Steve Walton (Red Lion Eynsham) reached the last four of the singles competition with a thrilling 2-1 victory against Phil Wilkins (Cricketers).

Walton set off at a blistering pace, with a maximum set of six to win the leg, before hitting all three dolls in the three-stick shoot-out to level it up after the rivals were tied at 5-5.

Another set of five from Walton was enough to see off Wilkins in the decider.

It was tough luck on Wilkins who missed only eight dolls on his way to the quarter-finals Walton will now meet either Andy Beal (Six Bells Kidlington), Mick Berry (Red Lion Eynsham) or Philip Adams (Cricketers) on Monday, September 6, for a place in the final.

Adams took his semi-final slot with a 2-0 victory against Adrian Shepherd (New Club) He clanged off five dolls in the opening leg after Shepherd had set him four.

He then whipped of all six dolls in the next leg to book his place in the last four.

In the third-round, he had ended holder Neil Lyon’s interest in the competition with a 2-1 victory.

The Three Pigeons’ ace set five in the first leg, only for an on-fire Adams to stun Lyon by clanging off all six sticks.

Lyon then won the next 5-4, with Adams clinching the tie with a 4-1 win in the decider.

Shepherd had reached the quarter-final following a 2-0 success against Roger Goodall (Six Bells) in the quarter-finals.

Berry reached the semis with a 2-0 victory against Robert Taylor (Red Lion Brill).

After Berry set and won the first leg with his third six, Taylor could only reply with a set of two in the next leg, which Berry passed with ease.

Taylor had hit a maximum six to reach the last eight with a 2-1 win against Barry Townsend (Cricketers).

In the second round, Berry beat Pip Goudling (Cricketers) 2-0.

After winning the opener 6-4, he set five in the next leg, with Goulding falling one doll short in reply.

Berry then eased to a third-round victory against Steve Ward.

He won the first leg 4-1, hitting a six to take the second leg on a one-stick shoot-out after three sticks failed to get a result.

The game had ended with the rivals locked at 4-4 .

Earlier, Berry saw off Dave Townsend from Three Pigeons 2-0, though it was a tight encounter.

The first leg was decided on a one-stick shoot-out, the second on a three-stick shoot-out.

Beal made the last four by defeating Keith Powell (Red Lion Eynsham).

Powell opened up with a set of three with Beal hitting back to level.

They both failed to trouble the doll in the three-stick shoot-out.

But Beal hit the only doll in the shoot-out to take the opening leg.

Beal then set five in the next leg which proved just too much for Powell.

Meanwhile, Darren Cox (Team Monarch) will face Andy Lewis (Ampleforth Arms) in the final of the Ted Houghton singles, at a date to be fixed.

Cox booked his place after beating Craig Greenough (Nelson) 2-0 in the semi-finals, while Lewis triumphed 2-0 against Greenough’s teammate Gary Coulthard.

