OXFORDSHIRE, who had already completed their Middleton Cup programme, finished third in Group 2 Section B (South).

Hampshire topped the section and go through to the quarter-finals after beating Middlesex 18-4.

OXON came out on top in their latest two friendlies.

They beat Warwickshire 127-112 at Snitterfield, and then pipped Essex 123-118 at Shiplake.

Warwickshire 112, Oxfordshire 127 (Oxon rink scores): G Hooker, B Jarvie, A Hall, J O’Shea won 24-21; T Backer-Holst, K Clayton, D Snell, D Allin lost 17-13; R Jackson, A Melville, D Wedge, A Hunt won 22-20; Y Gripe, A Braden, L Lewis, R Bull won 24-19; S Tolhurst, G Syme, G Weedon, M Petersen won 27-14; M Tatlow, B Buckingham, T Beaumont, A Ley lost 21-17.

Oxfordshire 123, Essex 118 (Oxon rink scores): A Fleming, A Melville, D Bullock, M Petersen won 19-15; S Tolhurst, L Eltringham, S Jones, B Lambourne won 30-18; G Hooker, H West, M Jones, D Allin lost 25-19; D Steel, J Rees, A Hunt, H Payne lost 18-13; B Bloomfield, D Snell, G Kennedy, R Bull lost 23-18; A Perona, A Braden, J Eatwell, I Whelpton won 24-19.