There will be a new name on the Greene King Oxford & District League singles trophy as the four semi-finalists have never won the title before, writes ANDY BEAL.

The competition had a slightly odd look about it this year with 12-times winner and holder Philip Adams unable to take part due to the new shift patterns at BMW – something which has caused quite a few problems for players.

In his absence, Roger Goodall and Dick Walsh (both Six Bells C Kidlington), Darren Cox (Team Monarch) and Rob Bradford (Ampleforth Arms A) battled their way through to the last four.

Played at four different venues down to the last-four qualifier, Bradford beat Lee Hazell (Red Lion A Eynsham) 2-1 in a nail-biting final round at the Chequers.

Bradford won the opening leg 3-2 in what was effectively a quarter-final, and then Hazell set five in the next leg.

Bradford levelled, and three sticks could not separate them, with Hazell winning the leg on a one stick shoot-out.

Hazell set five again in the decider, which Bradford matched, before taking the leg 2-1 on three sticks.

At the George Littlemore, Goodall edged past Liam Purcell (Rose Hill A) 2-1 in the quarter-final.

Goodall won the first leg 3-2, but lost the next after Purcell set him four.

Purcell could set only two in the final leg, which Goodall passed with his first three sticks.

Last year’s runner-up, Kevin Giles (Three Pigeons), went out in the first round to Barry Townsend (Cricketers B) 2-1 in a close-fought game.

Towsend fell at the next hurdle, 2-0 to Purcell.

In the quarter-final at the Ampleforth Arms, Walsh pipped Kevin Baker (Cricketers B) 2-1.

Walsh set six to win the opening leg, with Baker replying with a six of his own in the next.

The decider saw Walsh set four, which proved enough.

Oxford Mail:

Team Monarch’s Darren Cox reached the last four

At the Cricketers, Cox came through his quarter-final 2-0 against John Horton (New Club A) with leg scores of 4-3 and 3-2.

The Team Monarch man had survived a scare in the second round against James Bennett (Six Bells Quarry).

After clanging off a six to win the first leg, Cox was then set three in the second leg, which he could only tie.

Three sticks were also tied, with Cox eventually winning the leg and game on one stick.

Brian Reidy (Golden Ball), last year’s runner-up, is on course to go one better in the Ted Houghton singles after winning his way through to the final.

Reidy will play Steve Buckle (Blackbird) in the decider after the pair progressed from two different venues in the competition for players in the lower sections.

Playing at Garsington Sports Club, Reidy hit two sets of four to defeat Craig Greenough (Original Swan A) 2-0 in the semi-final.

He had opened up by beating Clifford Lewis (Donnington Club C) 2-0 and then just got the better of Dean Plumstead (Florence Park B).

Reidy won the first leg on three sticks after it was tied 3-3.

Plumstead levelled in the next leg 3-2 and had the chance to take the decider after Reidy could only set two, but he could hit the doll just once.

North Oxford Conservative Club’s Mick Richardson provided a highlight at Garsington by clanging off a six after being set five by Marc Joines (Donnington Club C) in the second round.

Richardson’s challenge, though, was ended by Greenough 2-0 in the last eight.

Greenough had earlier knocked out Nigel Bower 2-0 after a long drawn out game.

At the Gladiators, Buckle edged past Elliot Greenough (Original Swan A) 2-1 in the semi-finals.

He had begun his challenge with a 2-1 win over Steve Jessop (Golden Ball) 2-1, with leg scores of 3-1, 3-4, 3-2.

He then beat Dave Soanes (Donnington Club C) 2-0.

Having won the first leg, he had to rely on a one-stick shoot-out after six and three sticks were tied.

RESULTS ROUND-UP

GREENE KING OXFORD & DISTRICT LEAGUE SINGLES

1st round: D Sellar (Cricketers B) 2, P Austin (Six Bells C) 0; M Cook (Gladiators A) 2, P Townsend (Three Pigeons) 1; K Baker (Cricketers B) 2, T Recht (Garsington Sports A) 1; D Butler (Gladiators A) 2, K Bull (Team Monarch) 1; A Beal (Six Bells C) 2, E Lacey (Red Lion A) 1; A Goodgame (Six Bells C) 2, C Jenkins (Gladiators A) 0; R Goodall (Six Bells C) 2, M Herbert (Red Lion A) 0; B Townsend (Cricketers B) 2, K Giles (Three Pigeons) 1; P Hounslow (Chequers A) 2, N Lyon (Three Pigeons) 1; M Phipps (Three Pigeons) 2, D Leopold (Black Prince) 1; J Horton (New Club A) 2, J Greenaway (Red Lion A) 1; R Townsend (Six Bells C) 2, L Thompson (Red Lion A) 1.

2nd round: D Walsh (Six Bells C) 2, M Cook (Gladiators A) 1; D Sellar (Cricketers B) 2, M Murphy (Six Bells) 1; S Bayliss (Rose Hill A) 2, D Butler (Gladiators A) 1; K Baker (Cricketers B) 2, S Greenough (Garsington Sports A) 1; J Townsend (Cricketers B) 2, A Holt (Black Prince) 1; R Goodall (Six Bells C) 2, T Gillett (Rose Hill A) 0; L Purcell (Rose Hill A) 2, B Townsend (Cricketers B) 0; A Beal (Six Bells C) 2, A Goodgame (Six Bells C) 0; D Cox (Team Monarch) 2, J Bennett (Six Bells) 0; P Coates (Red Lion A) 2, M Phipps (Three Pigeons) 1; J Horton (New Club A) 2, P Hounslow (Chequers A) 1; M Berry (Red Lion A) 2, D Grant (Black Prince) 0; C Webb (Ampleforth C) 2, L Malyon (Rose Hill A) 0; R Bradford (Ampleforth A) 2, A Cross (Six Bells C) 0; L Purcell (Rose Hill A) 2, K Weller (Gladiators A) 0; L Hazell (Red Lion A) 2, R Townsend (Six Bells A) 1.

