OXFORDSHIRE suffered a shock 118-105 defeat at home to Middlesex in the EBA Middleton Cup – but still clung on to top spot in Group 3B.

Oxon went into the game at Banbury Central with an eight-point lead and 100 per cent record.

With Middlesex bottom of the table – and having been thrashed 22-0 by Berkshire the previous week, there looked only one outcome.

And considering Oxfordshire won the first three rinks and drew the fourth, the defeat came as a huge disappointment.

Oxfordshire must now beat Berkshire in their final Group game on July 4 – and hope their winning margin is better than or equal to second-placed Hampshire, who host bottom side Surrey.

Greg Moon’s rink trailed 13-12 after 15 ends against Norman Worley’s team, but rallied to record an 18-15 victory.

And the same story was true of Baden Sparkes’s four, who found themselves 11-10 down after 15, but hit back for a narrow 15-13 win.

Things got even better for Oxon when Alan Prew’s rink eased to a 24-18 success over Pat Briscoe’s side.

Mark Sykes’s four romped into an 11-2 lead after just five ends against skip Steve Stockely.

They then found themselves 13-11 down after ten ends, but battled back to claim a 22-22 draw.

But it was in the last two rinks that Oxon lost the match.

Mark Charlett’s team were level at 4-4 after five rinks, but then crashed to a heavy 27-10 defeat.

And with Howard Watts’s four going down 23-16 to skip Tony Waller, despite being just 9-7 behind after ten ends, Oxon lost 118-105.

Oxon 105 (7pts), Middlesex 118 (15) (Oxfordshire rinks first) Rink 1: J Philpott, B Lambourne, I Snowdon, Greg Moon 18; K Ward, N Edwards, A Woods, N Worley 15.

Rink 2: C Whitehead, M Petersen, R Clanfield, B Sparkes 15; M Mansell, A Wallis, S Evans, M Bishop 13.

Rink 3: A Wise, P Sharman, S Richens, A Prew 24; G Dear, J Gibbs, A Frankland, P Briscoe.

Rink 4: K Holloway, George Moon, J King, Sykes 22; D Pitt, D Parrott, B Wheeler, S Stockley 22.

Rink 5: M Nash, S Timms, N Rae-Welsh, M Charlett 10; R Fortune, B Stephens, J Sweeney, R Leleux 27.

Rink 6: S Claridge, N Lewis, R Redford, H Watts 16; R Watkinson, A Law, E Rudston, T Waller 23.