DEAN May and Sam Watts will represent Oxfordshire in the National U25 Singles Championship at Leamington Spa.

Despite only winning his first round match 21-20 against Watlington’s Chris Gilkes, May, from Headington, raced into an 11-0 lead against Shane Cooper in their semifinal clash.

Cooper, also from Watlington, tried to fight back, but May held on for a 21-8 success.

He will be joined at Leamington by Watts, last year’s Oxfordshire winner.

The Watlington bowler came from 16-13 down to beat Carterton’s Dan Wakeman in the quarter-final, and then saw off West Witney’s Harvey Alder 21-14, after the duo were level at 10-10.

May and Watts will meet in the Oxfordshire final on July 19.

The pairs competition has reached the semi-final stage, with Howard Watts and Jon Philpott (Headington), Ian Henwood and Mark Charlett (Headington), Nigel Galletly and Will Campion (Banbury Central) as well as Watlington’s Gordon Hooker and Bob Gilkes making the last four.

  • OXFORDSHIRE were again outclassed by Surrey, losing their Home Counties League game 122-103 at Thame.

Having been beaten by the same opponents in their latest Middleton Cup clash, only Kevin Alder’s rink and Alan Ley’s four recorded victories as Oxon went down by 18 points to four.

Alder’s match was close for the first 13 ends, before Oxfordshire pulled away to win by ten shots.

Ley’s team only won nine ends, but triumphed by three shots.

However, the rinks skipped by Ian Whelpton (lost by four shots), Ian Henwood (ten), Jason King (five), Colin Whitehead (13) were all second best.

Oxon 103 (4pts), Surrey 122 (18)

(Oxfordshire scores first)

Rink 1: C Lewis, P Latter, C Earl & K Alder 26; M Porter, P Clark, B Ayling & J Graham 16.

Rink 2: G Hooker, L Days, S Jones & I Whelpton 14; A Vadher, R Long, P Chuter & M Sampson 18.

Rink 3: P Lopez, P Skidmore, P Comley & I Henwood 14; P Vamvacopoulos, P Foley, C Ions & C Souter 24.

Rink 4: R Green, R Jackson, J Hardie & J King 18; C Jones, G Dawber, W Mathews & L Dickson 23.

Rink 5: B Bloomfield, P Strange, C Weller & C Whitehead 13; G Oliver, A Boarer, J Cable & M Sigamoney 26.

Rink 6: P Demczak, T Jupp, R Barnett & A Ley 18; J Tucker, R Mallet, R Dodds & N Chapman 15.

  • OXFORDSHIRE did beat Surrey by four shots in a friendly clash at Bicester.

The result was in doubt until the final end, but Oxfordshire came out on top in four rinks for a 123-119 success.

Oxfordshire 123, Surrey 119

(Oxfordshire rink scores): P Demczak, J Hurley, J Timms & I Whelpton won 23-14; T Gripe, N Satchel, D Wedge & A Hall won 22-19; B Willoughby, W Allin, G Hooker & A Ley won 28-25; S Tolhurst, L Eltringham, B Evans & B Ray lost 20-18; C Lewis, M Jones, H Williams & B Gilkes lost 23-11; A Wase, M Oliver, B Bloomfield & L Days won 21-18.