IT PROVED a tough baptism for teams promoted to the top flight at the start of the Didcot & District League season.

Newcomers Marlborough D and Upton both got off to bad starts in Division 1, losing 9-1 and 10-0 to Marlborough A and C respectively.

Only Rob Jones took a game in the all-Marlborough tie.

The all-RAL game also went 10-0 with last season’s runners up RAL A whitewashing their B side.

Charlie Lane took a maximum in a losing cause for Moreton against Marlborough C, while Letcombe A went down 6-4 to Drayton A, despite Richard Taylor’s maximum.

In Division 2, promoted Wallingford A went down 7-3 to Drayton C, John Gould taking a maximum for the winners.

The return to Drayton from Upton for Dave Hudson and Steve Gardiner did not go well as Drayton B went down 10-0 to Moreton B,.

There is a new format in Division 3 and 4, with teams playing each other three times.

All atches in Division 3 finished 7-3, the pick being promoted Hanney’s win against Wallingford B thanks to Arthur Anstis’s maximum.

In Division 4, Drayton F defeated Drayton E 7-3, thanks to a maximum for Robbie Greenfield.

A treble from Phil Nearthway could not prevent Abingdon D losing to Moreton E in Division 5.

Results

Div 1: Moreton A 4 (C Lane 3), Marlborough C 6; Marlborough A 9 (N Taylor 3, A Noke 3), Marlborough D 1; Letcombe A 4 (R Taylor 3), Drayton A 6; RAL B 0, RAL A 10 (K Bushell 3, C Lansley 3, C Smith 3); Upton 0, Marlborough B 10 (J Barclay 3, P Haycock 3, J Lovelock 3).

Div 2: Moreton B 10 (I Wu 3, T Raby 3, J Goldsby-West 3), Drayton B 0; Moreton C 3, Sutton A 7 (T Elford 3, C Noys 3); Wallingford A 3, Drayton C 7 (J Gould 3).

Div 3: Marlborough E 7 (M Kay 3), Grove A 3; Hanney A 7 (A Anstis 3), Wallingford B 3; Letcombe B 7 (D Vale 3), Abingdon C 3.

Div 4: Marlborough F 7 (L Sheppard 3), Moreton D 3; Marlborough G 10 (P Sinclair 3, S Cobrin 3, L Johnson 3), Letcombe C 0; Drayton F 7 (R Greenfield 3), Drayton E 3.

Div 5: Hanney B 4, Sandford B 6 (C Williams 3); Abingdon D 4 (P Netherway 3), Moreton E 6.