timms, M Morris & M Brain won 22-16; H Franklin, E Dorling, D Wedge & A Ley won 22-20; A Hunt, A French, A Wase & B Bloomfield lost 17-20; C Lewis, J Hurren, L Days & P Robbins won 22-11.

  • HEADINGTON continued their dominant start with a 5-1 win away to West Witney in Division 1 of the Bridle Insurance Oxford & District League.

While visiting captain Mark Charlett and Jason King’s rinks dominated their games, the other Headington teams found themselves struggling at 14 ends and trailing by seven and nine shots.

However, Howard Watts’s rink did not lose another end as they edged home

19-16, leaving Andy McIntyre’s four to secure West Witney’s only point.

Banbury Central won by the same margin against Kidlington, with Will Campion’s rink finishing strongly.

In Division 2, Witney Town completed a 6-0 whitewash of Chipping Norton after skip Phil Warner won the final three ends to pip Tim Sealey by a point.

BRIDLE INSURANCE OXFORD

& DISTRICT LEAGUE RESULTS

Division 1

West Witney 58 (1pt), Headington A 92 (5) (West Witney skips first): D Leighfield 16, H Watts 19; P Skidmore 11, J King 27; A McIntyre 19, N Rae-Welsh 17; K Alder 12, M Charlett 29.

Banbury Central A 75 (5), Kidlington 44 (1) (Banbury skips first): M Andrew 19, P McGrath 12; K McNeil 27, M Brain 6; W Campion 16, J Hardie 10; N Galletly 13, C Cox 16.

Watlington 68 (5), Witney Mills 52 (1) (Watlington skips first): S Watts 11, L Days 19; C Gilkes 20, P Robbins 13; S Gilkes 15, A Wiggins 12; S Cooper 22, R Barnett 8.

Division 2

Shiplake 53 (1), Charlbury 75 (5) (Shiplake skips first): G Kennedy 8, M East 22; J Bland 21, M Smith 14; D Webb 12, D Cooper 22; T Reid 12, E Pitts 17.

S Oxford A 77 (5), Hanborough 42 (1) (S Oxford skips first): D Claridge 16, M Oliver 12; J Hall 36, G Haynes 6; D Tidball 12, G Thompson 10; K Mobley 13, K Williams 14.

Witney Town 81 (6), Chipping Norton 55 (0) (Witney skips first): P Warner 18, T Sealey 17; A Scholan 19, J Benfield 18; T Ludlow 22, K Field 13; B Bloomfield 22, J Martin 7.

Division 4

Bicester 86 (6), South Oxford B 52 (0) (Bicester skips first): A King 18, D Portman 13; K Taylor 19, D Lyne 17; M Graves 20, J Guest 16; S Cole 29, D Bye 6.

Bloxham 62 (3), Woodstock 62 (3) (Bloxham skips first): A Miles 12, B Clarke 13; J Stephens 14, P Shipton 17; R Hopkins 18, D Francis 15; D Morse 18, T Stevens 17.

Chadlington 73 (5), Oxford University Press 49¾ (1) (Chadlington first): R Arthur 24, R Cann 9; A Hobbs 16, G Giles 12; C Smart 17, D Barlow 19; P Radbone 16, K Brown 9¾.