Katherine Hawes skipped two Oxford & District sides through to the English Indoor Bowling Association’s national finals, but missed out in the singles in agonising fashion.

She teamed up with Carole Galletly to brush aside skip Shirley Page (Riverain, Hitchin) 22-9 in the pairs inter-area final.

The Oxford & District duo will now face Egham’s Doreen Hankin and Pauline Clark in the first round of the national finals at Melton & District, Leicestershire, on Saturday, April 5.

Hawes, Galletly and Jane Murphy triumphed in the inter-area triples final, squeezing past a Riverain trio, skipped by Shirley Hughes, 16-15.

Egham, in the shape of Hankin, Chrissii Davies, Kylie Hampton, again provide the opposition in the first round of the national finals at Melton on Wednesday, April 9.

However, Hawes’s challenge in the singles came to ane end with a 21-20 defeat by Riverain’s Michelle Barlow in the inter-area final.

OXFORDSHIRE’S men were beaten 93-85 by South Warwickshire in a friendly at Welford on Avon.

Oxon won on three of the five rinks, but a 30-12 defeat for Nigel Satchell’s four by Dave Allibon was decisive.

South Warwickshire IBA 93, Oxfordshire IBA 85

(South Warwicks rinks first)

Rink 1: B Maniam, L Husband, J Harris, A Bister 16, J Cox, J Stevens, E Dorling, M Ford 17.

Rink 2 (triple): W Papalia, D Turner, A Brookhouse 13, R Havard, D Crook, A Fleming, P Woodville 20.

Rink 3: D Wattison, J Holmes, D Goodman, P Robbie 17, J Dunne, G Fountain, P Demczek, H Franklin 16.

Rink 4: P Brook, M Davies, P Holmes, M Woodall 16, R McStay, R Higgins, M Mansell, M Andrew 20.

Rink 5: D Washbourne, D Hamilton, A Barker, D Allibon 30, S Tolhurst, J Franks, D Papalia, N Satchell 12.

BANBURY Cross’s Mark Sykes is chasing silverware on three fronts in the Oxfordshire men’s competitions.

He faces Chipping Norton’s Martin Shepherd in the singles semi-finals, and also skips rinks in the last four of the triples and fours.

SEMI-FINAL DRAWS

Singles: M Sykes (Banbury Cross) v M Shepherd (Chipping Norton), AJ Docherty (Banbury Cross) v A Kemish (Oxford City & County).

Pairs: A McIntyre & Ro Clanfield (Carterton) v M Peterson & M Gleeson (Oxford City & County), C Carpenter & AJ Docherty (Banbury Cross) v J Sanders & J Davie (Oxford & District).

Triples (skips): A Mead (Oxford & District) v M Sykes (Banbury Cross), P Robbins (Chipping Norton) v W Campion (Banbury Cross).

Fours (skips): G Weedon (Carterton) v M Sykes (Banbury Cross), O Sharif (Oxford City & County) v A Mead (Oxford & District).

OXFORD CITY & COUNTY FIXTURES

Today: v West Oxford (8.15pm). Saturday: v Whiteknights (H, 2.15). Sunday: v West Berks (A, 2.30).