Banbury Central won 5-1 at home to Witney Mills in what may prove to be a pivotal match in the Division 1 relegation battle in the Oxford & District League, sponsored by Yarnton Nurseries.

While Ian Whelpton’s four were always in charge on the way to a 24-16 win, Central were losing on the other three rinks and behind on shot count after 16 ends.

However, inspired play by Mick Andrew and Shane Cooper’s sides gave Central victory on their rinks to edge the match shot count 75-73.

Chris Weller’s 23-12 win proved in vain for the losers.

South Oxford look doomed to relegation after crashing 6-0 at home to Oxford City & County A.

The visitors enjoyed comfortable wins on three of the four rinks, before Paul Comley’s men completed the whitewash with a 20-19 victory.

Carterton chalked up the joint highest shots total of the week in a 5-1 home win over Shiplake Village.

Robbie Clanfield’s four provided the highlight with a resounding 41-9 triumph in the 113-61 victory.

West Witney matched Carterton’s shots tally with a 6-0 home win over Charlbury, which put them top of Division 2 and leaves their opponents in the relegation zone.

Big wins for the Paul Skidmore and Trevor Prew’s rinks helped take West Witney to a 113-57 victory.

A 36-6 win from Chris Billingham’s four proved decisive in Thame’s 4-2 home defeat of Chipping Norton, with both sides successful on two rinks.

Similarly, a 28-18 success for Steve Gilkes’s four inspired Watlington to a 4-2 victory at home to Banbury Chestnuts.

In Division 3, Oxford City & County B beat Adderbury 5-1.

A 27-14 win by Colin Pollard’s rink, backed up by victories from Neville Wharton and Graham Kerr’s men, saw City & County move well clear of the relegation zone.

Blackbird Leys are staring relegation in the face following a 6-0 drubbing at Kidlington, who chalked up a century in a 113-37 scoreline.

Chris Cox’s four led the way with a 37-4 win.

RESULTS

Division 1

Banbury Central A 75 (5pts), Witney Mills 73 (1) (Banbury skips first): M Andrew 19, R Barnett 17; I Whelpton 24, J Mott 16; J Tee 12, C Weller 23; S Cooper 20, A Wiggins 17.

South Oxford A 61 (0), Oxford City & County A 91 (6) (South Oxford A skips first): D Tidball 14, O Shariff 25; H Payne 15, A Ley 22; M Keen 19, P Comley 20; R Claridge 13, M Hancock 24.

Carterton 113 (5), Shiplake Village 61 (1) (Carterton skips first): R Clanfield 41, B Evans 9; R Jupp 32, T Beaumont 10; G Walker 22, B Lambourne 21; P Sharman 18, J Bland 21.

Division 2

West Witney 113 (6), Charlbury 57 (0) (West Witney skips first): K Alder 24, D Cooper 17; P Skidmore 33, D Dix 10; H Williams 22, J Stevens 16; T Prew 34, M Fraser 14.

Watlington 82 (4), Banbury Chestnuts 75 (2) (Watlington skips first): R Giles 18, J Denbow 23; G Hooker 17, A Northcote 19; S Gilkes 28, B Ray 18; H Franklin 19, K Buckle 15.

Thame 89 (4), Chipping Norton 70 (2) (Thame skips first): R Duncan 15, K Field 28; J Timms 20, P Rathbone 14; R Slater 18, N Siford 22; C Billingham 36, S Davis 6.

Division 3

Kidlington 113 (6), Blackbird Leys 37 (0) (Kidlington skips first): M Brain 23, D Buckwell 12; J Hardie 32, R Brain 11; C Cox 37, J Baldwin 4; A Rowe 21, G Roper 10.

Headington B 93 (4), Banbury Central B 83 (2) (Headington skips first): C Harris 26, J Pickering 29; M Kershaw 32, R Cox 13; R Edwards 13, T McKenna 23; A Peters 22, G Gerry 18.

Oxford City & County B 85 (5), Adderbury 66 (1) (City & County skips first): T Gripe 16, J Dancer 21; G Kerr 19, T Ely 15; N Wharton 23, C Skidmore 16; C Pollard 27, P Gladden 14.

Division 4

Hanborough 88 (4), Bloxham 85 (2) (Hanborough skips first): G Parsloe 278, J Stephens 12; G Thompson21, W Price 29; I Stallwood 17, R Hopkins 24; K Williams 23, T Gardner 20.

Florence Park 71 (1½), South Oxford B 82 (4½) (Florence Park skips first): M Gray 22, P Woodville 22; J Simmons 16, V De Paauw 30; P Booth 19, B Stewart 13; I Gray 14, D Portman 17.

Woodstock 88 (5), West Oxford 60 (1) (Woodstock skips first): B Clarke 28, F Webster 9; R Collett 26, M Alderson 18; R Wright 17, P Moffat 15; R Foster 17, B Murphy 18.

Oxford University Press 83 (4), Chadlington 69 (2) (OUP skips first): P Tweddle 29, P Madeley 15; T Cox 21, R Arthur 14; G Giles 16, O Bennet 18; H Hyde 17, C Brett 22.