ROB Bradford’s 15 dolls helped Black Prince put a huge dent in New Club A’s Premier Section title ambitions, writes ANDY BEAL.

The hosts put in one of their best performances of the season to win all three legs 31-26, 34-26, 27-25 and stay in the race for the Section 1 title.

Bradford had a six in his haul (6-4-5), while Adrian Shepherd (5-3-5) was the top dog for New Club.

The slip-up allowed Gladiators A the chance to stretch their lead in the top-flight, which they took with a 3-0 whitewash over visitors Swan A.

The hosts ran out 26-22, 29-28, 26-20 winners to move seven points clear.

Three Pigeons lead a four-way race for the Section 1 title, but they dropped a point at home to basement boys George A.

The visitors took the opening leg 27-25, before Pigeons hit back to take the next two 29-22, 25-23.

After losing their last two games, Woodman got back on track with a 3-0 victory at home to Swan B.

Mark Rollins (4-4-5) was a reliable anchor man, clanging off 13 in the 24-20, 27-24, 25-23 success, while John Greenway (4-5-5) hit 14 for the visitors.

Six Bells E Kidlington stayed top of Section 2 by one point after winning 2-1 at Black Horse C with leg scores of 18-12, 21-13, 19-23.

Willy Waite bagged a maximum on the way to clanging off 14 dolls as Bullnose Morris A won 2-1 at Crown.

Derrick Slater (5-4-4) also weighed in with 14 for the visitors, who came from behind after losing the first leg 26-22, edging the next two legs 20-18, 23-22.

Chequers C extinguished Six Bells D’s title hopes after trouncing them 3-0.

Geoff Townsend (4-4-6) starred with 14 in the 20-18, 23-22, 20-13 success, despite Steve Ward’s 14 (5-6-3) for Bells.

Anchor man Chris Webb whipped off a six to snatch a leg as Gladiators B moved off the bottom with a tight 3-0 win at Six Bells A Quarry.

After the visitors won the opener 17-16, Webb’s heroics pinched the second leg 14-13 and the whitewash was confirmed with an 18-16 success in the final leg.

Steve Walton’s 14-doll haul (5-5-4) led Donnington Club A to a 19-16, 22-18, 21-15 win at Vikings Sports Club A.

Top versus bottom went to form in Section 3, although the leg scores were closer than the 3-0 scoreline suggests.

Garsington Sports B held their nerve to win 19-17, 22-18, 22-21.

Vikings Sports B’s five-game losing streak was halted by a 2-1 win at Tiddington Cricket Club.

Their run appeared set to continue when they scored a dismal eight chasing 12 in the first leg.

But Vikings hit back to win the next two legs 19-13, 22-17.

LITTLEMORE British Legion A’s winning run in Section 4 was extended to seven games with a 2-1 success at home to Masons Arms A.

The hosts took the first two legs 18-17, 19-12, before promotion rivals Masons took the final leg 23-15.

Section 5 leaders Seacourt Bridge A were given a fright at Chequers B and were lucky to come away with a 2-1 win.

Set only eight in the opening leg, Seacourt needed a four from Jim Hamilton and two from anchor man Mick Beane to see them over the line.

Seacourt went two legs up by taking the next 16-10, but Chequers hit back to take the last leg 14-11.

Section 6 leaders Six Bells B Quarry crashed 2-1 at Donnington Club B, with leg scores of 15-13, 13-15, 20-14.

High-flying Marston British Legion also went down by the same scoreline, at Green Road Club A.

The Legion went ahead 15-10, but that was as good as it got, with the the hosts roaring back to claim the next two legs 14-13, 16-10.

Vikings Sports C took advantage of the leaders’ struggles to move level with them at the top with a 3-0 victory at home to White Hart A.

A straightforward 22-12 success in the second leg was sandwiched by much tighter contests, where anchor man Jack Wells had to score a pair of threes to clinch them 11-10, 15-14.

RESULTS

OXFORD & DISTRICT LEAGUE

Premier/Section 1: Gladiators A 3, Swan A 0; Black Prince 3, New Club A 0; Three Pigeons 2, George A 1; Swan B 0, Woodman 3; Red Lion A 1, Garsington Sports A 2.

Section 2: Vikings Sports A 0, Donnington Club A 3; Six Bells D 0, Chequers C 3; Black Horse C 1, Six Bells E 2; Six Bells A 0, Gladiators B 3; Crown 1, Bullnose A 2.

