New Club came agonisingly close to inflicting the first defeat on Cricketers since 2008.

The first two legs finished tied 31-31, but Cricketers sho-wed why they are the team to beat, winning both by one doll after the three extra sticks.

New Club took the final leg 30-24.

Luke Purcell (5-5-3) was in fine form for New Club, with Phil Adams (5-6-4) starring for Cricketers.

Peter Bailey (4-5-5) hit 14 dolls for Chequers, but could not save his side from a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Six Bells.

After losing the opening two legs 26-22, 24-23, Chequers came back well in the final leg winning it 30-28.

Dave Townsend (3-6-4) and Neil Lyon (5-4-4) hit 13 dolls for Three Pigeons, but they are still without a win after going down 2-1 to Rowing Machine.

They lost the first leg 28-25, won the next 28-22, but went down 26-24 in the decider.

Garsington Sports moved level on points at the top of Section 1 after a 3-0 win at Gladiators.

Ken Maunder (4-4-6) led the way with 14 dolls as they took all three legs 23-18, 26-25, 29-23.

Kevin Giles (3-4-6) and Steve Walton (4-4-5) hit 13 apiece as George beat Red Lion 2-1.

George won the first leg 28-22, but Red Lion roared back 30-25 in the next leg.

George set an impressive 29 in the final leg, and Lion fell five dolls short.

In Section 3, Democrats’ Dan Thompson (6-4-4) was in fantastic form, banging off 14 dolls to guide his side to a 2-1 win over Green Road Club.

Billy Hill chipped in with 11 in a 20-18, 16-17, 17-15 victory.

King & Queen defeated Cowley Con Club 3-0 in Section 4 – but were fortunate to gain the whitewash.

Having won the first leg 20-14, they could muster only four dolls from their first four players in the second.

Luckily, the tail wagged with the last four hitting 13 dolls – Stuart Fitchett notching a six in a total of 18 which won them the leg. They took maximum points in the final leg 21-11.

In Section 5, Fairview started like lightning to win the opening leg 25-16 against Vikings A.

But they fizzled out in the next two legs, losing them both 19-17.

Fairview’s Arthur Yardy hit a dozen dolls (4-5-3).

Vikings Sports Club C set all three legs against White Hart Eynsham in Section 7 and triumphed 2-1.

They won the initial leg 15-12 and then set 11 in the next.

White Hart were on target, but anchor man Jamie Hodges failed to trouble the doll and they fell one short.

Hodges made up for it in the final leg by hitting the one needed to win the leg 12-11.

Andy Cox’s 11 dolls (4-4-3) led the way for Ashton Club to defeat Duke Of Monmouth 2-1.

Winning the opening legs 12-11, 19-12, they slipped up in the third, going down 19-13.

Rose Hill’s Arthur Bowers hit ten dolls (3-2-5) as his side beat Chequers 2-1 in Section 9.

They won the first leg 13-9, but with their first four men not troubling the doll in the second, managed just five.

Chequers easily levelled, but lost 17-10 in the decider to win the leg and game.

l TEAMS in Section 7 should note that Priory B have moved to Prince Of Wales, Iffley Village.

GREENE KING OXFORD & DISTRICT LEAGUE Premier/Section 1: The George 2, Red Lion A 1; Rowing Machine 2, Three Pigeons 1; New Club A 1, Cricketers B 2; Gladiators A 0 Garsington Sports A 3; Chequers A 1, Six Bells C 2.

Section 2: Yarnton BL 1, Six Bells 2; Woodman Inn 2, Queens Head A 1; The Dogwood 2, Punch Bowl 1.

Section 3: Red Lion 2, Vikings Sports B 1; Kidlington Sports B 2, Tiddington Cricket Club 1; Garsington Sports B 2, Quarry Gate B 1; Democrats Club A 2, Green Road Club 1; Cross Keys 2, Seacourt Bridge 1.

Section 4: North Oxford Con Club A 3, Team Monarch 0; Masons Arms A 2, Donnington Club A 1; King & Queen 3, Cowley Con Club 0; Cricketers Arms A 2, Chandos Arms B 1; Chequers C 3, Red Lion B 0.

Section 5: Vikings Sports A 2, Fairview Inn A 1; Red Lion 3, Whitmore Arms 0; Littlemore Rugby Club 1, Catherine Wheel A 2; Golden Ball B 1, Crown A 2; Ampleforth Arms 3, Gladiators B 0.

