Oxfordshire's Middleton Cup campaign got off to a disastrous start as they were thumped 125-92 by Berkshire at Suttons BC near Reading.

They picked up just three points to Berkshire's 19 and it means they have it all to do if they are to qualify from Group 3A.

Oxon managed just one victory on rink one where Calvin Carpenter, county captain Baden Sparkes, George Moon and Colin Whitehead edged home 17-16.

Next best score for the visitors was a 17-17 draw on rink six thanks to skip Greg Moon, Martin Timms, Ian Henwood and John Philpott.

Elsewhere it was one long tale of woe.

Skip Mark Sykes went down 26-17 on rink two where Hagbourne's Ian Snowden (skip) and John Heapy played a leading role for Berkshire.

Two other Hagbourne bowlers, skip Jonathan Stradling and Dale Hall, defeated Gary Lucas, Stuart Richens, Richard Redford and Keith Holloway on rink three.

Oxon skips Howard Watts and Alan Prew were beaten 23-16 and 20-11 on rinks four and five respectively.

Bob Gilkes's men were never ahead in the match, trailing 26-17 after five ends and 52-42 after ten.

They battled back to narrow the gap to just eight shots with five ends to go, but Berkshire then stepped on the gas to finish convincing victors.

SCORES Berkshire 125 (19pts), Oxon 92 (3) (Oxon rinks first) Rink 1: C Carpenter, B Sparkes, Geo Moon, C Whitehead 17; G Stacey, R Cannings, M Linn, D W-Emberson 16.

Rink 2: M Sykes, R Buckett, R Clanfield, L Young 17; I Snowdon, A Collins, N Gould, J Heapy 26.

Rink 3: G Lucas, S Richens, R Redford, K Holloway 14; J Stradling, D Hall, N Davies, S Jones 23.

Rink 4: H Watts, N Rae-Welsh, N Lewis, S Claridge 16; R Newman, D Christie, D Parsonson, C Tarran 23.

Rink 5: A Prew, M Charlett, M Petersen, M Nash 11; M Newman, A Knapper, C Barrett, C Brooks 20.

Rink 6: Greg Moon, M Thomas, I Henwood, J Philpott 17; A Price, P Swinn, G Knapper, A Chipper 17.

THERE was more bad news for Oxfordshire in the National County Top Two Fours competition as they lost 46-37 to Surrey at Banbury Borough.

Gary Lucas (skip), Mark Sykes, Howard Watts and Keith Holloway slid to a 23-19 defeat, while Greg Moon, Alan Prew, Nick Rae-Welsh and John Philpott were beaten 23-18.

Oxon led 8-7 after five ends, but were 25-16 in arrears after ten and 36-25 down after 15.

Oxon 37, Surrey 46 (Oxon skips first) Rink 1: G Lucas, M Sykes, H Watts, K Holloway 19; I Honour, D Hennessey, N Ross, D Spittles 23.

Rink 2: G Moon, A Prew, N Rae-Welsh, J Philpott 18; I Jenkins, C Young, J O'Leary, A Gladwell 23.