Mark Poulter came within an ace of joining the elite group of maximum men with a 17-doll haul for Yarnton British Legion in the Greene King Oxford & District League, writes ANDY BEAL.

Poulter clanged off a brace of sixes in his first two throws in their Premier/Section 1 clash at home to Red Lion A Eynsham.

However, he missed with the 14th stick in his last throw, before hitting the next four.

Despite Poulter’s heroics, Red Lion won the game 2-1, with leg scores of 27-23, 31-30, 22-25.

Six Bells C Kidlington lost their third game on the bounce since relinquishing their unbeaten record, this time 2-1 at Gladiators A.

Gladiators took the first leg 30-24 and then set 27 in the next.

Five dolls from Six Bells anchor man Steve Ward tied the leg, and the three-stick shoot-out was also level, before Gladiators eventually won it on one stick.

Six Bells grabbed a point in the final leg 28-23.

Dick Walsh (4-5-5) starred for Six Bells with 14 dolls, while Chris Jenkins (4-4-5) hit a baker’s dozen for Gladiators.

Three Pigeons failed to take full advantage as they dropped a leg in a 2-1 win at home to Cricketers B.

Kevin Giles (4-6-4) hit 14 dolls for the Pigeons, which Jon Townsend (4-4-6) matched for the Cricketers.

Rose Hill won just their second game of the season by beating Black Prince 2-1 on their own patch.

Luke Purcell (3-5-6) led the way with a 14-doll haul as Rose Hill won the first leg 20-19, lost the second 23-17, before taking the decider 29-20.

Garsington Sports A boosted their Section 1 title ambitions with a 2-1 win at New Club A.

Adrian Shepherd (6-4-4) clanged off 14 dolls for New Club, while Barry Ruffels (2-6-5) top-scored for Garsington with 13.

The only undefeated record in the league came to an end when Section 2 leaders Six Bells Quarry were beaten 2-1 at home by the Woodman.

The damage was done in the opening two legs as Woodman won them easily 26-18, 28-13, before Six Bells took the last 24-22.

Paul Bennett (5-4-4) hit 13 dolls for the Woodman, a tally matched by Six Bells’s Tony Barrett (4-4-5).

Ampleforth Arms A, in second, failed to take advantage as they crashed 2-1 at basement boys the Griffin, who won the first two legs 21-20, 22-20.

Ampleforth came back well in the final leg to claim a point 26-21.

Colin Barrett (6-4-5) was in devastating form with 15 dolls for Chequers A, but it couldn’t save them from a 3-0 defeat at home to Red Lion B Eynsham.

The leg scores were 19-18, 23-19, 25-22.

The Crown lost ground in the Section 3 title race with a 2-1 home defeat to Tiddington Cricket Club.

Dick Brownsill (4-5-4) shone for the victors with 13 dolls.

Queens Head remain two points clear in Section 4 after a 3-0 win at home to Kidlington Green Social Club.

Eddie Greenaway (3-4-3) hit ten dolls for the leaders in leg scores of 17-13, 15-10, 19-11.

It’s very tight in Section 6 with only four points separating nine of the ten teams.

Ampleforth Arms B had a chance to go clear, but came away from Red Lion Yarnton empty-handed, despite Adam Woodley hitting a six in his ten-doll haul.

Rose Hill Club B went joint top of Section 7 after a 2-1 home win over the Blackbird.

Terry Buckle (3-4-3) top- scored with ten dolls for the losers.

There were two six-hitters in Littlemore British Legion’s Section 8 clash at home to Red Lion Old Marston.

Littlemore’s Richard Berry (2-6-4) and Red Lion’s Darren Beavan (2-6-1) claimed them as the hosts won all three legs 16-9, 22-14, 17-14.

In Section 9, Tony Bull (3-4-5) threw well for his dozen dolls as Florence Park won 2-1 at the Kite.

RESULTS

GREENE KING OXFORD & DISTRICT LEAGUE

Premier/Section 1: Three Pigeons 2, Cricketers B 1; Red Lion A Eynsham 2, Yarnton British Legion 1; Gladiators A 2, Six Bells C Kidlington 1; Garsington Sports A 2, New Club A 1; Black Prince 1, Rose Hill Club A 2.

Section 2: Vikings Sports B 0, Red Lion Kidlington 3; Griffin 2, Ampleforth A 1; Team Monarch 1, Three Horseshoes A 2; Six Bells 1, Woodman 2; Chequers A 0, Red Lion B Eynsham 3.

Section 3: Crown Chalgrove 2, Six Bells A Kidlington 1; Chequers B 2, Vikings Sports A 1; Bullnose Morris A 3, Kennington Club 0; Ampleforth C 1, Masons A 2; Crown A 1, Tiddington Cricket Club 2.

Section 4: Queens Head 3, Kidlington Green SC 0; Original Swan A 3, George A 0; Masons B 2, New Club C 1; Donnington Club A 2, Vikings Sports C 1.