3rd round: D Walsh (Six Bells C) 2, S Bayliss (Rose Hill A) 0; K Baker (Cricketers B) 2, D Sellar (Cricketers B) 0; R Goodall (Six Bells C) 2, A Beal (Six Bells C) 1; L Purcell (Rose Hill A) 2, J Townsend (Cricketers B) 0; J Horton (New Club A) 2, P Coates (Red Lion A) 1; D Cox (Team Monarch) 2, M Berry (Red Lion A) 0; R Bradford (Ampleforth A) 2, L Purcell (Rose Hill A) 1; L Hazell (Red Lion A) 2, C Webb (Ampleforth C) 1.

Quarter-finals: D Walsh (Six Bells C) 2, K Baker (Cricketers B) 1; R Goodall (Six Bells C) 2, L Purcell (Rose Hill A) 1; D Cox (Team Monarch) 2, J Horton (New Club A) 0; R Bradford (Ampleforth A) 2, L Hazell (Red Lion A) 1.

TED HOUGHTON SINGLES

1st round: J Thompson (Golden Ball) 2, D Lammin (Florence Park B) 1.

2nd round: B Reidy (Golden Ball) 2, C Lewis (Donnington Club C) 1; M Richardson (North Oxford Con) 2, M Joines (Donnington Club C) 0; C Greenough (Original Swan A) 2, N Bower (King & Queen) 0; D Plumstead (Florence Park B) 2, D Rawlings (Golden Ball) 1; E Greenough (Original Swan A) 2, J Thompson (Golden Ball) 1; D Soanes (Donnington Club C) 2, M Finney (Blackbird) 0; P Flaherty (Donnington Club) 2, A Cox (Donnington Club A) 1; S Buckle (Blackbird) 2, S Jessop (Golden Ball) 1.

Quarter-finals: S Buckle (Blackbird) 2, D Soanes (Donnington Club C) 0; E Greenough (Original Swan A) 2, P Flaherty (Donnington Club) 0; C Greenough (Original Swan A) 2, M Richardson (North Oxford Con) 0; B Reidy (Golden Ball) 2, D Plumstead (Florence Park B) 1.

Semi-finals: B Reidy (Golden Ball) 2, C Greenough (Original Swan A) 0; S Buckle (Blackbird) 2, E Greenough (Original Swan A) 1.

SIXERS

K Baker (Cricketers B) 2, A Beal (Six Bells C Kidlington), M Cook (Gladiators A), D Cox (Team Monarch), D Walsh (Six Bells C Kidlington), M Richardson (North Oxford Club).

ABINGDON & DISTRICT LEAGUE

Premier & A Section: Fox Steventon 6, Abingdon Con Club A 0; Spread Eagle 4, Steventon Sports 2; Tandem 4, Abingdon Legion 2; Abingdon United B 2, Plum Pudding 4.

B Section: Red Lion 2, Fox Denchworth 4; Vine A 0, Spread Eagle 6; Chequers Charney 2, Plough East Hendred 4; College Oak A 1, Abingdon United D 5.

C Section: Black Horse A 4, Fleur De Lys 2; Hinds Head 6, Vine B 0; Royal Oak 4, Black Horse B 2; Stanford FC 2, Waggon & Horses 4.

D Section: Eight Bells 0, The Hatchet 6; Bowyers Arms 2, Drayton Golf Club 4.

E Section: Crown Didcot 3, Queens Arms 3; White Horse B 2, Morning Star 4; Saxton Arms 2, Red Lion B 4; Pack Horse 2, Abingdon United C 4; Bear & Ragged Staff 4, Kennington SC 2.

F Section: Boundary House 6, Harwell Legion 0; Brewery Tap 2, Spread Eagle 4; Abingdon Arms 1, Boundary House A 5; Goodlake Arms 6, North Star C 0; Cross Keys 0, Wheatsheaf 6.

G Section: George & Dragon 2, Horse & Harrow 4; Crown SMorton 6 Brewery Tap 0; Plough Hanney 4, North Star 2; Plough L Wittenham 6, Plough Sutton 0.

H Section: Black Swan B 3, Wheatsheaf 3; Steventon Sports 3, Eight Bells 3; Plough Appleton 6, Crown Marcham 0.

Sixers: M Phillips (Spread Eagle), N Nuttall (Abingdon Utd B), D Dix (Abingdon Utd B), S Davidson (Fox Denchworth).

BICESTER & DISTRICT LEAGUE

(Sponsored by Hook Norton Brewery)

PHIL ALLEN FOUR-A-SIDE COMPETITION SEMI-FINAL QUALIFIERS 

At White Lion Fewcott: Muddy Duck (R Bryant, D Reast, D Scrivens, M Skuce), White Lion Fewcott (B Allen, K Skinner, E Gordon, P Allen).

At Nut Tree Murcott: Black Bull A (K Budd, B Atwell, P Stammers, K Powney), Nut Tree Murcott (M Crook, R Cooper, D Crook, R Price).