Defenidng champions Banbury Central A slipped to a 3.5-2.5 defeat at Oxford City & County A in Division 1 of the Oxford & District Bowls League, sponsored by Yarnton Nurseries.

Mike Petersen led the way for City & County with a 14-shot win over Les Campion.

Carterton kept up their excellent start to the season with a 6-0 win over Banbury Chestnuts to go second.

Mick Keen’s second win of the season was not enough as South Oxford A went down 5-1 at home to Bicester.

Division 2 saw Witney Mills slip to a 5-1 defeat at home to Thame, despite a good win for Andrew Auger’s four.

West Witney remain second following a 4-2 win at Cotswold, for whom young skip Shane Cooper again shone.

It was a good day for the Auger family as Andrew’s brother, Dave, helped his four to a 43-8 victory in Watlington’s 6-0 home demolition of South Oxford B in Division 4.

RESULTS

Division 1

Oxford City & County A 82 (3½), Banbury Central A 76 (2½) (City & County skips first): A Ley 16, J Tee 20; M Petersen 25, L Campion 11; C Earl 23, M Sykes 23; R Gaskins 18, M Andrew 22.

Carterton 93 (6), Banbury Chestnuts 54 (0) (Carterton skips first): G Walker 27, D Munslow 15; S Richens 20, D Bryant 15; P Sharman 23, B Neal 15; R Clanfield 23, A Northcote 9.

South Oxford A 72 (1), Bicester 82 (5) (South Oxford skips first): M Keen 22, P Hooley 15; J Hall 20, K Taylor 23; R Claridge 14, A Hall 25; K Clarke 16, M Workman 19.

Division 2

Cotswold 76 (2), West Witney 85 (4) (Cotswold skips first): T Cox 13, K Alder 22; M East 16, H Williams 24; S Cooper 25, M Hitchcox 19; D Cooper 22, T Prew 20.

Kidlington 81 (4½), Oxford City & County B 70 (1½) (Kidlington skips first): D Snell 15, N Satchell 19; J O’Shea 20, M Charlett 20; J Hardie 20, O Sharif 15; G Watts 26, B Slatter 16.

Witney Mills 70 (1), Thame 75 (5) (Witney Mills skips first): L Days 16, G Lazaruk 17; R Barnett 13, L Westcott 20; A Auger 29, M Dale 14; J Mott 12, R Slater 24.

Division 3

Banbury Central B 76 (5), Blackbird Leys 70 (1) (Banbury Central skips first): R Cox 24, S O’Keefe 11; t McKenna 18, G Roper 17; R Havard 12, R Brain 26; B Collins 22, H Payne 16.

Headington B 76 (2), Rover 79 (4) (Headington skips first): T Murphy 15, K Hall 21; P Sargeant 23, J Warland 15; R Edwards 16, A Peters 23; M Kershaw 22, M Bracewell 20.

Witney Town 71 (5), Bloxham 62 (1) (Witney Town skips first): B Buckingham 12, J Lucas 19; B Bloomfield 23, A Rowlands 11; M Jones 20, J Hay 17; V Comley 16, J Crawley 15.

Woodstock 77 (2), Charlbury 86 (4) Woodstock skips first): R Collett 14, C Skidmore 24; W Major 24, M Smith 21; B Clarke 17, D Dix 23; K Comley 22, J Stevens 18.

Division 4

Florence Park 62 (1½), Chadlington 89 (4½) (Florence Park skips first): J Simmons 10, P Heath 26; A Thomas 20, P Radbone 15; I Gray 14, R Arthur 30; S Green 18, C Smart 18.

Oxford University Press 65 (1), Hanborough 79 (5) (OUP skips first): P Cornish 18, M Oliver 23; D Hessey 14, K Williams 23; P Tweddle 20, G Haynes 13; J Taylor 13, J Edwards 20.

Watlington 130 (6), South Oxford B 53 (0) (Watlington skips first): G Hooker 26, D Walker 22; H Franklin 33, D Portman 13; R Gilkes 28, M Underwood 10; S Gilkes 43, M Freeman 8.

West Oxford 84 (5), Chipping Norton 75 (1) (West Oxford skips first): M Bostock 17, A Sleeman 15; M Alderson 25, D Barnes 18; B Stone 16, B Rathbone 18; P Moffat 26, J Benfield 24.