OXFORD & DISTRICT SINGLES 1st round: W Waite (George) bt J Weller (George), J Weller (George) bt E Edwards (Three Pigeons), L Thompson (Red Lion Eynsham) bt D Walsh (Six Bells), K Giles (George) bt T Recht (Garsington Sports), P Wilkins (Cricketers) bt P Rampton (Six Bells), A Cross (Six Bells) bt J Chapman (Red Lion Brill), S Walton (The George) bt I Clarke (Cricketers), S Greenough (Garsington Sports) bt P Sawyer (Six Bells), D Sellar (Cricketers) bt K Alder (Garsington Sports), N Lyon (Three Pigeons) bt D Sawyer (George), R Taylor (Red Lion Brill) bt B Gilding (New Club), M Cook (Gladiators) bt M Herbert (Red Lion Eynsham), B Townsend (Cricketers) bt J Greenaway (Red Lion Eynsham). 2nd round: W Waite (George) bt P Dempsey (Three Pigeons), K Powell (Red Lion Eynsham) bt J Weller (George), A Beal (Six Bells) bt D Townsend (Three Pigeons), L Thompson (Red Lion Eynsham) bt K Giles (George), D Butler (George) bt A Cross (Six Bells), P Townsend (Three Pigeons) bt L Hazell (Red Lion Eynsham), P Wilkins (Cricketers) bt l Goodgame (Six Bells), S Walton (Garsington Sports) bt S Walton (George), N Lyon (Three Pigeons) bt D Sellar (Cricketers), R Goodall (Six Bells) bt M Phipps (Three Pigeons), P Adams (Cricketers) bt J Townsend (Cricketers), A Shepherd (New Club) bt L Purcell (New Club), S Ward (Six Bells) bt G Townsend (Cricketers), R Taylor (Red Lion Brill) bt M Cook (Gladiators), M Berry (Red Lion Eynsham) bt P Goulding (Cricketers), B Townsend (Cricketers) bt K Baker (Cricketers). 3rd round: K Powell (Red Lion Eynsham) bt L Thompson (Red Lion Eynsham), A Beal (Six Bells) bt W Waite (George), P Adams (Cricketers B) bt N Lyon (Three Pigeons), S Walton (George) bt D Butler (George), P Wilkins (Cricketers) bt P Townsend (Three Pigeons), A Shepherd (New Club) bt R Goodall (Six Bells), R Taylor (Red Lion Brill) bt B Townsend (Cricketers), M Berry (Red Lion Eynsham) bt S Ward (Six Bells). Quarter-finals: A Beal (Six Bells) bt K Powell (Red Lion Eynsham), P Adams (Cricketers B) bt A Shepherd (New Club), S Walton (George) bt P Wilkins (Cricketers), M Berry (Red Lion Eynsham) bt R Taylor (Red Lion Brill). SIXERS M Berry (Red Lion) 3, P Adams (Cricketers) 2, P Wilkins (Cricketers), P Townsend (Three Pigeons), K Giles (George), R Taylor (Red Lion Brill), A Shepherd (New Club), S Walton (George), N Lyon (Three Pigeons). TED HOUGHTON SINGLES 1st round: L Malyon (Littlemore Rugby) bt P Hounslow (Chequers), C Richardson (Chequers) bt K Neal (Team Monarch), D Cox (Team Monarch) v B Lester (Littlemore Rugby). 2nd round: T Gillett (Littlemore Rugby) bt L Malyon (Littlemore Rugby), A Lewis (Ampleforth Arms) bt S Malyon (Littlemore Rugby), G Coulthard (Nelson) bt D Mullee (Littlemore Rugby), G Millard (Fairview Inn) bt C Richardson (Chequers), K Bull (Team Monarch) bt G Hambridge (Nelson), C Greenough (Nelson) bt D Slater (Nelson), G Bastable (Quarry Gate) bt M Malyon (Littlemore Rugby), D Cox (Team Monarch) bt J Lucin (Black Swan B). Quarter-finals: G Coulthard (Nelson) bt G Millard (Fairview Inn), A Lewis (Ampleforth Arms) bt T Gillett (Littlemore Rugby), C Greenough (Nelson) bt K Bull (Team Monarch), D Cox (Team Monarch) bt G Bastable (Quarry Gate). Semi-finals: A Lewis (Ampleforth Arms) bt G Coulthard (Nelson), D Cox (Team Monarch) bt C Greenough (Nelson). ABINGDON & DISTRICT LEAGUE Premier & A Section: Steventon Sports 6, Abingdon Legion 0; Abingdon United A 2, Cumnor Cricket Club 4; Fox Steventon 4, Tandem 2; Berinsfield SC A 0, Spread Eagle 6; Spread Eagle B 6, Red Lion A 0. B Section: Abingdon Con Club 4, College Oak A 2; Abingdon United B 4, Berinsfield S.C B 2; White Horse 2, White Hart 4; Plough East Hendred 2, Admiral Benbow 4; Red Lion C 2, Abingdon United D 4. C Section: Eight Bells 0, Abingdon United C 6; Flowing Well A 2, Waggon & Horses South-moor 4; Brewery Tap A 2, Fox Denchworth 4; Plough Long Wittenham 4, The Hatchett 2; Magic Midget 2, White Horse 4. D Section: Barley Mow 6, Wheatsheaf Didcot 0; North Star B 3, Dean Court 3; The Vine 2, Abingdon Arms 4. E Section: North Star C 3, North Star A 3; Chequers Charney Bassett 3, Harwell Legion 3; White Hart B 4, Brewery Tap B 2; Stanford FC 5, Eight Bells B 1. F Section: The Ox 4, Black Horse B 2; Plough Appleton 4, Crown Didcot 2; Black Horse A 4, Magic Midget B 2. G Section: Cross Keys C 4, Cross Keys Wallingford 2; Morning Star 6, Crown Marcham 0; Red Lion D 4, Cross Keys B 2. H Section: Plough Hanney 4, GWSC Didcot 2; Rose & Crown 2, Fleur De Lys 4; Shoulder of Mutton 0, Fitzharris Arms 6; Goodlake Arms 3. Shears 3; Didcot Labour Club 2. North Star D 4. Sixes: T Barrett; K Smith.