New recruit Ian Snowdon will make his EBA Middleton Cup debut for Oxfordshire in their Group 3B clash against Surrey at Shirley Park BC, Croydon, on Saturday.

Snowdon, who joined Oxon from Berkshire this season, replaces Andy McIntyre.

Winner of the National Fours in 2005 and the County Top Two Fours in 2006 with Hagbourne, he comes in at No 3 on Greg Moon’s rink.

Snowdon’s Headington clubmate, Nick Rae-Welsh, moves to take up the same position in Mark Charlett’s four, with Colin Whitehead taking over from McIntyre at lead in Baden Sparkes’s quartet.

Oxon go into the game knowing that their destiny is in their own hands.

Calvin Carpenter’s side, who thrashed Hampshire 18-4 in their opening game at Banbury Central, are now the only unbeaten county in the group.

Last weekend, Hampshire rallied to defeat Middlesex, while Surrey – beaten 18-4 by Middlesex in their opener – also bounced back with victory over Berkshire.

OXFORDSHIRE edged past Middlesex 36-33 in their County Top Two Fours opener at Banbury Borough.

Oxon won two tightly-contested contests on both rinks.

Greg Moon’s side of John Philpott, Nick Rae-Welsh and Mark Sykes rallied to pip skip Mal Bishop 17-15.

And Howard Watts’s four of Keith Holloway, Stuart Richens and Alan Prew held off skip Perry Cook 19-18.

OXFORDSHIRE went down 134-117 in their latest friendly against Leicestershire at Hart of Fleckney BC.

Carterton’s Steve Tolhurst was awarded a 50-game badge and Witney Town’s Brian Bloomfield a six-game county badge.

Leicestershire 134, Oxfordshire 117 (Oxon rink scores): A Fleming, A Melville, T Beaumont, I Whelpton won 32-14; B Bloomfield, T Backer-Holst, M Jones, T Gripe lost 20-19; S Tolhurst, I Hale, D Lines, H Franklin lost 23-14; A Braden, T Blackmore, B Allin, L Lewis lost 39-13; M Cameron, P Cross, G Watts, S O’Keefe won 20-18; G Williams, B Willoughby, D Snell, R Bull lost 20-19.

OXFORDSHIRE’S women bowed out of the Walker Cup – the National County Two Fours Competition – with a 57-25 defeat by Kent in the first round.