BRITISH Rail dropped another point in an uncertain start to the defence of their Oxford & District League Division 1 title when they only beat Rutherford 6-4.

Darren Jones scored a maximum for Rail, while Richard Taylor added two wins, losing only to Rutherford’s Matthew Davies.

Vikings C beat hosts Gladiators B 6-4 to stay top of Division 2.

Two wins each for Artur Taevere and James Speedy for Vikings weree matched by two apiece for Sergio Garcia Castillo and Clive Westbury for Gladiators, and it required the doubles to give the visitors victory.

Vikings B beat Bicester B 7-3.

Paul Borrowdale, Dom Juiwong and Rob Cleese all won twice for Vikings, but no-one could stop Bicester’s Toby Wong, who recorded a maximum..

Holton A are the only team in Division 3 to have won their three opening matches, after beating two-man Bicester E 6-4.

However, they had to work for it as Bicester Martin Taylor recorded a maximum.

OXFORD LEAGUE RESULTS

Div 1: RAL 4, British Rail 6 (D Jones 3); Forum D 0, Forum B 10 (F Harris 3, R Henderson 3, A Flint 3).

Div 2: Bicester B 3 (T Wong 3), Vikings B 7; Gladiators B 4, Vikings C 6; Begbroke 8 (P Humphrey 3, J Brown 3), Forum G 2; Forum E 5 (K Shaddel 3), Forum F 5; Vikings D 2, Gladiators A 8(P Knight 3).

Div 3: Holton B 5, Vikings E 5; Bicester D 3, Forum H 7 (T Yau 3); Forum I 6, Holton C 4; Bicester E 4 (M Taylor 3), Holton A 6; Bicester C 7, Forum J 3 (E Carter 3).