PETER Sellar and Matthew Arnold stormed through to the quarter-finals of the Greene King Oxford & District League’s pairs competition, writes ANDY BEAL.

The Crown duo eased into the latter stages at the Six Bells Kidlington.

Sellar smashed off two sixes in their second round win over the Gladiators pairing of Kevin Giles and Chris Jenkins.

After their third round tie with Pip Goulding and Pete Shepherd, of New Club, was nicely poised at 1-1, a set of eight in the decider proved enough to ensure their passage.

Black Prince pair Rob Bradford and Darren Grant battled into the latter stages at the same venue, but they had to survive a thrilling encounter against Jimmy Kent and Tony Bradford, of New Club.

They won the second leg on three sticks to force a decider, before repeating that feat to clinch a 2-1 win.

At the Black Prince, Woodman duo Mark Rollins and Jeff Glenister advanced.

Teammates Paul Townsend and Spencer Buckingham also booked their spot in the last eight.

Charlie Buckingham and Neil Pratley also made it through at the Cricketers, making it three Woodman pairs in the quarters.

Terry Stuart and Keith Powell, from The Swan, join them after having to overcome clubmates Martin Herbert and Lee Hazell in the second round.

At Florence Park, favourites Jon Townsend and Dick Walsh, of the Swan A Eynsham, battled past Garsington Sports Club’s Trevor Greenaway and Ken Maunder, clinching both legs on three sticks in a 2-0 victory.

They then comfortably beat Steve Greenough and Barry Ruffles, of Garsington, 2-0 in the third round.

In the lower section pairs, previous winners Steve Buckle and Yorkie Finney, from the Blackbird, battled into the last eight.

The quarter-finals for both competitions are to be played on Monday, September 5.

RESULTS ROUND UP

GREENE KING OXFORD & DISTRICT LEAGUE PAIRS COMPETITION

1st round: L Beauchamp & S Wells (North Oxford CC) 2, I Grant & A Holt (Black Prince) 1; C Buckingham & N Pratley (Woodman) 2, P Austin & M Phipps (Black Prince) 1; K Stuart & L Purcell (George) 2, B Trinder & M Cooke (Garsington Spts) 1; S Greenough & B Ruffels (Garsington Spts) 2, K Baker & B Townsend (Gladiators A) 1.

2nd round: T Stuart & K Powell (Swan) 2, M Herbert & L Hazell (Swan) 1; L Purcell & J Morrison (George) 2, G Coultahrd & K McMahon (Bullnose) 0; C Buckingham & N Pratley (Woodman) 2, K Stuart & L Purcell (George) 0; L Beauchamp & S Wells (North Oxford CC) 2, R Grant & B Goodwin (Woodman) 1; R Alder & I Breakspear (Chequers C) 2, D Sellar & D Armstrong (Crown) 0; P Townsend & S Buckingham (Woodman) 2, L Thompson & M Berry (Swan) 1; A Shepherd & R Taylor (New Club A) 2, P Alder & B Green (Chequers C) 1; M Rollins & G Glenister (Woodman) 2, A Baker & S Walton (Donnington D) 1; S Somerscales & D Leopold (Yarnton BL) 2, K Bull & T Bull (Florence Park) 1; R Bradford & D Grant (Black Prince) 2, J Kent & T Bradford (New Club A) 1; P Sellar & M Arnold (Crown) 2, K Giles & C Jenkins (Gladiators A) 0; S Bishop & D Simms (Chequers A) 2, R Townsend & P Smith (North Oxford CC) 0; J Townsend & D Walsh (Swan A) 2, T Greenaway & K Maunder (Garsington Spts) 0; B Lester & T Gillett (George) 2, D Butler & K Neal (Gladiators A) 1; S Greenough & B Ruffels (Garsington Spts) 2, R Goodall & M Washington (New Club) 0.

3rd round: C Buckingham & N Pratley (Woodman) 2, L Beauchamp & S Wells (North Oxford CC) 0; T Stuart & K Powell (Swan) 2, L Purcell & J Morrison (George) 0; M Rollins & G Glenister (Woodman) 2, A Shepherd & R Taylor (New Club A) 0; P Townsend & S Buckingham (Woodman) 2, R Alder & I Breakspear (Chequers C) 0; R Bradford & D Grant (Black Prince) 2, S Somerscales & D Leopold (Yarnton BL) 0; P Sellar & M Arnold (Crown) 2, P Goulding & P Shepherd (New Club A) 1; B Lester & T Gillett (George) 2, S Bishop & D Simms (Chequers A) 0; J Townsend & D Walsh (Swan A) 2, S Greenough & B Ruffels (Garsington Spts) 0.

Sixers: P Sellar (Crown) 2, G Glenister, P Townsend, N Pratley (Woodman), B Ruffels (Garsington Spts).

