Oxfordshire kept their Home Counties League title hopes bubbling with an excellent 124-106 victory over Kent at Sevenoaks.

It was Oxon's third win from four matches and sees them move into second place, two points behind Middlesex, who they play at Bush Hill on Saturday, August 2.

Clashing with the start of the Oxfordshire president's tour, in the past, the away fixture in alternate years has not been a happy hunting ground for the county.

But it was a different story this time as Oxon triumphed 18-4 on points.

Spearheading the charge was Ian Henwood's rink of John Philpott, Paul Boffin and Steve Gilkes, who raced into a 15-2 lead after seven ends on the way to a 29-12 win.

Four-shot victories went to Sammy Timms' foursome of Lee Young, Trevor Prew and Ali Simpson and senior deputy Ian Whelpton's team of Paul McGrath, AJ Docherty and Glyn Coggon.

From 11-11 at 12 ends, Timms' rink moved on to 19-12 with three ends to play, before clinching a 20-16 victory.

A six-shot lead after 17 ends was cut to one playing the last end for Whelpton's four, but a trailed jack into the ditch with the penultimate wood saw Oxon pick up three shots for a 22-18 scoreline.

Bernie May, Dick Claridge, Steve Jones and Mick Andrew came out on top 23-20.

They picked up four shots over the last three ends after seeing a seven-shot lead at 15 ends disappear by the end of the 18th.

Fighting efforts on Oxon's two losing rinks saw them both keep the deficit to only five shots.

Mick Nash, Trevor Beaumont and Will Campion, along with skip Gordon Roper, came from 20-9 down with seven ends left as they went down 22-17.

Oxfordshire's remaining rink of Andy McIntyre, Larry Eltringham, Kevin Alder and Alan Ley could not get closer than three shots of their rivals in an 18-13 defeat.

Kent 106 (4pts), Oxfordshire 124 (18) (Kent rinks first).

Rink 1: K Moss, B Woodington, A Roberts, R Kendrick 20; B May, R Claridge, S Jones, M Andrew 23.

Rink 2: J Trow, G Bailey, D Banfield, R Howell 18; P McGrath, AJ Docherty, G Coggon, I Whelpton 22.

Rink 3: M Cheeseman, G Piper, T Beesley, A Dunn 16; L Young, T Prew, A Simpson, S Timms 20.

Rink 4: T Monk, T Kirby, A Evans, M Johnson 12; J Philpott, P Boffin, S Gilkes, I Henwood 29.

Rink 5: P Field, M Fisher, R Hubbard, D Hanmore 18; A McIntyre, L Eltringham, K Alder, A Ley 13.

Rink 6: D King, M Collins, T Heppell, G Charlton 22; M Nash, T Beaumont, W Campion, G Roper 17.