Surrey’s Middleton Cup hopes were shattered by a 157-114 defeat to Oxfordshire at Banbury Central.

Although Surrey remain second in the group, Oxfordshire are now in prime position to qualify.

Rink 1: Oxfordshire: 27, Surrey: Andy Gladwell, Steve Shanley, Lee Dickson, Barry Jenkins 17. 2: Oxfordshire: 34, Surrey: Michael O’Leary, Tim Orr, Eamon O’Flynn, Mark Bishopp 13. 3: Oxfordshire: 38, Surrey: Charles Bruder, Tony Downs, Sean O’Connell, Ian Honnor 10. 4: Oxfordshire 20, Surrey: Paul Coleman, Jeff O’Leary, Mike Sigamoney, Chris Young 22. 5: Oxfordshire: 24, Surrey: Daniel Morris, Nathan Beeson, David Clark, Dennis Hennessy 25. 6: Oxfordshire: 14, Surrey: Steve Spencer, Alistair Howick, Graham Vigor, Ian Jenkins 27.

Surrey enjoyed the long trip to Norfolk last Tuesday and returned with a fine victory in the five-rink match against their hosts.

Good wins for Surrey on four of the five rinks gave the visitors a commanding lead which grew larger as the match progressed.

In the 66 matches played between these counties, Surrey have won by far the larger share with 43 wins.

Best performing rink on this occasion was rink 4 consisting of Tony Bourne (Purley Bury), Errol Kum (Belmont), Graham Dawber (Magdalen Park) and Jim Mason (Albury).

Surrey President Deric Homes and his rink skipped by Mike Reed were behind their Norfolk opponents until the 16th end when they suddenly clicked into action and scored 15 shots in the last six ends aided by a count of seven on the penultimate end.

NORFOLK CBA 80, SURREY CBA 126

Rink 2: Norfolk: B Atkins, M Gulliver, B Brookes, T Cocks 14, Surrey John Forrester, Phil Froude, Vic Hemmett, Mike Haigh 24. 3: Norfolk: J Fox, H Saunders, B Windsor, B Howes 13, Surrey: Steve Paice, Deric Homes, Kevin Donovan, Mike Reed 26. 4: Norfolk: G Bryant, T Mark, W Pattee, D Shimell 17, Surrey: Tony Bourne, Errol Kum, Graham Dawber, Jim Mason 32. 5: Norfolk: B Cocks, J Copping, J Lacey, M Hartopp 15, Surrey: Allan Thornton, Ron Shuttleworth, Mike Smith, John Hort 28. 6: Norfolk: J Godsafe, T Hall, J Blackburn, M Nicholson 21, Surrey: Dave Hussey, Terry Foote, Derek Harvey, Jerry Ingham 16.

In their second away match of the week, Surrey travelled a little nearer home to Sevenoaks to tackle their near neighbours Kent at Holmesdale BC.

Past tussles between the two counties have always been keenly contested and very close and last Thursday was no exception.

Surrey were successful on four of the six rinks but none of the six rinks was decided, one way or the other, by anything more than single figures.

The overall result of 108-102 to Surrey was just another in a long list of close games between the counties.

Top winning rink for Surrey was rink five, with Alan Bradshaw (Purley Bury), Norman Bagley (Bletchingley), Steve Cooke (Purley Bury) and Mike Haigh (Cheam).

KENT CBA 102 SURREY CBA 108

Rink 1: Kent: K Acott, B Chapman, C French, B Wigmore 19, Surrey: Peter Duncan, Bob Daintree, Terry Foote, Peter Hunt 14. 2: Kent: M Mabbut, R Pollington, C Swift, A Chase 16, Surrey: Dave Hussey, Eddie Evans, Chris White, John Hort 19. 3: Kent: J Packman, M Tidd, A Ashtead, R Comfort 16, Surrey: Bob Archer, Ted Exall, Jack Turvil, Julian Astill 18. 4: Kent: R Arnold, A Easterbrook, M Searles, M Bannister 18, Surrey: Deric Homes, Aga Hassan, David Emery, Frank Dodd 24. 5: Kent: D Lyon, B Ward, Higgins, D Bartholomew 14, Surrey: Alan Bradshaw, Norman Bagley, Steve Cooke, Mike Haigh 21. 6: Kent: C Munday, J Edmead, B Luptan, T Marsment 19, Surrey: Peter Pearce, Brian Wilkinson, Graham Dawber, Joe Cable 12.