The Cricketers Arms, Oxford

I was the only customer in the Cricketers Arms when I walked in mid afternoon on a recent Tuesday afternoon, however a couple of locals did come in midway through my short stay. There’s a central bar area with a serving counter along the rear wall that faces high tables, a dartboard, a jukebox and a television that was playing Tenable with sound. Standard keg was available alongside Birra Moretti and two hand pumps, one of which was in operation drawing GK Old Speckled Hen. To the right, on the other side of an exposed brick fireplace, is a small banquette seating area with a second dartboard. To the left of the bar is a pool table and at the rear is access to a large beer garden where decking leads down to a grass covered area with picnic tables and a tyre swing that hangs from a tree by the rear fence. This pub is actually located next to a garage that does tyre repairs, and all the noise that brings. I thought this was one of the better pubs in this area, which isn’t a huge accolade.

Another Greene King backwater pub, the Cricketers is marginally more accessible and better in general than the nearby Prince of Wales. The floor is either bare boarded or swaddled with striped carpet. The colour scheme is a mix of grey wainscoting, then white or claret paint with bare brick fireplaces. Furniture is broadly traditional, normal height or tall, with some claret-coloured studded banquette seating. There are ugly games machines and barely audible music, outgunned by utterly unnecessary ITN news on at least one TV, though thankfully not the witless, sensationalist shark documentary showing at the PoW up the road. There’s pretty much nothing in the way of décor, aside from some jingoistic bunting and ‘Happy 70th’ melamine balloons, all of which should have come down at least two weeks ago. Customers were young and local, though few in number for a Thursday evening visit. There’s little joy to be had here on the ale front, with just an unused pump then OSH, me opting for a half of Guinness (£2.35), served by a barmaid of varying temperament. This is another lost cause of an Oxford pub, which could really be a bit of a cracker in the right hands, but is sadly wasted under GK’s stewardship. Rated 4.5.

A tidy old-school suburban pub with pool and darts. It feels like a 1990s sort of refurb, with tedious decor including the pervasive olive green. Still just the Old Speckled Hen on draught.

Side street GK pub which looks like it might have been fairly pleasant many years ago. Pretty basic interior, two rooms with a pool table and darts off left and a larger main bar on the right with the pervasive smell of old fags ingrained as if the smoking ban only happened last month rather than 15 years ago. Gaudy colours, the baby poo green bar being a lowlight. On a bright sunny day the interior was rather gloomy. One ale on, a fair GK OSH (NBSS 3). Needs lightening and brightening up, otherwise I wonder whether it'll see out the decade.

Just off the very top of the beginning of Oxford's Cowley Road, this is a large 30s-style GK-owned pub with a surprisingly small interior. An 'up-front' car park has a small door to the left leading to a main bar area on the right and a pool room dead ahead. GK IPA and Hook Norton Greedy Goose (£1.75 a half) were the two ales available (a third was unclipped). Massively local, and it was only when I left that I remembered about The Nelson's closure in nearby Cowley centre a few years ago.

Official site of Cricketers Arms - www.cricketersarmsoxford.com