Oxfordshire Under 25s suffered an agonising defeat in their Home Counties League game against Middlesex.

Oxon went down 78-73 to lose 10 points to four – but with two ends remaining were well in control.

Despite trailing 39-27 after ten ends, and 56-49 after 15, some great play saw Oxfordshire overturn the deficit and lead by 12 shots after 19 legs.

However, Middlesex’s experience showed and they regrouped to turn the match around in the final two legs.

RESULT Oxfordshire 73, Middlesex 78 (Oxon rink scores): C Gilkes, J Jordan, S Hastings & R Clanfield lost 28-15; D Wakeman, L Witcombe, C Skidmore & C Miles lost 24-21; R Pink, S White, L Wilkinson & D Wakeman won 16-14; D May, J Woodward, G Schwab & G May won 21-12.

Meanwhile, Oxfordshire suffered a brace of defeats in their latest friendlies.

They went down 121-111 against Warwickshire at Wolvey, before being pipped 119-118 by Essex at Shiplake after throwing away a 15-shot lead after 18 ends.

Oxford City and County’s Bill Allin and Shiplake’s Peter Christmas were awarded 50-game badges in the defeat by Warwickshire.

RESULTS Warwickshire 121, Oxfordshire 111 (Oxon rink scores): D Lines, P Beckett, D Snell, I Whelpton lost 24-22; D Wotherspoon, K Clayton, T Gripe, B Gilkes drew 17-17; B Allin, P Cross, B Buckingham, J O’Shea lost 20-16; P Christmas, A Melville, S O’Keefek, H Payne lost 19-18; P Brittin, T Backer-Holst, G Watts, J Lucas lost 19-16; D Fowler, M Cameron, H Franklin, B Evans drew 22-22.

Oxfordshire 118, Essex 119 (Oxon rink scores): F Benham, D Bullock, A Hunt, A Ley won 19-17; P McGrath, P Wilcock, R Bull, I Whelpton won 28-17; P Christmas, H West, S Jones, H Payne won 20-10; S Gibson, P Cross, G Coggon, J Bland won 22-14; S Tolhurst, L Eltringham, G Weedon, B Evans lost 32-18; C Weller, T Backer-Holst, G Kennedy, J O’Shea lost 29-11.