DEN Sellar is the only previous winner to have battled his way through to the last eight of the Greene King Oxford & District League after three gruelling rounds, writes ANDY BEAL.

Sellar (The Crown), who captured the title way back in 1982, joins seven non-champions in the quarter-finals to be played on Monday, September 7.

Competing against him for the title will be Pete Shepherd and Andy Lewis, from the Ampleforth Arms, Geoff Townsend and Kevin Baker (Gladiators), Terry Stuart and Lee Thompson (Red Lion Eynsham) plus Pete Rampton (Six Bells Kidlington).

Lee Thompson had some tough tests at The Red Lion Marston – one of four venues.

After two tight matches, Thompson beat holder Dick Walsh (Six Bells Kidlington).

The opening leg was tied 5-5 and then Thompson set two in the three sticks, however Walsh passed that with three to win the leg.

Thompson set and won the next leg with another five and then took the decider with yet another five .

Rampton put out Six Bells teammate Jon Townsend 2-1 and then defeated Steve Bayliss (Rose Hill Club) 2-0.

At Florence Park Club, five-times runner up Baker had a ding-dong opener against Keith Powell (Red Lion Eynsham).

The first leg was tied 4-4, with Powell taking it on three sticks.

Baker set four in the next which Powell matched and this time Baker won in on three sticks.

In his last-16 game, Baker was taken all the way by Ade Shepherd (New Club).

Surprise package Lewis was the other winner there.

At the Chequers, Sellar clanged off a six in his opener against John Allnutt (Gladiators) and then saw off Pete Coates (Red Lion) and Rob Bradford (Ampleforth Arms).

Townsend won a tight third-round decider against Paul Bennett (Woodman Inn) who won the opener 4-3.

Townsend then clanged off a maximum six in the next leg to tie the game and then won the decider 5-4.

At Garsington Sports Club, Stuart did not drop a leg in the first two rounds In the final game, he faced his brother, Kevin, who took the first leg 4-3, but Terry fought back to win the next two 5-3, 5-4.

Shepherd was given a scare in the opening game against Chris Jenkins (Gladiators).

The deciding leg was tied 3-3 and the three and one stick was tied.

Back on six sticks it went to 4-4, Shepherd eventually winning it on three sticks.

There will definitely be a new name on the Ted Houghton Singles Trophy – for players in Section 4 and below – as John Cleaton (King & Queen) and Yorkie Finney (Blackbird) battled their way to the final for the first time.

