Banbury Cross’s AJ Docherty and Mark Sykes captured the Oxfordshire Indoor pairs title with a 25-23 win over Carterton’s Bob Turley and Tim Jupp in the final at Chipping Norton.
The clash featured some aggressive and accurate bowling with both pairings each winning two ends by five shots in front of a full house.
Turley and Jupp were ahead for most of the match, leading 6-1 after three ends and 17-7 after one of their fives on the tenth end.
However, Docherty, who won the title with Calvin Carpenter last year, and Sykes hit back straightaway with a five of their own to get back into contention.
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With two ends to play, Carterton led 23-19.
But Banbury then picked up a second five with Sykes drawing dead woods into scoring positions to edge ahead, and they took the last end by a shot to snatch the title.
Banbury Cross were denied a double success on the night when Stuart Boyd, Andy Wilkin and John Pardoe were beaten 21-8 by Oxford City & County’s Sam Watts, Chris Earl and Ray Gaskins in the triple final at the same venue.
The match was all-square at 7-7 after eight ends.
The Banbury triumvirate eased ahead by a shot on the next end, but then the City & County bowlers picked up 14 unanswered shots in the next six ends to storm home.
FINAL RESULTS
Pairs: Bob Turley & Tim Jupp (Carterton) 23, AJ Docherty & M Sykes (Banbury Cross) 25.
Triples: S Boyd, A Wilkin, J Pardoe (Banbury Cross) 8, S Watts, C Earl, R Gaskins (Oxford City & County) 21.
TUESDAY’S FINAL
Fours: S Watts, M Gleeson, C Earl, M Petersen (Oxford City & County) v S Witcombe, J Cox, R Barnett, P Robbins (Chipping Norton) (at Carterton).
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