OXFORDSHIRE secured a much-needed point despite going down 9-6 to Essex 2nd in their latest Inter-County Championship Division 1B clash at Rayleigh Leisure Centre.

Oxon got off to a rocky start with Phil Sayer spraining his ankle in the second end of the men’s singles.

It meant the team had to concede his singles and also two men’s doubles.

With Maria Ioannou the only Oxfordshire player to win her singles with a 21-16, 21-14 victory, the match score was already 5-1 to Essex going into the doubles.

After a reshuffle to ensure Oxon played the strongest possible men’s pairing, David Soanes teamed up with James Buffham to beat Essex’s second men’s pair 21-15, 21-18.

Oxfordshire ladies also secured three valuable wins.

Emma Crammond and Sarah Torgersen eventually took a close three-end match 21-17, 19-21, 14-21, while Ioannou and Simone Fulle, who was promoted from Oxfordshire 2nd, won both their matches.

It left Oxon trailing 7-5, but, heading into the mixed doubles, they were still in with a chance of taking a point.

Matt Jackson, also called up from Oxfordshire 2nd, and Crammond went down 21-12, 21-14 to a strong third mixed pair, and Ioannou and Soanes lost 21-12, 21-16.

But Torgersen and Buffham won 21-16, 21-17 to snatch a point in the last.