Oxford Sports Ladies B already face a battle to stay in the top flight of the Wilson 3-Pair Inter-Club League after falling to their second defeat of the season.

Promoted Sports knew they faced a tough time to retain their Division 1 status, but after a 7-2 opening-day defeat to Bicester, and now a 6-3 reverse to Cholsey, things are looking bleak.

Only Suki Good and Helen Ditchfield put up a real battle for Sports, winning two of their three rubbers and only going down 7-5, 6-3 in the other to Cholsey's top pair of Tracey Hipkin and Lizzie Vernon.

Hipkin and Vernon won all three of their rubbers, with Heather Harrison and Nicki Brown collecting two at second pair.

It was not a good day for Sports, who also saw their first team - the defending champions - held to a surprise 4.5-4.5 draw at Woodstock.

In Division 2, an exciting match between North Oxford B and Abingdon ended all-square.

But things could have been so different for Abingdon had they not lost the services of their third pair Julia Collinson and Helen Asbury through injury, who had to concede their matches against North Oxford's first and third pairs.

North's top pair of Sarah Lacey and Rochelle Bunn had little trouble in disposing of Kathryn Schutterlin and Alison Haynes, but a hard-fought victory from Dawn Torgersen and Pam Gordon, who beat Antonia Bruce and Sally Tolson 6-4, 6-4, gave Abingdon a share of the spoils.

There was another thrilling draw in Men's Division 3 between Woodstock B and Witney B who could not be divided.

Witney's first two pairs of Graham Ross and Paul Purkis, along with Steve Wiblin and Derek Brown put their side 4.5-3.5 ahead.

But Woodstock's Bob Coomber and Richard Corfield took the decider 7-5, 1-6, 6-3.