Pairs Report

REPORT FROM GAMES PLAYED ON WEDNESDAY 17th JUNE

It was pairs competition week and in the Oxford Pairs played at four different venues down to the winner there will be a new pair on the trophy as Keith Powell & Terry Stuart (Red Lion \\\'A\\\' Eynsham) Pete Sellar & Matthew Arnold (Crown ) Paul Townsend & Neil Lyon (Black Prince ‘B’) Rob Bradford & Pete Shepherd (Ampleforth Arms ‘A’) battled their way through to the semi-finals and have never won the competition.
Pete Sellar & Matthew Arnold from The Crown Chalgrove in Section 3 were the surprise semi-finalists. They opened up with a comfortable 2-0 win, played at The Black Swan, over Dennis Butler & Chris Jenkins from The Gladiators, 5-2, 5-4.
The next round was a lot tougher against the pair from The Six Bells Kidlington Roger Goodall and Dick Walsh. They won the opening leg 6-5 and then set six in the next leg. In reply Walsh could only muster up a one leaving Goodall to hit a maximum six to win the leg and he did not disappoint to level the tie. The final and deciding leg Walsh & Goodall set seven and in reply Sellar clanged off a six to leave partner Arnold to whip off the two dolls needed to win the game.
In the final game they defeated Steve Greenough and Billy Trinder (Garsington Sports ‘A’ ) 2-0. Chasing two sets of 4 & 5 they replied with 5 & 6.

At The Black Prince, Keith Powell and Terry Stuart from The Red Lion Eynsham had to come from behind in their opening round against Darren Cox and Keith Bull (Florence Park ‘A’). They lost the opening leg 7-3 and then levelled in the next leg 6-2. The deciding leg Cox & Bull set seven and in reply Powell clanged off five leaving Stuart to hit the three dolls needed to win the tie.
In the next round they disposed of last seasons Lower Section winners Roger Alder & Rory Mangan (Chequers ‘C’) 2-0.
They then had a hard battle in the next round against Pete Rampton & Steve Ward (Six Bells Kidlington). They set and won the first leg 9-5 and then set 9 in the next leg which Rampton & Ward matched. Powell & Stuart set with three in the three sticks, which was not quite enough as the Six Bells pair hit four in reply. The deciding leg Rampton & Ward set with six, and in reply Powell hit four and Stuart three to send them through.
In the final game they came up against Jon Townsend & Dave Gardiner (Six Bells ‘C’ Kidlington) and set and won the opening leg 9-2. The next leg Townsend and Gardiner levelled on three sticks after it was tied 5-5. The final leg Powell & Stuart won it with seven after chasing a set of six.

Paul Townsend & Neil Lyon (Black Prince ‘B’) won at The Six Bells Kidlington. They brushed aside Pip Goulding & Richard Wright (New Club ‘A’) 2-0 in the early round and then just got the better over Kevin Baker & Geoff Townsend (The Gladiators) 2-1. First leg went to Baker & Townsend on three sticks after it was tied 8-8. The Black Prince pair levelled in the next leg 8-5 and then set ten in the final leg which was too much for the Glad’s pair.
In the final game they were up against team mates Darren Grant & Mick Phipps who took the opening leg 7-6. Townsend & Lyon reversed the scores in the next leg to level. The final leg they set with two fives which was more than enough to see them through.

Pete Shepherd & Rob Bradford make up the last of the semi-finalists after winning at The Red Lion Eynsham.
Opening game pitted them against Ray Grant & Paul Bennett (The Woodman) where they went behind in the first leg 7-6. A six from Shepherd in the next leg helped them to set 9 and win the leg. The final leg chasing a set of five they scrapped though by the odd doll with six.
The next round they had to rely on a three stick shoot out after it was tied 7-7 against Josh Breakspear and Dave Green (Chequers ‘C’), then wrapped up the game in the next leg 4-3.
The final game saw them ease through against brothers Barry & Martin Ruffels (Garsington Sports ‘A’) 7-3 & 7-6.
The Ruffels brothers were involved in the highest leg of the tournament when the pair from Black Prince ‘A’ Graham Wilsdon (6) and Phil Austin (5) set 11. Ruffles lost that one but went on to win the next two.



LOWER SECTION PAIRS

In the lower section pairs played at two venues down to the winners, Eamon Hanlon & Mark Burke (Black Swan) won at the The Blackbird. They had an easy opening win against Bob Shepherd & John Cleaton (King & Queen) 2-0 and the same in the next round against Jamie Smith & Wayne Grey (Donnington Club ‘A’).
However the final game against Mick Rowe & Terry Weller (North Oxford Con Club) was an epic. The North Oxford pair set every leg played, and in the opening leg six sticks was tied 3-3. A three stick shoot out could not separate them nor could one stick, so it was back to six sticks that Hanlon & Burke won 5-4.
In the next leg was the same, six sticks was tied 4-4, as was three and one stick, winning it back on six sticks 4-3.
They will play Ian & David Bowler (Littlemore British Legion) in the final after they won at The Bullnose Morris.
In the first round they beat Steve Buckle and Yorkie Finney (The Blackbird) 2-0 and was then drawn against Wayne Townsend & Marcus Copelin (Red Lion Cassington). They lost the opening leg 5-4 and won the next leg on one stick after six and three sticks were tied. A set of six in the final leg saw them though.
The last game they won the first leg 7-6 against Tony O’Brien & Trevor Jones (Black Swan) and lost the next on three sticks. Chasing a set of five in the final leg, two scores of three apiece saw them through to the final to be played on Friday 16th October at The Kassam Staduim.



SIXERS
J.Townsend, R.Goodall (Six Bells ‘C’ Kidlington) G.Smith (Garsington Sports ‘A’) P.Sellar (The Crown)
P.Shepherd (Ampleforth Arms ‘A’) G.Wildson (Black Prince ‘A’)

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