Oxfordshire secured the win required to ensure they didn’t finish bottom of the Home Counties League with a 118-102 victory over Middlesex at West Ealing.

Needing seven points to avoid finishing in last place, the much-altered team, which saw ten changes, shot up to fifth with a 16-6 points victory to leave Bucks with the wooden spoon.

Colin Whitehead’s four of Paul Demczak, making his Home Counties debut, George Weedon and Chris Earl took top rink by beating Middlesex skip Andy Knott 22-11.

Kevin Alder and John Hardie also skipped their Oxon rinks to victory, with 22-12 and 17-13 wins respectively.

Middlesex 102 (6pts), Oxon 118 (16)

(Oxon rinks first)

Rink 1: N Zehanovic, P Duffy, M Arnold, P Cater 19, S Watts, D Swanson, S Gilkes, S Cooper 15.

Rink 2: S Griffith, M Kopp, B Putman, A Knott 11, P Demczak, G Weedon, C Earl, C Whitehead 22.

Rink 3: D Flack, P Hicks, N Rushton, R Milton 24, B Bloomfield, J McGeough, D Wedge, A Ley 20.

Rink 4: B Rickard, P Attridge, S Skinner, B Elbourne 13, M Plested, A Melville, C Weller, J Hardie 17.

Rink 5: A Tanner, M Thorn, R Hackwell, M Larman 23, R Green, H Payne, G Hooker, R Barnett 22.

Rink 6: S Bland, T Powell, B Hearn, P Fuller 12, O Bennett, N Galletly, P Skidmore, K Alder 22.

OXFORDSHIRE went down 116-104 to Berkshire in a friendly at Peppard.

Oxfordshire 104, Berkshire 116 (Oxon rink scores): S Tolhurst, J Hurley, J O’Shea, A Ley lost 18-15; T Backer-Holst, D Jennings, J Lucas, A Hall lost 27-10; C Lewis, P Christmas, B Bloomfield, I Whelpton lost 19-16; B Willoughby, R Havard, K Williams, B Gilkes won 22-14; M Cameron, P Brittin, J McGeough, C Weller won 19-15; P Demczak, J Timms, M Jones, R Barnett lost 23-22.

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