Defending champions Forum A were pushed all the way in the third round of the Oxford & District League Aubrey Hughes Handicap Shield.

Division 2 leaders Gladiators B, who had a 95 point start missed out by just four points in a pulsating match.

Xing Jiu-Huang, Yungtai Hsu and Paul Reynolds put on a good show for Gladiators, and all had successes against Greg Boone and Sam Harrison.

Karl Bushell, however was in top form.

The tie was still far from decided as they squared up for the doubles, with Gladiators needing to lose by no more than 21-16, 21-17 – but they fell just short.

Begbroke A joined Forum A in the quarter-finals by beating Vikings D by the same margin of four points.

The two Bicester sides both progressed at the expense of Vikings.

Bicester A had to give Vikings C a 105-point start and won by 23, while Bicester B were given 115 points against Vikings B and won convincingly by 39.

Gladiators A had a fairly comfortable passage through this round, at the expense of Haddenham B.

Haddenham began with a 200 point start, but John Witney, Barry Green and Roger Mott failed to make enough headway against Paul Knight, David Gardner and Kevin Giles as Gladiators won by 24 points.

Witney A lost out by 56 points to Forum E.

Terry Morris, Maurice Chambers and Jon Allsworth had to give Forum 100 points start, but the writing was on the wall as early as the first set when Paul Woodward beat Morris.

Matt Simmonds and Jake East then chipped in with successes of their own and there was no way back for Witney.

Forum F disposed of Vikings H, with Paul Whitford, Laurel Christer and Chris Smith each defying a 100-point deficit to win their matches.

Vikings A recorded the only win for a Vikings side in this round – beating Forum J by 34 points.

Thomas Bowden, Anthony Howgego and Ryan Gibbons had a 210-point start, but found Eamonn Deeley, Julian Lawton Smith and James Lovelock too hot to handle as Vikings progressed.

RESULTS

Aubrey Hughes Handicap 3rd Round: Forum A 397, Gladiators B (+95) 393; Bicester B (+115) 432, Vikings B 393; Forum J (+210) 385, Vikings A 419; Vikings D (+105) 406, Begbroke A 410; Gladiators A 420, Haddenham B (+200) 396; Vikings C (+105) 386, Bicester A 409; Witney A 377, Forum E (+100) 433; Forum F 414, Vikings H (+100) 360.