Pairs Report 5th August

NEW NAME GUARANTEED ON OXFORD PAIRS TROPHY
League action took a back seat this week as the attention switched to the Oxford Pairs, and there will definitely be a new name engraved on the trophy after four pairs battled their way through to the semi-finals.
James Dineen & Martin Cook of The Blackbird, Pat Giraleo & Jack Lane of The Six Bells, James Morrison & Luke Purcell of The New Club and Dan Reading & Lee Thompson of The Jolly Sportsman all negotiated some tough ties to reach the last four, with none having previously lifted the prestigious trophy.
The competition was staged at two venues, with the successful pairs from each venue progressing through to the semi-final stage.

At Littlemore British Legion Sports Club, Dineen & Cook opened their campaign against Wayne Gray & Bob Hall of North Leigh FC. The Blackbird pair made the perfect start, taking the opening leg 5-3, but Gray & Hall hit back in the second, levelling the contest at 5-5 before winning the leg on the three-stick shoot-out.
It all came down to the deciding leg, with Dineen & Cook setting seven. Gray & Hall could not get close enough to the target and the Blackbird pair comfortably moved through.
Their next opponents were Phil Austin & Dick Walsh from The White House. Dineen & Cook could only set four in the opening leg, but it proved not enough as Austin & Walsh passed that with sticks to spare. The White House pair then set just four in the second, but The Blackbird pair managed to sneak past it with five.
Austin & Walsh responded by setting six in the decider, but Dineen & Cook produced when it mattered. A four from Dineen and three from Cook saw them reach the semi-finals.

Giraleo & Lane arguably had the toughest route to the last four, starting against 2024 winners Dale Jacobs & Chris Webb of Masons Arms. The Six Bells pairing came through a very close encounter, setting and winning both legs by the odd doll, 6-5 and 5-4.
Next up were 2018 winners Steve & Ian McAteer of The White House. The opening leg was a real ding-dong battle, with the McAteers setting five and Giraleo & Lane matching the score. The White House pair held their nerve in the three-stick shoot-out, winning it to take the leg.
Giraleo & Lane responded strongly in the second. Chasing a set of only four, they hit five with sticks to spare to level the match.
The decider saw the McAteers set a decent six, but Giraleo & Lane were equal to the challenge, a three from Giraleo and four from Lane sending them through.
Their final hurdle was an all-Six Bells affair against team-mates Clive Walsh & Richard Taylor. Walsh & Taylor set four and six, but Giraleo & Lane responded with five and seven to win both legs by the smallest of margins and claim their semi-final place.

Over at Kidlington Sports Club, Morrison & Purcell made a winning start against Geoff Townsend & Roger Alder of The Ampleforth Arms. They took the opening leg 7-5 before chasing down a good set of seven in the second, sneaking through 8-7 to win 2-0.
Ashley Keenan & Mark Rollins of North Leigh FC provided a much sterner test in the next round. Morrison & Purcell suffered an early setback, losing the opening leg 6-5, but bounced back impressively by setting eight in the second. Keenan & Rollins could only reply with six to take the contest to a deciding leg.
Keenan & Rollins struggled in the decider and could only set three. Purcell could manage just one, but Morrison stepped up to whip off the three dolls required and send The New Club pair through.
Their final opponents were another North Leigh pairing, Dean Harris & Aldofo Kerpachie, but this time Morrison & Purcell were in control, winning both legs 5-4 and 8-3 to book their place in the semi-finals.

Reading & Thompson had a testing opener against Billy Trinder & Kevin Stuart of Littlemore British Legion. A maximum six from Reading helped them to an impressive 8-4 win in the first leg before they set six in the second. Trinder & Stuart matched that to force a three-stick shoot-out.
That was tied 3-3, meaning a one-stick shoot-out was needed to finally separate the pairs. Reading & Thompson held their nerve to win 1-0 and progress.
Waiting for them were World Champion Roger Goodall & Mick Phipps of The White House, with Phipps making his return from injury. The pairings produced one of the best legs of the night, with Reading & Thompson taking the opener before Goodall & Phipps set a formidable ten, hitting five apiece.
Reading responded with another maximum six, leaving Thompson to hit the four dolls required to tie the leg. The three-stick shoot-out saw Goodall & Phipps set four and win it 4-3.
The Jolly Sportsman pair had to win the final leg and were handed a huge opportunity when Goodall & Phipps could only set three. Reading took full advantage, hitting four on his own to send the Sportsman pair into the next round.
Their final test came against Scott Thompson & Kevin Baker, another Littlemore British Legion pairing, and once again there was very little between the sides.
Reading & Thompson set five in the opening leg, but the Legion pair matched it, with Thompson clanging off five before Baker hit the one required with sticks to spare.
Thompson & Baker then struggled in the second, setting only three, which Reading & Thompson passed with ease to level the match.
The decider would settle everything. Thompson & Baker set five and Reading, who had been in excellent form throughout the night, clanged off all five dolls. That left Lee Thompson with the simple task of hitting the single doll required to send The Jolly Sportsman pair into the semi-finals.

Four pairs now remain and, with none having previously won the Oxford Pairs, the trophy is guaranteed to have a new name on it. The semi-finals promise to be a fascinating finale to what has already been a night of close games, shoot-outs and some outstanding Aunt Sally.

LOWER PAIRS FINAL SET
The Lower Pairs competition also produced plenty of close action, with Dave Behan & Kevin Johnson of Red Lion Cassington and Mark Faulkner & Tony Eeles of Rose Hill Club ‘B’ battling their way through to the final at Six Bells Kidlington.

Behan & Johnson made a comfortable start to their campaign, dispatching Aiden Cadle & Phil Hounslow of Rose Hill ‘B’ 2-0. They then accounted for another Rose Hill pairing, Steve Bull & Brian Mossop, again without dropping a leg, although they turned up the heat in the second with an impressive set of eight.
Last year’s runners-up Steve Brock & Chris Thorne of Bletchingdon Sports were next in their path, but once again the Red Lion pair proved too strong, winning both legs 5-4 and 6-2 to remain unbeaten.
Their final game of the night was against Brian & Dane Lovatt of Rose Hill ‘A’, and for the first time Behan & Johnson found themselves dropping a leg.
They took the opening leg 5-3, but the Lovatt's hit back in the second, setting five and winning it 5-4 to level the match.
Everything therefore rested on the deciding leg, and Behan & Johnson held their nerve, setting six and doing enough to book their place in the final.

Faulkner & Eeles also enjoyed a winning start, comfortably seeing off William & Laura Davenport of Rose Hill ‘A’ 2-0.
Another Rose Hill pairing, Ady Cox & Lucas Tappin, provided the opposition next, but once again Faulkner & Eeles proved too strong, winning both legs 2-1 and 3-2 to progress without dropping a leg.
A much tougher test awaited them in their final game against the holders, Arthur & Steve Bowers of Red Lion Yarnton.
The defending champions made the perfect start, edging the opening leg 5-4 to put Faulkner & Eeles on the back foot. The Rose Hill pair responded immediately, levelling the contest by exactly the same score in the second.
With the trophy-holders now one leg away from a chance to retain their title, the pressure was on in the decider. Faulkner & Eeles held their nerve and produced another 5-4 victory to complete a hard-fought comeback and secure their place in the final.

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