A crushing loss for Ian Snowdon’s rink proved crucial as Oxfordshire slipped to a 103-100 defeat against Gloucestershire in their final EBA Middleton Cup trial game at Banbury Central.

Snowdon’s four of Malcolm Edney, Robbie Clanfield and Baden Sparkes were blown away 23-5 in the county’s only reverse.

Oxon triumphed on the five other rinks with Alan Prew’s side of Keith Holloway, AJ Docherty and Paul Sharman finishing strongly for a 21-15 win.

Mark Sykes’s quartet of Lee Young, George Moon and Jason King stepped up a gear in the second half of their game to win 18-13.

Oxon won by one shot on two other rinks.

Greg Moon’s four of John Philpott, Barry Lambourne and Nick Rae-Welsh scraped home 21-20 after leading 16-10 after 15 ends.

Mark Charlett’s rink of Mick Nash, Ian Henwood and Colin Whitehead frittered away a ten-shot advantage after ten ends before clinging on to win 18-17.

Howard Watts’s side of Shaun Claridge, Nathan Lewis and Richard Redford also had a real tussle before emerging victorious 17-15.

The defeat saw Oxon end their trial games with a record of one win and two losses ahead of their Middleton Cup opener against Hampshire at Banbury Central on Saturday, May 30.

Oxfordshire 100, Gloucestershire 103

(Oxon rinks first)

Rink 1: M Nash, I Henwood, C Whitehead, M Charlett 18; J Dyer, T Hughes, L Peacock, S Wiltshire 17.

Rink 2: L Young, Ge Moon, J King, M Sykes 18; R Young, D Cooper, R Bird, N Cansdale 13.

Rink 3: J Philpott, B Lambourne, N Rae-Welsh, Gr Moon 21; M Mayhew, M Perry, C Elliot, T Griffiths 20.

Rink 4: M Edney, R Clanfield, B Sparkes, I Snowdon 5; C Mann, A Spruels, W Smethurst, G Phillips 23.

Rink 5: S Claridge, N Lewis, R Redford, H Watts 17; J Heatchote, A Letts, M Woodbridge, G Grifftihs 15.

Rink 6: K Holloway, AJ Docherty, P Sharman, A Prew 21; D Farr, C Luton, G Wilkins, A Taylor 15.