AUNT SALLY: Swan's duo Townsend and Walsh battle into last eight of Oxford Pairs

After a comfortable opening win, the duo had a ding-dong battle against Mick Phipps and Phil Austin (Black Prince) at Littlemore RBL.

The first leg was tied 7-7, with Townsend and Walsh winning it on three sticks 4-3.

In the second leg, the Black Prince pair scored eight, but a six in reply from Townsend set them on their way, with Walsh hitting the three dolls needed to win by one.

The next round saw Townsend and Walsh edge home 7-6, 7-6 against the Bullnose Morris pairing of Jonny McMahon and Gary Coulthard.

The other qualifiers from Littlemore were another Swan pair, Terry Stuart and Keith Powell, who edged past Steve Baylis and Kevin Stuart (The George) 5-7, 7-6, 7-6.

At the Black Prince, Kevin Giles and Chris Jenkins (Gladiators A) were level 1-1 with the George pair of Brian Lester and Tony Gillett, both legs having been settled on three sticks.

But the Glads duo easily won the decider on their way to the last eight.

They were joined there by Pete Rampton and Steve Ward (Six Bells Kidlington), who overcame second-round opponents Derrick Slater and Kevin McMahon (Bullnose Morris) 6-5 in the final leg.

At the Cricketers, Pip Goulding and Pete Shepherd, who won a close first-round contest against Darren Grant and Rob Bradford (Black Prince) 2-1, went through to the play-offs, along with Barry Ruffels and Billy Trinder, who did not drop a leg. Ruffles recorded a six.

Kevin Baker and Den Butler (Gladiators) narrowly beat Robin Busby and Ray Townsend (Six Bells Kidlington) to go through, along with Steve Walton and Adam Baker (Donnington).

In the Lower Section Pairs, Ian Sharp and Danny Edwards (Fox & Goat) will play Steve Greenough and Josh Breakspear (Donnington Club C) in the final.

OXFORD PAIRS

1st round: D Leopold & S Somerscales (Black Prince) bt R Grant & A Keenan (Woodman) 2-0, K Baker & D Butler (Gladiators A) bt P Coates & D Townsend (Three Pigeons) 2-0, S Walton & A Baker (Donnington Club A) bt P Sellar & D Sellar (Crown) 2-0, T Stuart & K Powell (Swan A) bt M Berry & L Thompson (Swan A) 2-0, T Greenaway & K Maunder (Garsington Sports A) bt W Gray & J Smith (Donnington) 2-0, J Townsend & D Walsh (Swan A) bt P Townsend & N Lyon (Three Pigeons) 2-0, S Buckingham & P Townsend (Woodman) bt G & C Hambridge (Bullnose) 2-0, P Rampton & S Ward (Six Bells Kidlington) bt D Edwards & D Lee (Three Pigeons) 2-0, J Fox & K Ridgeway (Six Bells Kidlington) bt C Richardson & C Barrett (Chequers) 2-0, P Alder & B Green (Chequers) bt S Bishop & D Simms (Chequers) 2-0, T Stuart & K Powell (Swan) bt M Berry & L Thompson (Swan) 2-0, T Greenway & K Maunder (Garsington Sports) bt W Gray & J Smith (Donnington Club) 2-0, D Walsh & J Townsend (Swan) bt P Townsend & N Lyon (Three Pigeons) 2-0.

2nd round: D Leopold & S Somerscales bt K Weller & J Weller (Gladiators A) 2-0, R Townsend & R Busby (Six Bells Kidlington) bt N King & M Poulter (Red Lion Yarnton) 2-0, K Baker & D Butler bt C Buckingham & N Pratley (Woodman) 2-0, S Walton & A Baker bt L Purcell & J Morrison (George) 2-1, S Bayliss & K Stuart (George) bt P Smith & S Wells (Six Bells Kidlington) 2-1, T Stuart & K Powell bt A Young & C Proudfoot (Garsington Sports) 2-1, J McMahon & G Coulthard (Bullnose) bt T Greenway & K Maunder 2-1, J Townsend & D Walsh bt M Phipps & P Austin 2-0, S Buckingham & P Townsend bt Y Finney & S Buckle (Blackbird) 2-1, K Giles & C Jenkins (Gladiators A) bt B Lester & T Gillett (George) 2-1, P Rampton & S Ward bt D Slater & K McMahon (Bullnose) 2-1, G Townsend &D Green (Chequers) bt B Godwin & M Rollins (Woodman) 2-1, P Goulding & P Shepherd (New ClubA) bt D Grant & R Bradford (Black Prince) 2-1, B Ruffels & B Trinder (Garsington Sports) bt D Armstrong & K Adams (Crown) 2-0.

3rd round: T Stuart & K Powell bt S Bayliss & K Stuart 2-1, J Townsend & D Walsh bt J McMahon & G Coulthard 2-0, K Giles & C Jenkins bt G Townsend & D Green 2-0, P Rampton & S Ward bt S Buckingham & P Townsend 2-0, S Walton & A Baker bt D Leopold & S Somerscales 2-1, K Baker & D Butler bt R Townsend & R Busby 2-0, P Goulding & P Shepherd bt P Alder & B Green 2-0, B Ruffels & B Trinder bt J Fox & K Ridgeway 2-0.

