Week 8

Games played Wednesday 22nd June

The Swan A move level top of the Premiership after coming away from The Black Prince with maximum points. Led by Lee Thompson (5-4-5) and Mick Berry (5-6-3) with fourteen dolls apiece they won the opening leg 26-21. Black Prince set the next leg with 26 and after a steady reply from The Swan, anchor man Keith Powell whipped off the three dolls needed to win the leg with 27. The Swan wrapped up victory in the final leg 28-23.
Joint leaders The Gladiators A dropped a point at home to Garsington Sports Club A. They comfortably won the first leg 27-22 but chasing a set of 26 in the next leg they fell two dolls short. The final and deciding leg Garsington set a respectable 27 but The Glad’s were up to the challenge and passed the target with a reply of 30. Kevin Giles with fourteen dolls (5-4-5) top scored for The Gladiators while Barry Ruffels bagged himself a six in his thirteen doll haul (6-2-5) for Garsington.
Section One basement boys Six Bells A Quarry shocked Premier contenders The New Club A with a 2-1 away win. They were unlucky not to take all three legs after racing into a 2-0 lead 24-23, 26-19 the last leg was tied 25-25. New Club redeemed themselves with a set of sixteen in the three sticks which Six Bells couldn’t get near. Mick Holton threw well for The Bells with a dozen dolls (5-3-4).
Two scores of thirteen by Luke Purcell (4-5-4) and James Morrison (6-4-3) for The George A ensured they came away from The Woodman with a well deserved 2-1 win. Damage was done in the first two legs which the George won 29-22, 23-21. Woodman grabbed a point in the final leg by the odd doll 24-23. Jeff Glenister was top dog for The Woodman with a baker’s dozen (4-3-6).

Six Bells D Kidlington take a one point lead at the top of Section 2 after a 3-0 win at Donnington Club D. Pete Rampton with a dozen dolls (4-4-4) led the way as they won all three legs 20-17, 19-17, 23-15.
The Swan B are hot on their tail but dropped a leg at home to The Gladiators B and were lucky it wasn’t two. The Swan set nineteen in the opening leg and in reply The Glad’s started off well leaving their last five players just ten to win, but they failed miserably and could only muster up seven between them to fall two dolls short. Swan went to town in the next leg easily winning it 28-20, however The Glad’s did regroup and won the last leg by the smallest of margins 21-20. Mark Hewitson was in top form for The Swan with fourteen dolls (4-4-6).
Martin Castle on his 65th birthday clanged off a six in his ten doll total for The Six Bells A Kidlington in their 3-0 home win over North Oxford Con Club B. It was a fairly easy night for The Bells winning all three legs 18-11, 25-15, 22-14.
The Crown scored more dolls then their visitors Queens Head (65-61) but it could not prevent them from losing 2-1. Queens Head won the opening leg by one doll 24-23 and then The Crown levelling in the next leg 22-15. Queens winning the deciding third leg 22-20.

Masons Arms A propping up the rest in Section 3 pulled off a shock be beating title contenders Florence Park A 3-0 at home, however they still remain rooted at the bottom. They set and won the opening leg 19-18 and then made it 2-0 in the next leg 24-17. The final leg was tied 22-22 with The Masons winning it on three sticks. Mick Walsh hit a steady 4-4-4 for The Masons.

Only five points separate nine teams in Section 4 and The Three Horseshoes is one of the quartet that share top spot. After 50 years of playing The Three Horseshoes Damien Faulkner finally hit a maximum six, he achieved this in the opening leg which the Shoes lost 13-12 to Green Road Club B. They rallied well in the next two legs winning them 15-13, 17-15.
Donnington Club A and Red Lion A Marston also share top spot after The Lion beat their hosts 2-1 in a close contest. Red Lion could only set twelve in the first leg but it proved to be enough as Donnington replied with a measly ten. Donnington set the next leg with fourteen but this was not enough with The Lion roaring past it with sixteen. Going into the final leg and The Lion looking for maximum points they set twenty. In reply Donnington left anchor man Brian Simpson five to win and he almost succeeded falling one short with four which tied the leg. Donnington went onto win the three stick shootout to give them a point.

The Black Swan continue to rule the roost in Section 5 with a convincing 3-0 win over North Oxford Con Club A. Eamon Hanalon with thirteen dolls (5-4-4) led the way as they won all three legs 21-11, 18-12, 18-10.
Red Lion B Old Marston finally got a win under their belt after they won at home to Red Lion Yarnton. It was not looking good for them after the opening leg which they lost 16-13, but they came back well to win the next two legs 17-11, 13-11 to secure their first victory.
It was close in the game between Six Bells B Quarry and Rose Hill Club A with two of the three legs having to be decided on three sticks. The first leg was tied 18-18 with The Six Bells wining it on three sticks. Rose Hill levelled in the next leg 17-14 with the final leg tied 15-15. Once again Six Bells won it on three sticks to give them the victory 2-1.

Vikings Sports D lead Section 6 after defeating one of their closest rivals White Hart A 2-1. They had no trouble winning the first two legs 11-8, 19-14. They couldn’t make it a maximum win in the final leg as White Hart won it 21-17.
Pheasant Inn had a good win away at Rose Hill Club B. Dave Morris hit eleven dolls (5-2-4) for The Pheasant as they won the first two legs 17-12, 18-14. Rose Hill grabbed a point in the final leg 19-15.

In Section 7 Green Road Club A inflicted Northway Club A first defeat of the season with a 2-1 home win. It was all over after the first two legs 15-14, 15-12 before Northway won the final leg 16-14.

Section 8 leaders Black Horse suffered their second loss of the season at home to Golden Ball B. With the game nicely poised at 1-1 Black Horse set the deciding leg with thirteen, which proved to be nowhere near enough with Golden Ball flying past that with nineteen.
Democrats B shocked unbeaten visitors Red Lion A Cassington by defeating them 2-1. They had to ocme from behind after they lost the opening leg 16-10 they then went on to win the next two legs 11-8, 13-10. Bob Heavens was in top form with a dozen dolls (4-4-4) for The Democrats.
White Hart Wytham are still seeking their first win after suffering a heavy defeat at The Cricketers Littleworth who won all three legs at a canter 16-6, 15-8, 17-10.

The runaway leaders in Section 9 Bletchingdon Sports Club and Golden Ball A both had comfortable 3-0 wins against Kings Arms and Headington Con Club respectively.

SIXERS: S.Tooke (Bullonse Morris A) B.Ruffels (Garsington Sports A) M.Berry (The Swan A) J.Glenister (The Woodman)
J.Morrison (The George A) M.Hewitson (The Swan B) W.Townsend (Red Lion A Cassington)

BLOBBERS: S.Bull (Rose Hill Club A) A.Clare (Vikings Sports D) K.Sharp (Fox & Goat) P.O’Gara (White Hart)
P.Gary, V.Kemish, A.Bracey, S.Newell (Headington Con Club)

TOP DOLL SCORERS:
14- K.Gliles (Gladiators A) L.Thompson, M.Berry (The Swan A) M.Hewitson (The Swan B)
13- B.Ruffels (Garsington Sports A) G.Glenister (The Woodman) J.Morrison, L.Purcell (The George A) E.Hanlon (Black Swan)

Back to reports page