CaskForce winner is hit for six

Licensee Tony Viney and manager Stewart Traynor were bowled over when they were named CaskForce December draw winners.

The pair have won £4,000-worth of support for their pub, the Bat & Ball in Cuddesdon, Oxford.

The CaskForce lottery aims to improve beer standards in UK pubs and Viney will now be entered into the grand draw in June, where the winner will have their pub's rent paid for a year.

Viney keeps three cask ales on the bar and describes his Union Pub Company outlet as an island of Pedigree in a sea of mediocre beers. He said: "We definitely have customers who seek out Marston's Pedigree and since we invested in Auto Stillage last year our beer quality has been fantastic."

Viney has spent 22 years in the trade and used to run six pubs under the company name Traditional Village Inns before moving to the Bat & Ball.

He was hit for six when he found out he had won. "I never win anything and was only just telling Stewart about the importance of entering the numbers as 'you never know'. What a wonderful start to the New Year," said Viney.

Hosts get one chance to enter for every nine gallons of Marston's ale they order - the more you order, the more entries you get. To register, call 0800 028 1969 or visit www.caskforce.co.uk. Closing date for February's draw is 7 March.