Section 5: White Hart A 0, George B 3; Vikings Sports D 3, Red Lion Islip 0; New Club B 3, Donnington Club C 0; Cricketers A 0, North Oxford Con Club A 3; Brill Sports Club A 0, Garsington Sports B 3.

Section 6: Three Horseshoes B 1, Seacourt Bridge 2; Six Bells D 2, Chandos Arms 1; Red Lion Yarnton 3, Ampleforth B 0; North Oxford Con Club B 3, Brill Sports Club B 0.

Section 7: Six Bells B 1, Headington BL 2; Rose Hill Club B 2, Blackbird 1; Donnington Club B 1, Bullnose Morris B 2; Catherine Wheel A 2, Kings Arms B 1; Prince of Wales 2, Northway B 1.

Section 8: Northway A 1, Red Lion B Cassington 2; Marston BL 1, Gladiators B 2; Littlemore BL 3, Red Lion Old Marston 0; Cricketers 2, Florence Park B 1.

Section 9: Kite 1, Florence Park A 2; Littlemore Rugby Club 1, Golden Ball 2; Kings Arms A 3, Crooked Pot 0.

Section 10: Pheasant B 2, Crown B 1; Headington Con Club 2, Catherine Wheel B 1; Corner House 3, White Hart B 0.

SIXERS

M Poulter (Yarnton BL) 2, T Stuart (Red Lion A), L Purcel (Rose Hill A), B Ruffels (Garsington Sports A), A Shepherd (New Club A), K Giles (Three Pigeons), J Townsend (Cricketers B), C Barrett (Chequers A), S Jenkins (Chequers B), A Woodley (Ampleforth B), S Peedel (Seacourt Arms), D Brown (Red Lion Marston), R Berry (Littlemore Rugby Club).

BLOBBERS

J Chandler (Kidlington Green SC), A Hudson (Brill Sports Club B), D Pym (Three Horseshoes B), S Beer (Headington BL), S Price (Corner House), J Todd (White Hart).

TOP DOLL SCORERS

17 – M Poulter (Yarnton BL).

15 – C Barrett (Chequers A).

14 – A Shepherd (New Club A), D Walsh (Six Bells C), J Townsend (Cricketers B), K Giles (Three Pigeons), L Purcell (Rose Hill A).

13 – B Ruffels (Garsington Sports A), C Jenkins (Gladiators A), D Cox (Team Monarch), P Bennett (Woodman), S Tooke (Chequers B), T Barrett (Six Bells Quarry), D Brownsill (Tiddington Cricket Club).

ABINGDON & DISTRICT LEAGUE

Premier & A Section: Steventon Sports 3, Tandem 3; Abingdon Utd B 4, Fox Steventon 2; Plum Pudding 0, Berinsfield SC 6; Abingdon Legion 3, Abingdon Con Club 3.

B Section: Fox Denchworth 4, Vine A 2; Plough East Hendred 6, College Oak A 0.

C Section: Vine B 5, Royal Oak 1; Fleur De Lys 1, Hinds Head 5; Berinsfield SC B 4, Black Horse A 2; Black Horse B 1, Stanford FC 5.

D Section: Hatchet 6, Bowyers Arms 0; Drayton Golf Club 2, DC Bystander 4.

E Section: Morning Star 4, Saxton Arms 2; Bear & Ragged Staff 4, Crown Didcot 2; Kennington SC 3, Abingdon Utd C 3.

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

G Section: Plough Long Wittenham 0, George & Dragon 6; Plough Sutton 2, North Star B 4; Red Lion C 2, Plough Hanney A 4.

H Section: Eight Bells 3, Challow Legion 3; Plough Appleton 2, Black Swan B 4; Crown Marcham 0, Cross Keys 6; Black Swan A 2, Harwell Legion A 4.

Sixers: M Sheridan, N Weston (both Fox Steventon), G Ridge (Steventon Sports).

BICESTER & DISTRICT LEAGUE

Premier & Div 1: Muddy Duck 2, Prince of Wales 1; White Lion 3, Shakespeare 0; Black Bull B 1, Black Bull A 2; Launton S&SC A 3, Nut Tree 0.

Div 2: Highfield SC A 3, Red Cow 0; Bull & Butcher A 1, Ashton Club 2; Red Lion Finmere 2, Red Lion Wendlebury 1; Bull 2, Bull & Butcher B 1.

Div 3: Crown Twyford 0, Bell Bicester 3; White Horse B 3, Highfield SC B 0; White Hart Wanderers 0, White Hart Originals 3; Barley Mow 0, White Horse A 3.

Div 4: Ex-Services 3, Launton S&SC B 0; Bell Lower Heyford 2, Chearsley Cricketers 1; Fountain B 2, Fountain A 1; Plough Marsh Gibbon 3, Safari Garden 0.

Div 5: Eight Bells 0, Royal Oak 3; Kings Head B 3, Black Bull D 0; Red Lion Stratton Audley 3, Blacks Head 0; Black Bull C 3, Kings Head A 0 (pts awarded).

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