Vikings A stole a march on the rest of Division 1 as they started the Oxford & District League season with an 8-2 win over Bicester A and a 6-4 success against Vikings B.

The all-Vikings battle in-volved six matches that went the distance, with the victory be-ing decided when Vikings A won the last doubles 13-11.

Gareth Hayward was the man-of-the-match with two maximums.

Forum B beat Rutherford and Vikings B 7-3, with Karl Bushell picking up two maximums.

In Division 2, Vikings E beat Bicester B 6-4 and Forum E 7-3, Eamonn Deeley posting two maximums for Vikings.

Begbroke began with a 10-0 crushing of Witney A, but then lost 6-4 to Gladiators B, thanks to a maximum from Gladiators’ Paul Knight.

In Division 3, Forum F beat Hadden B 9-1 with Paul Woodward and Matthew Simmonds undefeated.

RESULTS.

DIv 1: Forum C 3, Forum A 7; Vikings B 4, Vikings A 6 (G Hayward 3); RAL 3, Forum B 7 (K Bushell 3); Bicester A 6 (J Tustain 3), British Rail 4; Forum B 7 (K Bushell 3, A Misseldine 3), Vikings B 3; Vikings A 8 (G Hayward 3), Bicester A 2; Vikings C 1, Forum C 9 (F Harris 3, G Boone 3).

Div 2: Vikings D 8 (J Lawton Smith 3), Forum D 2; Vikings E 7 (E Deeley 3, P Borrowdale 3), Forum E 3; Gladiators A 9 (R Browne 3, D Ralls 3), Gladiators B 1; Gladiators B 6 (P Knight 3), Begbroke 4; Witney A 4, Bicester B 6 (P Hargreaves 3); Begbroke 10 (J Brown 3, D Pearce 3, P Humphrey 3), Witney A 0; Bicester B 4, Vikings E 6 (E Deeley 3).

Div 3: Bicester C 9 (R Moore 3, R Guanga 3), Vikings G 1; Vikings G 6 (J Tremayne 3), Haddenham B 4; Forum F 5, Gladiators C 5; Haddenham B 1, Forum F 9 (P Woodward 3, M Simmonds 3); Forum G 6 (J Duncalfe 3), Vikings F 4; Gladiators C 3, Forum G 7 (A Howgego 3); Haddenham A 8 (J Cripps 3, M Burr 3), Bicester C 2.

Div 4: St James 10 (B Ford 3, S Hamilton 3, T Hookham 3), Bicester D 0; Nielsens 6 (R Whiteaway 3), Forum I 4; Holton 4 (B Dobson 3), St James 6; Vikings H 6 (J Joyce 3), Holton 4; Witney B 8 (T Morris 3), Nielsens 2; Forum J 7 (B Rowles 3, P Juiwong 3), Forum K 3; Bicester D 2, Witney B 8 (J Allsworth 3, T Morris 3).