RESULTS ROUND-UP

GREENE KING OXFORD &
DISTRICT LEAGUE
OXFORD SINGLES
1st round: A Lewis (Ampleforth Arms) 2, M Murphy (Six Bells Quarry) 0; K Giles (Ampleforth Arms) 2, M Arnold (The Crown) 0; A Shepherd (New Club A) 2, J Greenway (Red Lion A Eynsham) 1; J Bennett (Six Bells Quarry) 2, D Butler (Gladiators) 0; S Bishop (Ampleforth Arms) 2, J Horton (New Club A) 0; A Gorge (Bullnose Morris) 2, L Purcell (Rose Hill Club A) 0; P Shepherd (Ampleforth Arms) 2, C Jenkins (Gladiators) 1; T Stuart (Red Lion A Eynsham) 2, K McMahon (Bullnose Morris) 0; D Cox (Florence Park Club) 2, J Debanks (Bullnose Morris A) 1; L Hazell (Red Lion A Eynsham) 2, G Coyle (Bullnose Morris) 0; K Stuart (Rose Hill Club) 2, L Purcell (Rose Hill Club) 0; N Lyon (Black Prince BBBB B) 2, W Waite (Bullnose Morris) 0; R Grant (The Woodman)     2, N Pratley (The Woodman) 1; L Thompson (Red Lion Eynsham) 2, A Beal (Six Bells Kidlington) 0; S Bayliss (Rose Hill Club) 2, S Greenough (Garsington Sports) 0; J Townsend (Six Bells Kidlington) 2, P Townsend (Black Prince B) 1; J Glenister (The Woodman) 2, B Lester (Rose Hill Club) 0; D Walsh (Six Bells Kidlington) 2, M Berry (Red Lion A Eynsham) 0; P Bennett (The Woodman) 2, K Bull (Florence Park Club) 0; D Sellar (The Crown) 2, J Allnutt (Gladiators) 0; R Goodall (Six Bells Kidlington) 2, J McMahon (Bullnose Morris) 0; C Buckingham (The Woodman) 2, G Hambridge (Bullnose Morris) 0; P Coates (Red Lion Eynsham) 2, C Hambridge (Bullnose Morris) 0; R Bradford (Ampleforth Arms) 2, M Herbert (Red Lion Eynsham) 1.
2nd round: A Shepherd (New Club A) 2, B Trinder (Garsington Sports) 0; S Bishop (Ampleforth Arms) 2, K Giles (Ampleforth Arms) 0; K Baker (Gladiators) 2, D Leopold (Black Prince A) 1; A Lewis (Ampleforth Arms) 2, J Bennett (Six Bells Quarry) 0; T Stuart (Red Lion A Eynsham)     2, A Gorge (Bullnose Morris) 1; K Stuart (Rose Hill Club) 2, J Breakspear (Chequers C) 1; P Shepherd (Ampleforth Arms) 2, N Lyon (Black Prince B) 1; D Cox (Florence Park Club) 2, L Hazell (Red Lion A Eynsham) 0; S Bayliss (Rose Hill Club) 2, J Glenister (The Woodman) 1; L Thompson (Red Lion Eynsham) 2, D Walsh (Six Bells Kidlington) 1; T Gillett (Rose Hill Club) 2, R Grant (The Woodman) 1; P Rampton (Six Bells Kidlington) 2, J Townsend (Six Bells Kidlington) 1; G Townsend (Gladiators) 2, A Cooper (Black Prince B) 0; D Sellar (The Crown) 2, P Coates (Red Lion Eynsham) 0; R Bradford (Ampleforth Arms) 2, R Goodall (Six Bells Kidlington) 0; P Bennett (The Woodman) 2, C Buckingham (The Woodman) 1.
3rd round: A Lewis 2, S Bishop 1; K Baker 2, A Shepherd 1; P Shepherd 2, D Cox 1; D Sellar 2, R Bradford 1; T Stuart 2, K Stuart 1; P Rampton 2, S Bayliss 0; L Thompson 2, T Gillett 1; G Townsend 2, P Bennett 1.
Sixers: D Sellar (The Crown), G Townsend (Gladiators), J Townsend (Six Bells Kidlington), N Lyon (Black Prince B).
TED HOUGHTON SINGLES
1st round:  M Richardson (North Oxford Con) 2, N Bowler (King & Queen) 0; M Rowe (North Oxford Con) 2, A Durham (Florence Park Club) 0; Y Finney (The Blackbird) 2, D Lammin (Florence Park Club) 1; W Townsend (Red Lion) 2, D Bowler (Littlemore BL) 0; R Berry (Littlemore BL ) 2, S Buckle (The Blackbird) 1; G Rees (The Blackbird) 2, I Bowler (Littlemore BL) 1; J Cleaton (King & Queen) 2, D Plumstead (Florence Park) 0.
2nd round: M Rowe 2, D Fry 0; Y Finney 2, G Rees 1; R Berry 2, W Townsend 0; J Cleaton 2, M Richardson 0.    
Semi-finals: J Cleaton 2, R Berry 0; Y Finney 2, M Rowe 0.
ABINGDON & DISTRICT LEAGUE
WEEK 13 RESULTS
Premier & A Section: Abingdon Utd B 6, Berinsfield SC A 0; Fox Steventon 6, Abingdon Utd D 0; Spread Eagle 6, Spread Eagle B 0; Steventon Sports A 5, Tandem 1; Hart Harwell A 2, Plum Pudding 4. 
B Section: Abingdon Con Club 5, North Star A 1; Red Lion A 0, Abingdon RBL A 6; Waggon and Horses A 0, Plough East Hendred 6.
C Section: Black Horse A 0, Chequers 6; Bowyers Arms 4, Hatchet Childrey 2; Fox Denchworth A 0, Fox Denchworth B 6; Royal Oak 2, Abingdon Utd C 4. 
D Section: Abingdon Utd E 1, Vine Cumnor 5; Grapes A 1, Red Lion B 5. 
E Section: Black Swan A 3, Grapes B Abingdon 3; Boundary House Abingdon 4, Harwell RBL A 2; Vine B 4, Bear & Ragged Staff 2; Wheatsheaf Drayton 4, Boundary House A Abingdon 2. 
F Section: Abingdon RBL B 0, Spread Eagle C 6; Harwell RBL B 4, Old Anchor A 2; Plough Long Wittenham 4, Brewery Tap A 2.
G Section: Brewery Tap B 0, Plough Appleton 6; Crown Marcham 3, Steventon Sports B 3; Packhorse Milton 2, Waggon & Horses B Southmoor 4. 
H Section: The Bell Grove 5, RAL Rec Soc Rutherford 1. 
Sixers: A Wooloff (Plum Pudding), D Hudson (Spread Eagle), P Longford (Tandem), R Selby (Spread Eagle C). 
Blobbers: A Joyce (Brewery Tap B), C Webb (Black Swan A), K Morton (Waggon & Horses A), M Doctor (Grapes B), R Hobbs (Crown Marcham), T Wilde (Red Lion B).