Headington A were crowned champions of the Oxford & District League, sponsored by Yarnton Nurseries, for the second successive season.

Led by ever-present skips Craig Nicoll and Mark Charlett, they retained the title by beating Banbury Central A 5-1 at Osler Road.

Nicoll dropped only one and a half points all season and played a big part in keeping his team ahead of a very strong Carterton side, who needed a full house at Kidlington to take their first title since 2001.

The home team, however, had other ideas and took two points in a 4-2 defeat.

Oxford City & County B came out on top 6-0 in their Division 2 relegation battle at Banbury Central B to swap places with their rivals and condemn them to the drop.

Watlington clinched the Division 3 title, their second successive promotion as champions, in a nail-biting finish against West Oxford.

Needing three points to overtake Thame and stay ahead of Rover it all came down to the last bowl of the game.

When it finished rolling, Steve Gilkes’s wood was probably fourth best, but before it was measured, fell in, meaning a 3-3 draw, Watlington’s title and West Oxford, after a fantastic effort to stay up, being relegated.

RESULTS

Division 1

Headington A 92 (5), Banbury Central A 71 (1) (Headington skips first): H Watts 18, L Campion 15; C Nicoll 31, J Tee 16; I Snowdon 18, W Campion 22; M Charlett 25, J McGeough 18.

Kidlington 76 (2), Carterton 78 (4) (Kidlington skips first): J Hardie 17, A Prew 16; B Horseman 15, R Clanfield 23; C Weller 22, P Sharman 16; M Brain 22, B Sparkes 23.

Oxford City & County A 95 (5), Bicester 71 (1) (City & County skips first): C Earl 24, E Sheffield 14; P Comley 26, A Hall 18; M Petersen 25, P Hooley 17; D Wedge 20, K Taylor 22.

Division 2

Banbury Central B 69 (0), Oxford City & County 95 (6) (Banbury Central skips first): R Cox 17, B Slatter 24; E Creed 16, N Satchell 20; J Pickering 20, T Gripe 25; K Williams 16, G Kerr 26.

Shiplake 92 (4), Banbury Chestnuts 77 (2) (Shiplake skips first): B Evans 15, D Munslow 16; T Beaumont 19, D Bryant 23; J Bland 28, B Neal 26; G Kennedy 30, A Northgate 12.

West Witney 82 (6), Woodstock 59 (0) (West Witney skips first): K Alder 22, R Collett 13; H Williams 23, G Owen 14; G Coombs 19, W Major 16; T Prew 18, B Clarke 16.

Division 3

Bloxham 107 (6), Headington B 68 (0) (Bloxham skips first): J Lucas 29, M Kershaw 18; T Gardner 27, T Murphy 21; J Crawley 23, S Gould 12; D Morse 28, R Edwards 17.

Rover 73 (2), Blackbird Leys 77 (4) (Rover skips first): M Bracewell 22, M Major 18; P Ilott 17, R Brain 16; R Plested 17, G Roper 16; M Burrage 17, D Buckwell 24.

Watlington 71 (3), West Oxford 71 (3) (Watlington skips first): R Gilkes 22, B Murphy 9; G Hooker 25, M Bostock 9; S Gilkes 14, A Rowe 22; H Franklin 10, F Buck 31.

Division 4

Charlbury 80 (5), Chadlington 65 (1) (Charlbury skips first): M Fraser 13, P Madeley 14; D Dix 24, A Hobbs 19; N Siford 25, P Redbone 15; J Stevens 18, C Smart 17.

Chipping Norton 84 (2), Witney Town 91 (4) (Chipping Norton skips first): D Barnes 20, B Buckingham 10; J King 18, B Smith 26; S Davis 13, M Jones 35; K Field 24, B Bloomfield 20.

Florence Park 99 (5), South Oxford B 61 (1) (Florence Park skips first): I Gray 25, D Walker 12; A Thomas 20, P Woodville 23; P Booth 29, V Depaauw 19; J Simmons 25, D Bye 7.

Oxford University Press 95 (5), Hanborough 79 (1) (OUP skips first): G Giles 27, J Edwards 18; P Cornish 27, C Haley 23; J Stone 13, G Thompson 18; G Cooper 28, M Oliver 21.