Singles Competition Report

REPORT FROM SINGLES COMPETITION PLAYED ON WEDNESDAY 24TH JULY and SEMI-FINALS PLAYED ON MONDAY SEPTEMBER 2nd

Holder and eleven times singles champion Philip Adams from The Cricketers ‘B’ battled his way through to this years Semi-finals with a scare on the way. In the first round he deposed of Pete Dempsey from The Three Pigeons 2-0 (4-3, 4-2) and then Mick Berry from The Red Lion Eynsham 2-0 (3-0, 4-3). In the Quarter final he faced Keith Bull from Team Monarch who set four in the opening leg. Adams replied with four himself and won the leg on three sticks 1-0. The next leg Adams set four but Bull clanged off five dolls to level the game. This startled Adams into action and he whipped off a maximum six in the final leg which Bull could not match. In the earlier round Bull had seen off Den Sellar from The Cricketers ‘B’ 2-1. With the tie level at 1-1 Bull had to rely on one stick shootout after six and three sticks throws were tied.

Joining Adams in the Semi will be Andy Beal from The Six Bells ‘C’ Kidlington who did not drop a leg on the way. He beat Paul Townsend from The Three Pigeons 2-1 (3-2, 3-2) and then disposed of three times winner Neil Lyon also from The Three Pigeons 2-1. Beal won the opening leg on three sticks after it was tied 3-3 and then won the next leg with four dolls after chasing a set of three by Lyon.
In the Quarter finals he was up against Billy Trinder from Garsington Sports Club who previously had a tough game against team mate Steve Greenough. Trinder lost the opening leg on three sticks after it was tied 3-3, and then Greenough set four in the next leg. Trinder won the leg with five hitting the winning doll with his last stick. The final and deciding leg Greenough set four which Trinder matched and in the three sticks Greenough set two but Trinder excelled and clanged of all three to win the tie.
He then beat John Horton from The New Club 2-1 and now faced Beal in the Quarter finals. The opening leg was an epic as Trinder setting in all throws hit four which Beal matched. Three sticks were tied as was one stick and back to six was also tied. Trinder then set two in the second three stick shoot out, however Beal was up to the task and clanged off all three dolls to win the leg. The next leg Beal set five which was more than enough as Trinder missed with his first and third stick to give Beal victory.

Kevin Giles from The Three Pigeons will join them but he had a tougher journey to the semis. After beating Tom Recht from Garsington Sports 2-0 he was drawn against Lee Thompson from The Red Lion Eynsham. Giles won the opening leg 4-3 and then set three in the next leg which Thompson passed with four to level the tie. The final leg Giles set four and in reply Thompson fell just one short with three.
In the Quarter final Gary Coulthard from The Bullnose Morris took him all the way. Giles set four in the first leg but Coulthard shocked everyone by clanging off five dolls to win the leg. He then set three in the next leg which Giles won with four. In the deciding leg Coulthard set again with three, but it was not enough as once again Giles hit four to win the leg and tie.
In an earlier round Coulthard had a battle against team mate Dave Simms as he had to come from behind to win. The opening leg Simms won on three sticks with Coulthard winning the next leg 4-3 and the final leg on three sticks after it was tied 4-4.

Barry Townsend from The Cricketers ‘B’ makes up the quartet. In the first round he banged in a maximum six against Eddie Lacey from The Red Lion Eynsham to win the opening leg. Lacey levelled in the next leg 4-1 but could only set two in the final leg which Townsend passed with ease. He then only just got past Darren Cox from Team Monarch in a very close contest. Townsend set five which Cox matched. Three and one stick shootouts could not separate them with Townsend eventually winning the leg back on six sticks. Cox then set three in the second leg, and again this was tied. Cox then set two in the three sticks but Townsend whipped off all three dolls to win the leg and tie. He did not drop a leg after that beating Graham Hambridge from The Bullnose Morris 2-0 (4-3, 3-2) and then Eddie Edwards from The Three Pigeons 2-0 (4-3, 4-2).

MAIN SEMI-FINALS
In the main Semi-finals Philip Adams beat Andy Beal 2-1. Beal set three in the opening leg with Adams hitting four the winning stick coming from his last stick. Adams then set 4 in the next leg which Beal matched. Beal then won the leg on three sticks after Adams failed to trouble the doll. The final leg Beal set, and after whipping off the first three dolls,he could only manage one more with his last three sticks and ended up with four. Adams missed with his first stick in reply and then clanged off the next five to win the leg and game.
In the other Semi-final Kevin Giles set 5 in the opening leg, but Barry Townsend in reply whipped of all six to take an early lead. Giles set the next two legs with 5 & 4 which was more than enough as Townsend struggled to get near them.

In the Ted Houghton Cup for players from Section 4 down Chris Webb (Six Bells ‘B’ Quarry ) and Brian Reidy (The Priory) battled their way to the final.
Webb beat Fred Morton (North Oxford con Club) 2-0 (4-3, 4-2) and then beat Craig Greenough (Original Swan ‘A’) in a close game. The opening leg had to be decided on one stick after six and three sticks were tied. Webb then won the next leg 3-2 to put him into his first singles final.
Brian Reidy will also contest his first final after beating Mick Richardson (North Oxford Con Club) 2-1 and then Barry Gilding (New Club ‘B’) 2-1.

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