LADIES Day came early to Oxfordshire on Saturday with two of the most crucial matches played to date.

Ladies Pink Division is proving itself to be by far the most tightly contested of the four coloured divisions.

The closest match by far was between undefeated Cholsey and Oxford City.

Tipped to be the crunch game of the league, it lived up to expectations. The match ended in a 2-2 draw with both teams taking home one point.

Cholsey’s Ces Wheeler & Ruth Ballantyne beat Oxford City’s Katja Hartwich & Angela Simms 6-1, 6-0, but lost to Louisa Kent & Jo Love 7-6, 5-7, 2-6.

And the Cholsey second pair of Pauline Loilier & Heather Harrison lost to Kent & Love 6-4, 1-6, 2-6 but beat Hartwich & Simms 6-0, 6-3.

The second major game, again in Pink Division, was between Kings Sutton and Mapledurham.

Kings Sutton managed to field a very strong team of Karen Robinson & Hillary Stratton, and Elaine Thorne & Ann Lester, and having the home advantage, pipped Mapledurham 3-1.

They are the dark horses of the division and this win brings them right into contention with Cholsey and Oxford City.

Another crunch match came on Sunday, when North Oxford A and Portcullis A, both boasting 100 per cent records, locked horns at The Hithercroft in Ladies’ Red Division.

And it was Portcullis’s quartet of Jill Lloyd, Norah Laurie Anna Hayes and Annie Wilder who triumphed 3-1, against the North Oxford A team of Maxine Perkins, Emma Tolson, Sally Tolson and Sarah Lacey.

Two other big matches came in Ladies Division 2.

Faringdon B and Thame B, both unbeaten, battled out a close 2-2 draw in a match that could have swung either way.

This result worked in favour of Woodstock B, who proved too strong for Mapledurham B by winning 3-1, though with some very close sets.

Men’s Blue Division brought about a spectacular clash between the fancied Witney A and Cholsey A.

However, both had to settle for a point in another 2-2 draw.

Witney’s Mark Adam & Chris Gregory defeated Rob Derbyshire & Geoff Deeley 6-2, 6-1, and Pat Clayphan & Jordan Chaney 6-0, 6-0.

But Clayphan & Chaney beat Paul Valentine & Dave Hill-iard 6-2, 6-4, and Derbyshire & Deeley also beat Valentine & Hilliard 6-2, 6-7, 7-6.

Many divisions are very close, and now, as it moves into the second half of the league, every match takes on extra importance and bearing towards next year’s standings.

RESULTS LADIES Pink Div: Oxford Sports B 1, Witney A 3; Kings Sutton A 3, Mapledurham A 1; Cholsey A 2, Oxford City A 2.

Red Div: Portcullis A 3, North Oxford A 1.

Purple Div: North Oxf C 3, Banbury West End B 1; Abingdon A 2, Wantage B 2.

Div 2: Woodstock B 3, Mapledurham B 1; Watlington A 2, Goring B 2; Faringdon B 2, Thame B 2.

Div 3: Portcullis B 2, Abingdon C 2; Banbury D 1, Charlbury A 3; Kings Sutton B 0.5, David Lloyd A 3.5.

Div 4: Mapledurham C 2, Benson B 2; Deddington A 3, Bicester B 1; Norham Gardens A 0, David Lloyd B 4.

Div 7: Wychwoods B 0, Kingston Bagpuize B 4.

MEN Blue Div: Banbury D 0, Bicester B 4; Norham Gardens A 3, Woodstock B 1; North Oxford B 4, Thame B 0; Witney A 2, Cholsey A 2.

Green Div: Wantage A 2, Oxford Sports B 2; North Oxford D 3, Faringdon A 1.

Div 2: Hanney A 0, Blewbury A 4.

Div 6: Bicester C 4, Witney E 0; North Oxford E 1, Faringdon B 3; North Oxford F 1.5, Henley A 2.5.

Div 7: Brackley B 3.5, Abingdon D 0.5; Long Crendon A, Mapledurham B 2; North Oxford G 0, David Lloyd B 4.

Div 8: David Lloyd C 4, Goring C 0; Banbury F 2.5, Kingston Bagpuize B 1.5; Bicester D 4, Appleton B 0.

Div 9: Charlbury B 2, Thame D 2; Mapledurham C 1, Blewbury C 3; Oxford Sports D 1, David Lloyd D 3.

MIXED Div 2: Wantage C 2, Southfield A 2.