Report pairs 23rd June

The league games took a rest as it was Pairs competition time and last years Winners & Runners up were both knocked out in the early stages. Played at four different venues down to the finalist at each, holders Steve Ward and Pete Rampton from The Six Bells Kidlington were playing at Kidlington Sports Club,and had a bye in the first round and then were drawn against Dave Townsend & Mick Phipps in the semi from The Three Pigeons. Poor throwing from the holders saw them crash out 2-0. Losing the first leg 8-5 they never really recovered and only set four in the next leg which Townsend & Phipps passed with ease.
Ivor Clarke & Kevin Baker from the Cricketers battled their way to the final beating Tony Comley and Alan Prince in the first round 2-0 and then easing past Alan Goodgame and Ady Cross from The Six Bells 2-0.
In the final Baker & Clarke won the opening leg 7-6 and then set eleven in the next leg with Clarke hitting the six. Needing all twelve sticks to win the leg Phipps missed with his first stick and it was all over leaving Baker & Clarke to progres to the main Semi-Finals.

At The Ampleforth Arms last years runners up Phil Wilkins & John Townsend crashed out in the first round to the pair from The Three Pigeons Neil Lyon & Paul Townsend. They lost the first leg 7-5 and was then set ten in the next leg with Lyon hitting a six. Wilkins replied with a four leaving partner Townsend six to tie the leg. It proved to much as he missed with his first stick. There was a repeat of the 2008 final as Pip Goulding & Den Seller from the Cricketers were drawn against Andy Beal & Roger Goodall from The Six Bells Kidlington. The first leg was tied 7-7 with Beal & Goodall winning it on three sticks with a set of five. The next leg Cricketers set six and with Goodall starting of with a five Beal clanged of his first two sticks to take the leg and match and gain revenge. Steve Walton & Francis Hiller from The George hit two nines in their opening game against Keith Powell & Martin Herbert from The Red Lion Eynsham who could not match it and went out 2-0.
In the first semi Hillier & Walton had a comfortable win against Lyon & Townsend 2-0. In the second Semi Tommy Recht & Steve Greenough from Garsington Sports won the opening leg 8-7 against Beal & Goodall and then set seven in the next leg. Goodall hit three leaving Beal to whip of the four dolls to level the game. In the final leg Recht & Greenough could only muster up a set of six and with Goodall starting of with a five it left Beal to knock of the one stick to put them through to the final. In the final Beal & Goodall set eight in the opening leg which was enough as Walton & Hillier fell two dolls short. The George pair then set six in the next leg but with Goodall hitting his third five of the night it was left to Beal to whip of the two dolls needed to put them through to the main semi-finals.

At The Quarry Gate the final was contested between Kevin Giles & Dave Sawyer from The George and Pete Coates & Mick Berry from The Red Lion Eynsham. The George pair saw off Martin Bailey & Ian Houghton from The Red Lion Brill in the first round 2-0 and then just got the better over Pete Dempsey and Eddie Edwards from The Three Pigeons 2-0 with both legs being decided on three sticks. Berry & Coates needed three legs to beat The Cricketers pair of Barry & Geoff Towsnend 2-1. They then beat Robin Busby & Ray Townsend from The Squire Bassett, again over three legs 2-1. In the Final Coates and Berry won the first leg with a set of seven. Giles & Sawyer levelled in the next leg with a set of eight and in the deciding leg they set ten which proved to much for Coates & Berry. Elaine May from The Gladiators bagged herself a six in the early round against Dempsey & Edwards but still lost 2-1.

At Florence Park Club Den Butler & Willy Waite met Dick Walsh & Ian Grant from The Six Bells Kidlington in the final. A close contest saw The George pair through 2-1 to complete the semi-final line up.

In the Lower Pairs competition played at two locations and played down to the final Phil Hounslow & Colin Richardson from The Chequers beat Glyn Millard & Alan Gardnier from The Fairview Inn to progress to the main final while Keith Bull & Darren Cox beat Dave Simms & Jeff Cox from The Ampleforth Arms to also progress to the main final.

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