LOWER SECTION PAIRS COMPETITION

1st round: M Richardson & K Smith (North Oxford CC) 2, P Sims & A Armstrong (Bullnose) 0.

2nd round: K Morris & S Trotter (Donnington B) 2, M Richardson & K Smith (North Oxford CC) 1; Y Finney & S Buckle (Blackbird) 2, J Smith & W Gray (Donnington A) 1; L O’Callaghan & J Mayhew (Bullnose) 2, P Debanks & P McNaughton (Golden Ball A); I Bowler & D Bowler (Littlemore BL) 2, D Simms & J Dineen (Blackbird) 0; W Townsend & M Copelin (Red Lion) 2, T Weller & S Mobbs (North Oxford CC) 1; M Simmons & J Goodenough (Cricketers) 2, D Lammin & N Lammin (Florence Park B) 0; D Filer & K Bradbury (Cricketers) 2, M Gillen & J Styles (Black Swan) 0; J Debanks & S Macer (Bullnose) 2, G Arundel & A Hicks (Golden Ball A) 0; A Cox & I Preedy (Donnington A) 2, K Flynn & J Flynn (Donnington B) 0; P Wright & A Lewis (Red Lion A) 2, E Lacey & D Macer (Bullnose) 1; D Rawlings & T Finney (Blackbird) 2, S Patel & A Durham (Florence Park) 0; J Castle & T Flett (Golden Ball A) 2, E Hanlon & M Burke (Black Swan) 0; S Jessop & R Berry (Littlemore BL) 2, D Boulton & G Lacey (Blackbird) 1; J Chapman & M Wallington (Pheasant) 2, K Harris & P Macarron (Pheasant) 1; T Jones & T O’Brien (Black Swan) 2, B Simpson & P Simpson (Donnington A) 0; G Williams & K Keep (Cricketers) 2, C Probert & K Webb (Donnington B) 0.

3rd round: L O’Callaghan & J Mayhew (Bullnose) 2, I Bowler & D Bowler (Littlemore BL) 1; Y Finney & S Buckle (Blackbird) 2, K Morris & S Trotter (Donnington B) 0; W Townsend & M Copelin (Red Lion ) 2, J Debanks & S Macer (Bullnose) 0; D Filer & K Bradbury (Cricketers) 2, M Simmons & J Goodenough (Cricketers) 0; J Castle & T Flett (Golden Ball A) 2, P Wright & A Lewis (Red Lion A) 1; D Rawlings & T Finney (Blackbird) 2, A Cox & I Preedy (Donnington A) 0; G Williams & K Keep (Cricketers) 2, J Chapman & M Wallington (Pheasant) 0; S Jessop & R Berry (Littlemore BL) 2, T Jones & T O’Brien (Black Swan) 0.

ABINGDON & DISTRICT LEAGUE

Premier Section: Spread Eagle 1, Abingdon Utd B 5; Abingdon RBL 1, Steventon Spts A 5; Berinsfield SC A 4, Abingdon RBL A 2; Hart Harwell A 2, Spread Eagle B 4; Tandem 4, Plum Pudding 2.

B Section: College Oak A 5, Chequers Charney 1; Fleur De Lys 6, Berinsfield SC 0; Plum Pudding B 1, Vine A 5; Royal Oak Didcot 3, Abingdon CC 3.

C Section: Bowyers Arms 2, Fox Denchworth A 4; Plough East Hendred 2, Red Lion A 4; Red Lion B 6, Wheatsheaf Drayton 0; Grapes 1, Stanford in the Vale 5.

D Section: Eight Bells Eaton 4, Harwell RBL B 2; Harwell RBL A 6, College Oak 0; Saxton Rov 3, Bear & Ragged Staff 3; Wheatsheaf Didcot 2, Red Lion C 4.

E Section: Abingdon Arms Wantage 6, Queens Arms Didcot 0; Black Horse A 4, FMSS C Morning Star 2; Plough Long Wittenham 4, Waggon and Horses A 2; Waggon & Horses B 0, North Star A 6.

F Section: Boundary House 4, Old Anchor B 2; Brewery Tap A 2, Boundary House A 4; Crown Marcham 2, North Star B 4; Old Anchor A 0, Crown Marcham 6; Packhorse 5, Brewery Tap B 1.

G Section: Plough A West Hanney 0, George and Dragon Upton 6.

Sixers: J Simmons (Spread Eagle), S Fisher (Royal Oak Didcot), S Wilson (Berinsfield SC A), T Lach (Abingdon Utd B).

Blobbers: A Binks (Queens Arms Didcot), C Perry (Brewery Tap B), D Arnott (Old Anchor B), D Avenell (Plough A West Hanney), M Belcher (Crown Marcham), M Druce (Abingdon RBL), N Ahier (Harwell RBL B), P Gilbert (George and Dragon Upton), P Parmenter (Brewery Tap A), R North (Abingdon CC), V Pearce (Royal Oak Didcot).