OXFORDSHIRE once again found the opposition too hot to handle when they travelled to Stoke for their second weeekend of competition in the Premier Division of the Inter-Counties Championship.

They went down 8-2 to both Leicestershire and Sussex, and managed a 5-5 draw against Lancashire 2nd.

Dave Westmorland and Dave Buckingham gained three wins each, Dave Boorman and Erica Green two each, while Dave Soanes, Hayley Davies, Emma Martin and Claire Tait recorded one win apiece.

Oxon's real chance for a win came against Lancashire when Westmorland and Soanes took the opener 15-13, dropped the second after a real chance 15-12, and then lost the decider by the same score.

The team were under-strength as they were without injured former England international Julie Bradbury and the unavailable Nick Raven.

GOSFORD Hill A are 52 points clear at the top of Division 1 of the Five Disciplines League with a 109-102 victory over Radley & Oxford in the third round hosted by Oxford University.

Without Erica Green, Gosford dropped both women's disciplines, but took the two men's events through Wayne Young and Paul Casey.

The mixed, played out of order as the final match, decided the outcome. Radley & Oxford's John Pollard and Faye Watson took the opener 15-9 over Casey and Jemma Noble, who hit back 15-5 for a narrow overall win.

Feathers A picked up a maximum against lowly Evenlode A, who slipped to eighth and last place.

Feathers had been bottom, but the big win sees them soar into second spot.

Results: Feathers A 150, Evenlode A 53; Oxford University 95, Abingdon A 118; Redefield A 115, Wantage 103; Gosford Hill A 109, Radley and oxford 102.

Round 3 order: 1 Gosford Hill A 398pts, 2 Feathers A 336, 3= Radley & Oxford 335, Abingdon A 335, 5 Wantage 334, 6 Redefield A 322, 7 Oxford University 289, 8 Evenlode A 284.

Redefield A recorded handsome wins in Division 1 of both the mixed and men's divisions of the Oxford & District League.

Nick Raven and Annie Richards were top pair in the 6-3 mixed victory over The Park A, while Raven and David Wong were the leading pair in an 8-1 defeat of Thame A, though surprisingly they lost the one rubber by two 15-4 games to Jeremy Carder and David Hart.

Results - Men's Division 1: Thame A 1, Redefield A 8. Division 2: Leys A 2, Evenlode B 7. Division 3: Didcot Power Station B 9, Leys B 0. Division 4: Redefield B 9, Thame B 0. Division 5: Oxford A 9, Redefield C 0.

Mixed Division 1: Redefield A 6, The Park A 3. Division 2: Evenlode A 3, Leys A 6. Division 3: Didcot Power Station 7, Redefield B 2. Division 4: Vale 4, Evenlode B 5; Abingdon B 8, Vale 1. Division 5: Amadeus 1, Berinsfield 8; Amadeus 1, Long Crendon 8.

In the Wallingford & District Three Discipline League, Redefield are top of Division 1 after a 102-84 win against Abingdon.

In Division 2, Chilton top the table despite losing 115-96 to Blewbury. Chilton also beat Didcot Power Station 118-88.