Pairs Report

REPORT FROM GAMES PLAYED ON WEDNESDAY 25th JUNE

It was pairs competition week and in the Oxford Pairs played at four different venues, Alan Surman & Ady Cross, Roger Goodall & Dick Walsh (Six Bells ‘C’ Kidlington), Kevin Giles & Neil Lyon (Three Pigeons) and John Horton & Robert Taylor (New Club ‘A’) all battled their way through to the semi-finals.
In the first round Surman and Cross (Six Bells) won the first leg against Simon Summerscales & David Leopold (Black Prince) 5-4. The next leg The Black Prince levelled after setting with seven, which proved to be enough as Surman and Cross fell one short with six. The final and deciding leg they were only set a score of four which they passed with ease, Surman knocking off four and Cross hitting the winning doll with his first stick.
Goodall & Walsh had a comfortable win as only John Greenaway turned up from the Red Lion ‘A’ Eynsham pairing, winning both legs 4-3, 4-3.
Taylor & Horton had a tough battle against Geoff & Barry Townsend from The Cricketers ‘B’. They lost the opening leg 7-5 with Barry Townsend bagging himself a maximum six. The next leg Taylor & Horton had to rely on a one stick shoot-out after six sticks (7-7) three sticks (2-2) were tied, winning it 2-1 on the one stick leg. The final and deciding leg Taylor led with a six and Horton followed up with four to give a total of ten which proved too strong for the Townsend brothers.
Kevin Giles and Neil Lyon (Three Pigeons) had a comfortable first round win against Colin Barrett & Colin Richardson (Chequers ‘A’) winning both legs 7-4 & 10-3 with Giles hitting a six in the second leg.

In the second round Surman & Cross had a comfortable 2-0 win over Ken Maunder & Trevor Greenaway (Garsington Sports Club) winning both legs 9-4 & 5-4.
Taylor & Horton won their opening leg against the Gladiator ‘A’ pairing of Chris Jenkins & Dennis Butler. After winning the first leg 7-6 they then set the next leg and Taylor got the New Club pair off with a maximum six, Horton following up with a three to give a total of nine. This proved too strong for Jenkins & Butler.
Chasing a set of seven from Alan Holt & Ian Grant from The Black Prince, Goodall went in with a maximum six with Walsh hitting the two dolls needed to give them an early lead. Two fours in the next leg gave them a total of eight, which proved to be just enough as the Black Prince pair fell just one short with seven.
Giles & Lyon have a tough game against Rob Bradford & Pete Shepherd (Ampleforth Arms ‘A’) and could have quite easily have been knocked out. In the first leg Bradford hit a six and partner Shepherd followed up with a five to give a massive set of eleven which proved too strong for the Pigeons pair. Giles & Lyon levelled in the next leg on three sticks after it was tied 6-6. The final leg Bradford & Shepherd set seven and in reply a good five from Giles left Lyon to whip of the three dolls needed to take the leg and tie.

The Quarter Finals saw Surman & Cross come up against Steve Greenough and Billy Trinder from Garsington Sports ‘A’ and they set a tough score of nine, with Surman hitting five and Cross four. Greenough and Trinder getting nowhere near in reply and then they could only set five in the next leg. In reply Surman smashed off all six to take them through to the semi-finals.
Taylor & Horton had a battle against Paul Townsend & Eddie Edwards from The Three Pigeons. They set and won the opening leg by the odd doll 7-6 and then two fours from Townsend & Edwards in the second leg was put up on the board. In reply five from Taylor and three from Horton levelled to send it to three sticks which was also tied 3-3. One stick shoot-out could not separate them so it was back to six sticks which The Three Pigeons pair set with six. Taylor replied with three and the Horton clanged off the four dolls needed to win the leg and game.
Goodall and Walsh won their opening leg 6-5 against the Red Lion Eynsham pair of Lee Thompson and Terry Stuart in a close leg. The next leg Thompson and Stuart both hit four apiece to give a tough total of eight. Goodall got the reply of to a good start with four then Walsh sealed victory clanging off the five dolls needed to win the leg and game.
Kevin Giles & Neil Lyon took on Ray Townsend & Robin Busby (Six Bells ‘C’ Kidlington) and dispatched them 2-0 winning both legs 7-6, 8-6.






In The Lower Section Pairs Ian Sharp and Dave Fry from The Pheasant Inn ‘A’ and Roger Alder & Rory Mangan from Chequers ‘C’ made it through to the final. Ian Sharp was in sensational form in the semi-final against Brian Reidy & Steve Jessop (Golden Ball) as he clanged of seventeen dolls (6-6-5). They lost the opening leg 8-7 but drew level in the next leg 9-4. The final and deciding leg went to Sharp & Fry 9-6.
In the earlier rounds they beat Wayne Grey & Jamie Smith (Donnington Club ‘A’) 2-1 and then Ken Hindle & Ren Gemmel (Crooked Pot) 2-0. They had to come from behind to beat the North Oxford Con Club pair Kevin Smith & Mick Richardson 2-1.
Roger Alder & Rory Mangan lost the opening leg in their first round game against Ross Harvey & Dave Soanes (Donnington Club ‘C’) on three sticks but won the next two legs 6-5, 4-3.
The next round they had a comfortable 2-0 win against Dean Plumstead & Martin Coulthard (Florence Park ‘B’) and in the Quarter Finals beat team mates Ady Green & Joe Green 2-0.
In the Semi-final against Chris & Richard Lee (Pheasant Inn ‘A’) they needed a three stick shoot-out to win the opening leg after it was tied 3-3 and then won the second leg 5-4 to take them through to the final.




Sixes
I.Sharp (2) (Pheasant Inn ‘A’) R.Taylor (2) (New Club ‘A’) L.Thompson (Red Lion ‘A’ Eynsham) R.Townsend, A.Surman, R.Goodall (Six Bells ‘C’ Kidlington)
B.Townsend (Cricketers ‘B’) K.Giles (Three Pigeons) R.Bradford (Ampleforth Arms ‘A’)

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