Singles Competitons Report

REPORT FROM MATCHES PLAYED ON WEDNESDAY 25th JULY

Last years Oxford singles winner Neil Lyon from The Three Pigeons crashed out in the first round this year to Mick Berry from The Red Lion Eynsham in a close contest. The first leg was a marathon as it was first tied 3-3, three sticks, one stick and back to six could not separate them until finally in the second three stick shoot out Lyon won it three to one. Berry levelled in the next leg 5-2 and then won the tie in the deciding leg 4-3.
Last years runner up Steve Ward from The Six Bells Kidlington faired better has he battled his way to the semi-finals. In the first round he beat team mate Andy Beal 2-0. Beal set four in the opening leg but Ward clanged off five dolls to take the leg. Beal then set four again in the second leg and this time Ward hit four to tie the leg. Beal set two in the three sticks but once again Ward was up to the task and clanged off all three dolls to win the tie. In the quarter finals he beat Kevin Giles (Three Pigeons) 2-1, with the final leg going to three sticks which Ward won 2-1.
Ten times winner Philip Adams (Cricketers ‘B’) had some tough games on his way to the semi’s. In the early round he faced Keith Weller (Gladiators’A’) and after winning the first leg Adams was set four in the next, which he equalled. Weller then set two in the three sticks but Adams whipped off all three to claim the leg and tie. In the next round two scores of five saw off Alan Goodgame (Six Bells Kidlington) and in the Quarter finals he was up against team mate Barry Townsend who set and won the opening leg with five. Adams then won the next leg 5-4 and in the final and deciding leg Adams set four which proved too strong for Townsend.
Kevin Baker (Cricketers ‘B’) also battled his way to the semis with some hard fought games. In the opening round he just got the better over Tommy Recht (Garsington Sports) 2-1 with the final leg going to three sticks. He then saw off Dick Walsh (Six Bells Kidlington) and Mick Phipps (Three Pigeons) 2-0 to progress to the Quarter’s against Eddie Edwards (Three Pigeons). Baker won the opening leg 5-3 but Edwards fought back in the second leg taking it on a second throw of six sticks after the three and one stick shoot outs were tied. The final and deciding leg Baker set five which proved to be enough to send him through.
The final semi-finalist produced a shock as Keith Bull (Team Monarch) from Section 3 knocked out three premier and one section One players on the way. In the first round he saw off Dave Townsend (Three Pigeons) 2-0 then beat Den Butler (Gladiators ‘A’) 2-0. It was much closer in the next round as he just got the better over Pete Rampton (Six Bells Kidlington) 2-1. In a tense Quarter Final he beat Keith Powell (Red Lion Eynsham) 2-1.

In the Ted Houghton Singles for players from Section 4-11 Peter Sellar (Crown Chalgrove) made it through to the final. In the first round against Marc Joines (Donnington Club ‘C’) the first two legs went to three sticks with both players taking a leg each. In the deciding leg Sellar set four with Joines matching it. They both scored two in the three sticks before Sellar sealed victory in the one stick shoot 1-0.
He will be joined in the final with John Lucin from Donnington Club ‘C’ who beat Ken Bradbury (Cricketers ‘A) in the Semi- finals 2-0. Lucin won the first leg 3-2 and then set three in the next leg. Bradbury matched that and three and one stick could not separate them. Back to six sticks and Lucin set five which was just enough as Bradbury fell one short with a reply of four.

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