LOWER PAIRS

1st round: G Williams & A Lewis (Cricketers A) bt R Lee & C Lee (Fox & Goat) 2-1, P Burden & S Dean (Cricketers A) bt S Jessop & G Irvine (Littlemore BL) 2-1, S Rose & L Kirkbridge (Donnington Club) bt M Prince & C Lewis (Donnington Club) 2-0, D Lammin & S Patel (Florence Park) bt A Flett & M Pestana (Cricketers B) 2-1, S Greenough & J Breakspear (Donnington Club) bt E Greenough & R Clark (Donnington Club) 2-0, J Styles & J Dunne (Black Swan) bt T Flett & J Castle (Cricketers B) 2-0, M Joines & C Lewis (Donnington Club) bt D Bowler &I Bowler (Littlemore B L ) 2-1.

2nd round: I Sharp & D Edwards (Fox & Goat) bt M Simmonds & J Goodenough (Cricketers A) 2-0, G Arundel & E Tallon (Cricketers B) bt S Jenkins & H Jenkins (Chequers) 2-0, G Williams & A Lewis bt D Lammin & S Patel (Florence Park) 2-1, P Burden & S Dean bt S Rose & L Kirkbridge 2-1, M Joines & C Lewis bt S Hanlon & M Griffin (Black Swan) 2-0, E Hanlon & M Burke (Black Swan) bt H O’Connor & D Turner (George B) 2-1, S Greenough & J Breakspear bt J Styles & J Dunne 2-0, D Fry & M Gunther (Fox & Goat) bt D Plumstead & A Durham (Florence Park) 2-0.

Quarter-finals: S Greenough & J Breakspear bt M Joines & C Lewis 2-0, E Hanlon & M Burke bt D Fry & M Gunther 2-0, I Sharp & D Edwards bt P Burden & S Dean 2-1, G Williams & A Lewis bt G Arundel & E Tallon 2-0.

Semi-finals: S Greenough & J Breakspear (Donnington Club) bt E Hanlon & M Burke (Black Swan) 2-0, I Sharp & D Edwards (Fox & Goat) bt G Williams & A Lewis (Cricketers A) 2-1.

ABINGDON & DISTRICT LEAGUE

(sponsored by Dyno Plumbing & Heating)

Premier & A Section: Abingdon United B 5, Tandem 1; Spread Eagle B 2, Hart Harwell A 4; Steventon Sports A 0, Spread Eagle 6; Abingdon Con Club 4, College Oak A 2; Plum Pudding B 6, Plum Pudding 0.

B Section: Abingdon RBL @Ab.Utd.FC 2, Red Lion Drayton A 4; Abingdon United C 4, Berinsfield SC B 2; Fox Denchworth A 0, SITV FC 6; Royal Oak Didcot 4, Chequers Charney 2.

C Section: Vine Cumnor 5, Fox Denchworth B 1; Abingdon Arms Wantage 0, Plough East Hendred 6; Brewery Tap A 2, Abingdon Con Club A 4; Red Lion Drayton B 0, Eight Bells Eaton 6; Spread Eagle D 2, Fleur De Lys 4; The Bell Grove 2, The Grapes 4.

D Section: Bear & Ragged Staff 4, Wheatsheaf Didcot A 2; Harwellian A 5, Bowyer Arms 1; North Star A 4, FMSSC Morning Star 2; Waggon & Horses B 5, Berinsfield SC C 1; White Horse A 0, Plough Long Wittenham 6.

E Section: Boundary House A 4, Boundary House 2; Crown Marcham 0, Waggon & Horses A 6; George & Dragon Upton 2, Brewery Tap B 4; Saxton Rov 6, Harwellian B 0; Wheatsheaf Drayton 4, Black Horse East Hanney 2.

F Section: College Oak 6, North Star B 0; Queens Arms Didcot 0, Ladygrove A 6; RAL Sec Soc 2, Old Anchor A 4; Wantage Tn FC 3, White Horse B 3; Wheatsheaf Didcot B 3, The Plough A West Hanney 3.

Sixers: D Butler (Tandem), D Dix (Abingdon United B).

Blobbers: A Blessing (Red Lion Drayton B), A Goodman (White Horse A), C Kennedy (Plough A West Hanney), G Austin (Wantage Tn FC), G Brenchley (Plough A West Hanney), J Tyrell (North Star B), J Donohoe (Abingdon Arms Wantage), J Holt (RAL Sec Soc), M Danby (North Star A), M Rudman (RAL Sec Soc), M Beech (Wheatsheaf Didcot B).

WYCHWOOD LEAGUE

Chadlington SSC 6, Masons Arms A 4; Cock Inn 10, Queens Head A 0; Black Prince A 4, Oxford Yeoman B 6; Hanborough SSC 2, Enstone SSC 8; Ye Olde Cross Keys 6, Red Lion 4; Oxford Yeoman A 2, Killingworth Castle 8; Masons Arms B 2, George & Dragon 8; Three Horseshoes 3, Stonesfield SSC 7; Queens Head B 8, Woodman Inn 2.

Top scorer: P Austin 19 dolls.

Sixer: P Austin.