Despite boasting a triumvirate of six-hitters, Gladiators A lost out 2-1 at home to Garsington Sports A in a close Greene King Oxford & District League Premier/Section 1 game, writes ANDY BEAL.
Dennis Butler (4-4-6), who top-scored with 14 dolls, Chris Jenkins and Keith Weller all bagged themselves a six for the Gladiators, who were pipped 23-21 by Garsington in the opening leg.
Gladiators levelled by taking the next leg on three sticks after it was tied 28-28.
The decider was also tied 28-28, but this time Garsington won on three sticks and with it the game.
Six Bells C Kidlington remain top and unbeaten in the Premier Section after a comfortable 3-0 win at home to Rose Hill Club A.
Steve Ward (4-5-5) led the way with 14 dolls, while teammate Pete Rampton (3-6-4) chipped in with 13 as they triumphed 28-24, 27-19, 34-17.
Three Pigeons lost ground in a 2-1 defeat at home to New Club A, for whom Robert Taylor (4-4-6) excelled with 14 dolls.
New Club took the first two legs, before Three Pigeons salvaged a point in the final leg on three sticks after it was tied 26-26.
John Greenaway (6-3-5) clanged off 14 dolls in Red Lion A Eynsham’s 2-1 win at home to Cricketers B, with leg scores of 27-25, 22-24, 29-23.
Section 1 leaders Yarnton British Legion lost 2-1 at Black Prince A.
Mark Poulter (4-4-5) hit a baker’s dozen, but it was to no avail as they lost the first two legs 18-17, 25-22.
Section 1 leaders Yarnton British Legion, who were toppled by Black Prince
Section 2 leaders Six Bells Quarry came within a whisker of losing their unbeaten record before scraping home 2-1 against visitors Three Horseshoes A.
They took the decider 19-18, with Tony Barrett (4-4-4) top-scoring.
Ampleforth Arms A kept the pressure on at the top with a 2-1 win at home to Red Lion B Eynsham.
Mark Washington (6-4-3) led the way with 13 dolls for Ampleforth, who secured victory in the final leg 16-14.
In Section 3, Chris Webb (4-6-4) bagged a six in his 14-doll haul for Ampleforth Arms C in their 2-1 win at the Crown.
In Section 4, Vikings Sports C moved one point clear with a 2-1 win at the Pheasant Inn A despite hitting one doll fewer.
New Club C failed to get maximum points after a disastrous middle leg at the Original Swan A saw them have to settle for a 2-1 win.
After taking the first leg 20-15, they were then set only ten by the Swan, but could muster just eight.
New Club rallied to take the last leg 13-12.
In Section 8, Richard Berry (5-5-4) excelled with 14 dolls to guide Littlemore British Legion to a 2-1 win at the Cricketers Littleworth.
David Lammin (3-4-4) shone with 11 dolls for Florence Park Club B as they won 3-0 at home to Red Lion B Cassington.
Leaders Gladiators B crashed to only their second defeat of the season with a 2-1 reverse at Northway Club A.
Terry Beck (3-4-3) top-scored with ten dolls for Gladiators.
Steve Jessop (5-3-5) clanged off 13 dolls to lead Golden Ball to a 3-0 win at the Red Lion A Cassington in Section 9.
RESULTS
GREENE KING OXFORD & DISTRICT LEAGUE
Premier/Section 1: Three Pigeons 1, New Club A 2; Six Bells C Kidlington 3, Rose Hill Club A 0; Red Lion A Eynsham 2, Cricketers B 1; Gladiators A 1, Garsington Sports A 2; Black Prince 2, Yarnton BL 1.
Section 2: Vikings Sports B 0, Woodman 3; Griffin 1, Team Monarch 2; Six Bells 2, Three Horseshoes A 1; Chequers A 1, Red Lion Kidlington 2; Ampleforth A 2, Red Lion B Eynsham 1.
Section 3: Six Bells A Kidlington 1, Vikings Sports A 2; Crown Chalgrove 1, Ampleforth C 2; Chequers B 3, Kennington Club 0; Bullnose Morris A 3, Tiddington Cricket 0; Crown A 2, Masons A 1.
Section 4: Pheasant A 1, Vikings Sports C 2; Original Swan A 1, New Club C 2; Masons B 3, Kidlington Green SC 0; Donnington Club A 3, George A 0; Cowley Workers 2, Queens Head 1.