Section 6: Turners Arms 2, Jolly Sportsman 1; Red Lion Islip 1, Red Lion A Kidlington 2; Red Lion C Eynsham 1, Red Lion Yarnton 2; Quarry Gate A 1, Kennington Club A 2; Nelson B 2, Kidlington Sports A 1.

Section 7: Vikings Sports C 2, White Hart 1; Six Bells B 1, Nelson A 2; Red Lion Wolvercote 1, Prince Of Wales B 2; Northway Club A 2, Red Lion B Cassington 1; Duke Of Monmouth 1, Ashton Club 2.

Section 8: Queens Head B 0 Nut Tree 3; Fairview Inn B 2, Folly Bridge Inn 1; Donnington Arms 1, Red Lion 2; Cricketers A 3, Masons Arms B 0; Chandos Arms A 3, Six Bells A 0.

Section 9: The Blackbird 2, Black Horse 1; Rose Hill Club 2, Chequers B 1; Donnington Club B 3, Northway Club B 0; Catherine Wheel B 3, Cavalier 0; Brill Club A 1, Golden Ball A 2.

Section 10: White House 1, Shelly Arms 2; White Hart 2, Original Swan B 1; Red Lion A 0 Brill Club B 3; Crown B 2, Cricketers Arms B 1; Crown & Thistle 0 Marston BL 3.

Section 11: Original Swan A 1, North Oxford Con Club B 2; Kings Arms B Kidlington 3, Hollybush A 0; Eight Bells 3, Green Ox 0; Black Swan B 0, Prince Of Wales 3.

Section 12: Red Lion B 1, The Kite 2; Prince Of Wales 1, Original Swan C 2; Hollybush B 1, Kings Arms A 2.

Sixers: P Adams (Cricketers B), D Townsend (Three Pigeons), K Maunder (Garsington Sports) K Giles (George), D Thompson (Democrats A), R Cotterell (Seacourt Bridge), M Morbey (Viking Sports), D Adams (Cricketers A), S Fitchett (King & Queen).

Blobbers: S Fletcher (Cowley Con Club), D Strivens (Whitmore Arms), V Barson (Gladiators B), D Smith (Kidlington Sports), W Dass (Duke Of Monmouth), P Carter (Folly Bridge), N Bolton (Cricketers Littleworth), S Neale (White Hart), C Flett, A Orchard, M Hirst (Prince Of Wales Iffley), G Seaney, M Harman (Black Swan B), C Barns (Eight Bells), L Losito (Green Ox), L Wilton (Hollybush B).

ABINGDON & DISTRICT LEAGUE Premier & A Section: Cumnor Cricket Club 5, Abingdon United A 1; Tandem 6, Fox 0; Abingdon Legion 2, Steventon Sports 4; Spread Eagle 2, Berinsfield SC A 4; Red Lion Drayton A 2, Spread Eagle B 4.

B Section: Berinsfield SC B 2, Abingdon United B 4; College Oak A 2, Abingdon Con Club 4; Abingdon United D 6, Red Lion C 0; Admiral Benbow 6, Plough East Hendred 0; White Hart Harwell 6, White Horse A 0.

C Section: Fox Denchworth 6, Brewery Tap A 0; Waggon & Horses Southmoor 4, Flowing Well A 2; Abingdon United C 6, Eight Bells A 0; White Horse 2, Magic Midget 4; The Hatchett 6, Plough Long Wittenham 0.

D Section: Pack Horse 6, Bowyers Arms 0; Dean Court 2, North Star B 4; Wheatsheaf Didcot 2, Barley Mow 4; Abingdon Arms 4, Vine Cumnor 2.

E Section: Brewery Tap B 0, White Hart B 6; Eight Bells B 4, Stanford FC 2.

F Section: Red Lion B 6, Spread Eagle A 0.

G Section: Cross Keys Wallingford 4, Cross Keys C 2; Water Witch 1, College Oak B 5; Cross Keys B 2, Red Lion D 4; Crown Marcham 0, Morning Star 6; Steventon Sports B 6, Didcot Con Club 0.

H Section: Fleur De Lys 5, Rose & Crown 1; North Star D 1, Didcot Labour Club 5; Shears 4, Good Lake Arms 2; Fitzharris Arms 5, Shoulder of Mutton 1.

Sixes: B Stowell, A James, T Kraviec.

Blobbers: V Vanstone, G Fenton.