Oxfordshire sit top of Group 3B in the EBA Middleton Cup after a nail-biting 108-104 victory over Surrey at Shirley Park BC, Croydon.

Calvin Carpenter’s side had the edge throughout the clash to claim the points 17-5, and make it two wins out of two.

Oxon led 58-47 after ten ends, and they maintained their 11-shot cushion over the next five before holding off a late Surrey surge.

The visitors won on three of the six rinks.

Alan Prew’s four of Andy Wise, Paul Sharman and Stuart Richens led the way with a 20-13 win over skip Dave Clark.

Howard Watts’ side of Shaun Claridge, Nathan Lewis and Richard Redford overcame a slow start to blow away Dave Hennessy’s rink 18-11.

By contrast, Mark Charlett’s quartet of Mick Nash, Sammy Timms and Nick Rae-Welsh made the most of a flying start to beat skip Steve Touhy 21-18.

Powering 7-1 ahead after five ends, they increased their advantage to 12-3 after ten, and although their Surrey opponents fought back, Charlett’s men held on to secure victory.

Mark Sykes’s side of Keith Holloway, George Moon and Jason King finished all-square at 18-18 against Gary Little’s rink.

Oxon suffered defeats on the two other rinks.

Baden Sparkes’s side of Colin Whitehead, Mike Petersen and Robbie Clanfield suffered a mid-match slump as they went down 21-18 to skip Ian Honnor.

Captain Greg Moon’s four of John Philpott, Barry Lambourne and Ian Snowdon, on his Oxon Middleton Cup debut, were always trailing as they went down 23-13 to Ian Jenkins’s rink.

Oxon will be looking to complete a hat-trick of wins when they take on Middlesex – thrashed 22-0 by Berkshire last weekend – at Banbury Central on Saturday (2pm).

Surrey 104 (5pts), Oxfordshire 108 (17)

(Surrey rinks first)

Rink 1: P Burge, I Ross, L Dickson, D Clark 13; A Wise, P Sharman, S Richens, A Prew 20.

Rink 2: A Bullen, P Vamvacopious, M Bishopp, G Little 18; K Holloway, Ge Moon, J King, M Sykes 18.

Rink 3: M White, A Howick, G Vigor, I Jenkins 23; J Philpott, B Lambourne, I Snowdon, Gr Moon 13.

Rink 4: A Galdwell, N Ross, N Beeson, D Hennessy 11; S Claridge, N Lewis, R Redford, H Watts 18.

Rink 5: D Spittles, M Sigamoney, B Emanuel, I Honnor 21; C Whitehead, M Petersen, R Clanfield, B Sparkes 18.

Rink 6: D Morris, Z Abro, C Young, S Touhy 18; M Nash, S Timms, N Rae-Welsh, M Charlett 21.

Oxfordshire defeated Northants 120-105 in their lastest friendly at Bicester.

Witney Town’s David Cooper received a first-game badge.

Oxfordshire 120, Northants 105 (Oxon rink scores): D Wotherspoon, I Robinson, J Timms, I Whelpton won 18-13; S Tilhurst, B Willoughby, M Saunders, J O’Shea lost 20-18; D Fowler, D Snell, L Eltringham, B Evans won 25-19; D Cooper, G Watts, M Ford, M Workman won 18-16; M Cameron, K Clayton, T Gripe, A Hunt won 20-18; G Williams, P Cross, A Hall, H Payne won 21-19.