OXFORD City & County’s Paul Lopez is set to make his Middleton Cup debut for Oxfordshire against Buckinghamshire at Waddesdon on Saturday (2pm).

Lopez will play lead in the South Group Section B opener on the rink skipped by Headington’s Mark Charlett, which features South Oxford’s Shaun Claridge and Headington’s Jason King.

Headington trio Jon Philpott, Howard Watts and Nick RaeWelsh are recalled.

Philpott will lead the four skipped by clubmate Ian Snowdon.

Watts, meanwhile, skips an allHeadington rink of Dean May, Ian Henwood and Rae-Welsh.

Oxon have won both their trial matches against Northamptonshire and Gloucestershire.

Oxfordshire: AJ Docherty, G Schwab, R Redford, M Sykes (all Banbury Borough); M Nash (Headington), A Martin (Carterton), C Whitehead (Headington), B Sparkes (Carterton); D May, I Henwood, N Rae-Welsh, H Watts (all Headington); P Lopez (Oxford City & County), S Claridge (South Oxford), J King (Headington), M Charlett (Headington); J Philpott (Headington), K Holloway (Banbury Borough), G May (Headington), I Snowdon (Headington); S Watts (Watlington), S Cooper (Watlington), B Lambourne (Shiplake), P Sharman (Carterton).

  • OXFORDSHIRE edged to a 38-36 win over Hampshire in the Balcomb Trophy (National County Top Two Fours Competition) preliminary round at Atherley.

Mark Sykes’s four of AJ Docherty, Keith Holloway and Nick Rae-Welsh led the way with a 22-14 win over skip Peter Ward.

Howard Watts’s side of Dean May, Gary May and Mark Charlett went down 22-16 to Chris Daniels, but it couldn’t stop Oxon securing a home tie against the Isle of Wight on Sunday, June 7 at a venue to be arranged.

Hampshire 36, Oxfordshire 38

(Hampshire rinks first)

Rink 1: M Aldren, C Cranham, R Morgan, C Daniels 22, D May, G May, M Charlett, H Watts 16.

Rink 2: J Leggett, T Nixon, L May, P Ward 14, AJ Docherty, K Holloway, N Rae-Welsh, M Sykes 22.

  • OXFORDSHIRE defied hailstorms to overcome Bedfordshire 130-113 in a friendly at Linslade.

Bedfordshire 113, Oxfordshire 130 (Oxon rinks scores): S Tolhurst, J Stephens, B Bloomfield, A Hall won 30-11; T Backer-Holst, J Timms, C Weller, M Petersen won 21-14; C Lewis, M Oliver, P Latter, I Whelpton won 22-20; V Webb, T Gripe, G Hooker, J Lucas won 21-18; M Cameron, A Fleming, H Franklin, A Ley lost 25-18; P Demczak, A Hunt, R Slater, B Gilkes lost 25-18.