Pairs Competitons Report

REPORT FROM PAIRS COMPETITION PLAYED ON WEDNESDAY 19TH JUNE

Last years Oxford Pairs winners Kevin Baker & Philip Adams from The Cricketers ‘B’ just scrapped through to this years Semi-finals after a tough couple of rounds. They beat Dave Leoplold and Simon Somerscales from The Black Prince in the first round 2-0. After winning the first leg they had to rely on a three stick shoot out in the next leg after it was tied 7-7. In the Quarter Finals they were pushed all the way by The Red Lion Eynsham pairing of Mick Berry and Eddie Lacey. The opening leg went to the holders 6-5, however in the next leg they set seven which Berry and Lacey matched which they then went on to win the leg on three sticks 4-3. The final and deciding leg Baker with five and Adams with four set nine. Berry responded with a five but Lacey just fell short with a hit of three which left them with a reply of eight.
In the 2nd round Berry followed up his maximum six in the first round as he clanged off another as they overcame Ken Maunder and Trevor Greenaway from Garsington Sports Club 2-1, for whom Maunder also hit a six in the scores of 8-7, 6-7, 6-5.
Last years runners up Kevin Giles and Paul Townsend (Three Pigeons) almost crashed out in the first round as they just got the better over Kevin Stuart and Brian Mossop from Rose Hill Club. The Rose Hill pair chasing a set of seven won the opening leg by the odd doll with eight. Stuart and Mossop then set nine in the next leg and must have thought that would be enough, however Townsend started of the reply with a maximum six and Giles whipped off four dolls to win the leg and keep the tie alive. The Rose Hill Pair set six but Giles hit the winning dolls again as he whipped off the three dolls needed to win the leg 7-6.
In the Quarter finals they had an easier ride beating the Team Monarch pair of Tony & Keith Bull 4-3, 9-4.
Alan Goodgame and Alan Surman made it though to their first Semi-final appearance without dropping a leg. They beat Liam & Luke Purcell from Rose Hill Club in the first round 8-5, 6-5 and then brushed aside Ian & Darren Grant from The Black Prince 9-5, 8-6 with Goodgame bagging himself a six in the process.
In the Quarter Final the Garsington Sports pairing of Garry Smith and Tommy Recht also could not win a leg against them as the went down 9-4, 7-6.
The final semi-finalists are brothers Barry and Geoff Townsend from The Cricketers ‘B’. They overcame team mates Pip Goulding and Den Sellar in the second round 7-6, 7-6 and then came up against Graham Hambridge and Gary Coulthard from The Bullnose Morris, who shocked the Cricketers pair by winning the opening leg 7-6. The Townsend’s them composed themselves as they won the next two legs and tie 5-4, 8-2.

In The Lower Section Pairs Phil Wilkins and Chris Webb from The Six Bells ‘B’ Quarry battled their way through to the Semi-Finals after some tough games. In the first round Wilkins and Webb were drawn against Alan Prince and Tony Comley from The New Club ‘B’ and with two sets of 3 & 2 Webb didn’t need to throw as Wilkins hit the winning dolls on his own with 4 & 3. In the next round against Steve Ward and Phil Shrimpton also from The New Club, Wilkins and Webb won the opening leg 4-3, but the next leg it was tied 9-9. Three sticks and one stick shoot outs could not separate them and so back to six sticks which they won by the odd doll 7-6.
In the Quarter finals they beat team mates Andy Webb and Terry Cox 2-0. They won the first leg 6-3 but the next leg was tied 8-8. In the three sticks they set a maximum six which was just enough as Webb and Cox replied with five.
Clive Walsh and Nick Edmonds from Kidlington Sports Club are also into the Semi’s as they beat Paul Sims and James Mayhew from The Bullnose ‘B’ 2-0 in the first round. They then beat Andy George and Dale Macer also from The Bullnose 2-0 before beating Elliott and Craig Greenough in the Quarter-final in a close contest. The first two legs were shared 5-4, 5-4. The deciding leg was tied 5-5 with the Club men winning it on three sticks 4-3.
Ben Green & Paul Alder beat Kevin Richardson and Kevin Smith from North Oxford Con Club 2-1 in a tense Quarter Final to give them their first Semi-final appearance and Barry & John Gilding from The New Club ‘B’ make up the quartet in the Semi-finals

Teams in Section Six please not that The Priory has now closed and they will play all their remaining home games at The Jolly Postboys, Florence Park.

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