Oxfordshire 2nd have got off to a mixed start in Division 3 of the Inter-County Championships.

After being relegated following a winless campaign last year, Oxon have opened with a win and loss in their first two matches.

They went down 8-7 to Berkshire 2nd, with the result hinging on all four of the men's doubles rubbers which Oxon lost.

But they ended their long losing sequence with a 10-5 victory over Gloucestershire at Radley College.

A change in fortune saw Oxon rattle up a winning 8-2 lead with Chris Burden, Chris Gibbins and Elaine Madle winning their singles.

In Division 5, a young Oxfordshire third team fell 9-6 to Nottinghamshire 4th, with Helen Ashdown and John Pollard gaining their first county appearances.

Oxon under 13s and 17s came back from their trip to Derbyshire in happy vein with a win and a draw.

Whereas in the senior matches the men's doubles proved the downfall, the opposite was true here, with the 3-1 doubles scoreline ensuring an 11-9 victory for the under 13s.

The under 17s could not be split, halving every discipline to finish 10-10.