Abingdon were flying the flag for Oxfordshire after two rounds of the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup for schools eights at Henley yesterday.

They cruised into the quarter-finals with a convincing five-length victory over Dur-ham, in a time of 6mins 45secs.

This was three seconds quicker than their first round victory over St George’s College, Weybridge.

However, Radley College bowed out yesterday.

Having beaten Kingston Grammar School in a time of 6.39 the previous day, Radley met their match in Latymer in the second round.

The Middlesex outfit’s time of 6.42 was enough to win by one length.

Abingdon RC’s fears that they had a tough draw in the Thames Challenge Cup were realised, when they went down by nearly three lengths to the powerful Commercial crew from Ireland.

There were mixed fortunes for the Wallingford club on the first day.

In the Wyfold Challenge Cup, Wallingford’s coxless fours saw off the Challenge of Thames.

But in the Britannia Cup, their coxed four were edged out by half-a length by a fast fasding Nottingham.