Section 3: White House 2, King & Queen 1; New Club B 2, Chequers A 1; Garsington Sports B 3, Six Bells A 0; Tiddington Cricket Club 1, Vikings Sports B 2; Blackbird 2, Queens Head 1.

Section 4: George B 0, Donnington Club C 3; Littlemore BL A 2, Masons Arms A 1; Black Swan 2, Democrats Club A 1; Swan C 1, Rose Hill Club 2; Tiddington Cricket Club 1, Vikings Sports B 2.

Section 5: Red Lion 2, Fox & Goat 1; Masons Arms B 3, Littlemore BL B 0; Chequers B 1, Seacourt Bridge A 2; Cricketers Arms 1, Cricketers A 2.

Section 6: Vikings Sports C 3, White Hart A 0; Original Swan A 2, Black Horse B 1; Green Road Club A 2, Marston BL 1; Florence Park Club 3, Northway Club C 1; Donnington Club B 2, Six Bells B 1.

Section 7: Northway Club B 0, Catherine Wheel A 3; Catherine Wheel B 1, Prince of Wales 2; Black Horse A 1, Red Lion B 2; Cricketers B 2, Northway Club C 1; Tandem 3, Kidlington Sports Club 0.

Section 8: Democrats Club B 0, Kings Arms 3; Headington Con Club 1, Gladiators C 2; White Hart B 1, White Hart Wytham 2.

Sixers: S Ward (Six Bells E Kidlington), G Townsend (Chequers C), K Baker (Gladiators A), W Waite (Bullnose Morris A), C Webb (Gladiators B).

Blobbers: A Gibbs, E Mazey, C Gibbs (Democrats Club B), J Stevens (Rose Hill Club), P Bradley (Queens Head), E Hopkins (Littlemore BL B), M Pestana (Cricketers B), A Gresswell (White Hart Wytham).

Top doll scorers: 15 – R Bradford (Black Prince). 14 – S Ward (Six Bells E Kidlington), G Townsend (Chequers C), J Greenaway (Swan B), W Waite (Bullnose Morris A). 13 – K Giles (Gladiators A), A Shepherd (New Club A), M Rollins (Woodman), D Edwards (Three Pigeons), D Slater (Bullnose Morris A), C Webb (Gladiators B).

ABINGDON & DISTRICT LEAGUE

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Premier & A Section: Spread Eagle 3, Steventon Sports A 3; Tandem 1, Abingdon United B 5; College Oak A 2, Abingdon Con Club 4; Hart Harwell A 2, Spread Eagle B 4; Plum Pudding 2, Plum Pudding B 4.

B Section: Abingdon United C 6, Berinsfield SC B 0; Chequers 6, Royal Oak Didcot 0; Fox Denchworth B 3, The Vine Cumnor 3; Red Lion Drayton A 2, Abingdon RBL 4; SITV FC 3, Fox A 3.

C Section: Abingdon Con Club A 2, Brewery Tap A 4; Eight Bells Eaton 2, Red Lion Drayton B 4; Fleur De Lys 4, Spread Eagle D 2; Plough East Hendred 4, Abingdon Arms Wantage 2; Grapes 4, Bell Grove 2.

D Section: Berinsfield SC C 4, Waggon & Horses B 2; Bowyer Arms 0, Harwellian A 6; FMSSC Morning Star 0, North Star A 6; Plough Long Wittenham 6, White Horse A 0; Wheatsheaf Didcot A 3, Bear & Ragged Staff 3.

E Section: Black Horse East Hanney 2, Wheatsheaf Drayton 4; Boundary House 6, Boundary House A 0; Harwellian B 2, Saxton Rovers 4; Waggon & Horses A 4, Crown Marcham 2.

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

Sixers: D Dix (Abingdon United B) 2, K Fisher (Plum Pudding).

Blobbers: D Addison (College Oak), J Bosley (Harwellian B), L Beard (FMSSC Morning Star), M Porter (Harwellian A), R Bishop (Old Anchor A).

WYCHWOOD LEAGUE

Masons Arms A 7, Chadlington SSC 3; Queens Head A 6, Cock Inn 4; Oxford Yeoman B 3, Black Prince A 7; Red Lion 5, Ye Olde Cross Keys 5; Killingworth Castle 10, Oxford Yeoman A 0; George & Dragon 2, Masons Arms B 8; Stonesfield SSC 5, Three Horseshoes 5.

Top scorer: D Walsh (Black Prince A) 22.

Sixers: D Walsh (Black Prince A), S Buckingham (Masons Arms A).