Section 5: Vikings Sports D 3, Donnington Club C 0; New Club B 1, George B 2; Garsington Sports B 2, North Oxford Con Club A 1; Cricketers A 1, Red Lion Islip 2; Brill Sports Club A 1, White Hart A 2.
Section 6: Three Horseshoes B 2, Chandos Arms 1; North Oxford Con Club B 1, Seacourt Bridge 2; King & Queen B 1, Brill Sports Club B 2; Ampleforth B 2, Red Lion C Eynsham 1; Red Lion Yarnton 1, Six Bells D 2.
Section 7: Rose Hill Club B 3, Northway Club B 0; Prince of Wales 2, Headington BL 1; Kings Arms B 1, Bullnose Morris B 2; Catherine Wheel A 1, Six Bells B 2.
Section 8: Northway Club A 2, Gladiators B 1; Marston BL 1, Chequers C 2; Florence Park B 3, Red Lion B Cassington 0; Cricketers 1, Littlemore BL 2.
Section 9: Kite 0, Kings Arms A 3; Red Lion A Cassington 0, Golden Ball 3; Littlemore RC 1, Crooked Pot 2; Florence Park A 0, Original Swan B 3.
Section 10: White Hart B 1, Original Swan C 2; Bystander 3, Catherine Wheel B 0; Headington Con Club 0, Kidlington FC 3; Corner House 3, Pheasant B 0.
SIXERS
D Butler, C Jenkins, B Richards (Gladiators A), N Lyon (Three Pigeons), R Taylor (New Club A), R Godall, P Townsend (Six Bells C Kidlington), H Johnson (Yarnton BL), G Chamberlain (Woodman), M Washington (Ampleforth A), C Webb (Ampleforth C), S Tooke (Chequers B), D Jacobs, H O’Connor (George B), B Vickers (Northway Club A), P Mulvany (Marston BL), M Jacobs (Vikings Sports A), J Greenaway (Red Lion A), B Mills (Griffin).
BLOBBERS
J Snell (Brill Sports B), J Dawson (Littlemore RC), D Rees (White Hart), C Anderson (Kidlington FC), J Coffey (Catherine Wheel B), A Marshall (Chequers B), S Griffin (Cowley Workers).
TOP DOLL SCORERS
14 – C Webb (Ampleforth C), D Butler (Gladiators A), R Taylor (New Club A), S Ward (Six Bells C), J Greenaway (Red Lion A Eynsham), R Berry (Littlemore RC).
13 – K Baker (Cricketers B), M Washington (Ampleforth A), S Tooke (Chequers B), K Weller (Gladiators A), S Jessops (Golden Ball), T Bradford (New Club A), P Rampton (Six Bells C), P Dempsey, N Lyon (Three Pigeons), M Poulter (Yarnton BL).
ABINGDON & DISTRICT LEAGUE
Premier/A Section: Spread Eagle 2, Tandem 4; Abingdon Con Club A 4, Abingdon Legion 2.
B Section: Fox 5, Plough East Hendred 1; Hart 4, Abingdon United D 2, Red Lion 3, College Oak A 3.
C Section: Hinds Head 4, Royal Oak 2; Berinsfield SC B 4, Waggon & Horses 2; Black Horse A 3, Stanford FC 3.
D Section: College Oak B 3, Drayton Golf Club 3.
E Section: Kennington SC 1, Morning Star 5.
F Section: Brewery Tap A 2, Abingdon Arms 4; Wheatsheaf Drayton 2, Spread Eagle C 4.
G Section: Crown South Moreton 4, Old Anchor 2; Horse & Harrow 6, Red Lion C 0; Plough L Wittenham 4, North Star B 2.
H Section: Steventon Sports B 5, Challow Legion 1; Wheatsheaf Didcot 0, Black Swan A 6; Black Swan B 2, Harwell Legion A 4.
Sixers: P Longford (Tandem), D Coles (Abingdon Con Club A).
BICESTER & DISTRICT LEAGUE
(sponsored by Hook Norton Brewery)
Div 5: Royal Oak 3, Kings Head 0 (w/o); Kings Head B 2, Black Bull C 1; Black Bull D 1, Blacks Head 2; Crown Gawcott 2, Eight Bells 1.
Singles quarter-final qualifiers
At Highfield SC: B Gough (White Lion) & L Merchant (Shakespeare).
At White Hart: K Powney (Black Bull A) & B Allen (White Lion).
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