Pairs Report

Oxford Pairs

It was Pairs competition week and played at four different venues down to the finalists, to produce the last eight to be played on September 3rd.
Played at The Red Lion Marston, title holders Jon Townsend & Dick Walsh (The Swan ‘A’) were sensationally knocked out in their first game by Luke Purcell & James Morrison (The George ‘A’) 2-0. With the game nicely poised a leg each The George pair won the final leg 6-5. However they were then dumped out in the next round by Kevin Baker & Dennis Butler 2-0 in the leg scores of 7-6, 6-5 who go through to the Quarter finals. Butler & Baker had to come from behind in the second round against Brian Reidy & Kevin Stuart (George ‘A’). Losing the first leg 8-4 they bounced back to take the next two legs 8-7, 6-4. They will be joined by Steve & Ian McAteer (Black Prince) who brushed aside the Garsington Sports pair of Roger Goodall & Phil Jackson 2-0. They were then pitted against a strong Six Bells Kidlington pair of Steve Ward & Pete Rampton. They won the first leg 8-4 but had to rely on a one stick shoot out (2-1) in the next leg after six and three sticks were tied.

Played at The Gladiators Club Ken Maunder & Trevor Greenaway (Garsington Sports ‘A’) and Paul Townsend & Neil Lyon (Three Pigeons battled their way through. Maunder & Greenaway were drawn against Spencer Buckingham & Paul Townsend from The Woodman. The first two legs were shared and in the deciding leg Garsington set, Maunder could only muster up a one while team mate Greenaway hit a maximum six to give them a total of seven, which was enough to see them through. In the next round they had a difficult battle against the George pairing of John Baily & Tony Gillett. The first leg went to Maunder & Greenaway on three sticks but Baily & Gillett hit back to level the next leg 5-4. However they could only set 3 in the last leg which Maunder hit on his own.
Townsend & Lyon saw off Eddie Lacey & Henry Johnson (Red Lion Yarnton) in the first round 2-1.They then were drawn against Johnny & Kevin McMahon from The Bullnose Morris ‘A’ who proved no hindrance winning both legs 3-2, 4-3. The next game against Terry Stuart & Keith Powell (The Swan ‘A’) was a challenging exciting game. The first leg was tied 7-7 with Townsend & Lyon winning it 4-3 on three sticks. The next leg was also tied 8-8 and once again The Pigeons pair won it on three sticks 3-2.

Played at The George Littlemore, Lee Hazell & Fred Sawyer (Six Bells ‘E’) Kidlington & Darren Cox & Clive Proudfoot (Garsington Sports ‘A’ ) succsefully wrestled their way through to the Quarter Finals. Cox & Proudfoot beat Ady Cox & Mark Simpson (Donnington Club ‘A’) 2-1 in the first round, (7-5, 6-3, 4-3) then had a comfortable win against Malcolm Bough & Graham Irvine (Littlemore Legion) 2-0. They were then up against the strong pairing of Pip Goulding & Pete Shepherd (Tiddington Cricket Club) but batted them aside 2-0 ( 9-3, 7-6).
A six from Fred Sawyer helped them brush aside the Woodman pairing of Ashley Keenan & Ray Grant 2-0 (8-7, 9-4). In the next round Sawyer & Hazell came up against another Woodman pairing of Neil Pratley & Charlie Buckingham and with the game balanced at one leg each Pratley & Buckingham set six. In reply Hazell hit five and Sawyer easily clanged off the two dolls needed to claim victory.

At The Cricketers Cowley, surprise pair Nigel King & Mark Poulter (Red Lion Yarnton) and Kevin Giles & Chris Jenkins both safely made it through to complete the line-up. King & Poulter could have easily have been knocked out in the first round against Graham Hambridge & Andy Gorge from The Bullnose Morris ‘A’. The Lion pair set five in the opening leg and in reply a four from Hambridge was killed off by a blob from Gorge. The next leg Hambridge & Gorge won it on one stick after six and three sticks were tied. (5-5, 3-3, 1-0). Deciding leg went to Poulter & King 6-4. The next round also went to three legs against The Donnington Club pair of Ian Preedy & Ian Walters. First leg went to Red Lion 7-3 but in the next leg Preedy & Walters both clanged off five dolls to give the highest total of the night with ten and the leg. Preedy & Walters hit the ground with a bump in the final leg as they could only muster up a measly score of two which was never going to be enough to see them through. They then came up against Liam Purcell & Steve Bayliss from The George ‘A’ and had a humdinger of a game. The first two legs were shared 7-6, 7-6. Deciding leg Purcell & Bayliss set five which the Lion pair matched and then went on to win the decider on three sticks 2-1.
Jenkins & Giles beat Dave Lee & Dave Edwards from The Three Pigeons 2-1 and then beat Phil Austin & Mick Phipps (Black Prince). An atrocious start form The Glad’s pair saw them set only two, which was no problem for The Prince pair. A six from Jenkins and three from Giles saw them level in the second leg. Final leg Glad’s pair won 6-5.
The next round they brushed aside Ian & Dave Bowler from Littlemore Legion 2-0.


LOWER SECTION PAIRS

Played at just one venue and down to the two finalists, Jamie McMahon & Jamie Debanks (Bullnose Morris ‘B’) and Garry Rees & Dave Simms (The Blackbird) successfully made their way through to the final.
Rees & Simms were fortunate to go through in the semi against teammates Tom Finney & Mick Murphy. They lost the opening leg when they could only set one. Rees & Simms improved the next leg winning it 7-3. Deciding leg they set five which Finney & Murphy matched. Three sticks was tied 3-3 with Rees & Simms winning the leg and match on one stick 2-1.
McMahon & Debanks beat Bob Malpas & Brodie Edwards (Chequers ‘B’) 2-1 in the first round and then saw off Liam Gomersel and Liam Cuff (Chequers ‘B’) 2-0. In the semi-final Matthew & Shaun Jacobs (Chequers B) stood in their way of their first ever final. McMahon & DeBanks won the opener 4-3, but lost the next 4-0. The final and deciding leg the Jacobs set 4 and in reply the Bullnose pair hit five to win the leg and match.

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