BOWLS: Oxon's mixed fortunes (From Oxford Mail)

BOWLS: Oxon's mixed fortunes

11:00am Thursday 20th September 2012 in Sport

Home Counties Championships

IT proved a mixed bag for Oxfordshire’s bowlers at the Home Counties Bowls Association Championships, played at Croydon BC, Surrey.

Although nobody managed to land a title, Oxon did leave with a trophy, when county president David Allin collected the Leonard Denny Cup for his side’s success in winning the Home Counties League Championship.

In the pairs semi-final, John Philpott and Ian Snowdon (Headington) lost 19-18 in a tight game against Rob Ryan and Nick Skidmore (West Ealing, Middlesex).

Berkshire’s Steve Fraser and Peter van de Mortel (Kingston Bagpuize & Southmoor) won the other semi, also by 19-18, against the Buckinghamshire pairing of Steve Jackson and Bob Doddington (Iver Heath).

However, Ryan and Skidmore won a tense final 20-19 after claiming three shots on the last end.

Headington’s trio of Colin Whitehead, Nathan Lewis and Howard Watts lost 21-12 against Kent’s Bromley triple of David King, Michael Goord and Christopher Smith, who went on to win the final.

Banbury Borough’s rink of Andrew Buttress, George Moon, Greg Moon and Mark Sykes led from the sixth to the 18th end of their match against the Milton Regis, Kent, four of Sean Coyle, Lee Shoobridge, Mark Johnson and Paul Barnicott before losing the last three ends and going out 19-14.

Oxfordshire’s remaining participant, Watlington’s Sam Watts, started strongly in his under 25 singles semi-final against host club bowler Josh Grant.

But despite needing just one shot for victory after leading 20-14, his opponent scored a four and then a three to complete a remarkable comeback.