SAM Watts was the toast of Oxfordshire after winning the two-wood singles crown at the National Championships at Royal Leamington Spa.

The Watlington star becomes the first male county champion for 11 years, after Banbury Borough’s Greg Moon and Gary Lucas triumphed in 2006.

Oxon also had no fewer than three semi-finalists in the junior singles, pairs and triples, with each losing to the eventual winner.

Mo Cox, Mary Tee, Carole Galletly and Caroline Campion, from Banbury Central, reached the semi-finals of the women’s senior fours.

Galletly, Kathy Hawes (Oxford City & County), Mark Sykes (Banbury Borough) and Howard Watts (Headington) were finalists in the mixed fours competition.

OTHER OXFORDSHIRE MEN IN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Junior Singles: D Leighfield (West Witney) – semi-final; S Cooper (Watlington) – 2nd round.

Junior Pairs: O Bennett (Carterton) & D Leighfield – 1st round.

Two-wood singles: S Richens (Carterton) –1st round.

Four-wood singles: R Gaskins (Headington) – last 16; M Sykes (Banbury Borough) –1st round.

Pairs: W Parker & K Alder (West Witney) – semi-final; D Sharpe & AJ Docherty (Banbury Borough) –1st round.

Triples: C Whitehead, R Gaskins & N Rae-Welsh – semi-final; J Philpott, N Lewis, H Watts (Headington) –1st round.

Fours: T Jupp, S Aldren, S Richens & P Sharman (Carterton) – last 16; J Philpott, N Lewis, G May & H Watts – 2nd round.

Senior fours: T Jupp, G Walker, S Aldren & P Sharman (Carterton) – 2nd round.

WITNEY Town will face Headington in the Oxford & District League Cup final.

The duo secured their place in tonight’s showpiece with victories over Kidlington and Watlington respectively at South Oxford BC.

Division 2 champions Kidlington started brightly against Witney, who finished third, edging ahead in the early stages.

There was never more than a couple of shots between the sides, but Witney gradually got on top.

Although Kidlington won on two rinks, a strong finish from Tim Ludlow’s men and a four-shot victory for Paul Demczak’s team, saw Witney win by six shots overall to clinch their first ever cup final place.

Headington got off to a strong start in the other all-Division 1 semi-final and never looked back.

The top-flight champions, winners of the competition for six of the last seven years, established a substantial lead after just a few ends.

The rinks of captain Mark Charlett and also that of Nick Rae-Welsh ensured the holders were soon in control.

Despite a late rally from Gordon Hooker’s rink for Watlington, it proved no more than a consolation as Headington triumphed by 13 shots.

The final takes place under the floodlights at Kidlington BC tonight.

SEMI-FINAL RESULTS

Kidlington 59, Witney Town 65 (Kidlington skips first): C Cox 18, T Ludlow 25; M Petersen 11, P Demczak 15; J Hardie 17, A Scholan 13; P McGrath 13, B Bloomfield 12.

Headington A 72, Watlington 59 (Headington skips first): H Watts 21, C Gilkes 18; M Charlett 19, A Kemish 11; J King 14, G Hooker 18; N Rae-Welsh 18, S Cooper 12.

l DESPITE losing on

four of the six rinks, Oxfordshire beat Gloucestershire by eight shots in their friendly clash at Cheltenham.

Commanding victories from Alan Ley and Mick Morris’s sides – by 18 and 14 shots respectively – were sufficient to give Oxon a 120-112 victory.

MATCH SCORES

(Gloucestershire 112,

Oxfordshire 120)

Rink 1: P Demczak, T Backer-Holst, M Jones & I Whelpton lost 13-16.

Rink 2: M Cameron, P Strange, A Fleming & B Bloomfield lost 18-24.

Rink 3: A Carter, E Dorling, D Wedge & M Morris won 30-16.

Rink 4: K Washington, D Byers, P Warner & P Robbins lost 16-22.

Rink 5: B Ealey, J Timms, A Wise & R Barnett lost 12-21.

Rink 6: S Tolhurst, R Radband, J Benfield & A Ley won 31-13.