Carterton are guaranteed a four at the English National Championmships finals at Worthing next month with their two quarter-final-winning rinks now meeting each other in Sunday's semi-finals at Oxford City & County.

George Weedon's four of Sam Muir, Chris Thorne and John Hicks overcame the resilient Cotswold foursome of Alan Rowe, Geoff Giles, Neville Pearman and Melvyn Brain 19-14 in the night's closest encounter.

With five ends left to play, the teams were level at 10-all.

Entering the last end 15-14 up, Weedon's rink finished in style with a four to book their place in the semis-finals.

Their opponents there will be clubmates Chris Weedon, Remy Clanfield, David Abbott and skip David Clanfield, who beat Banbury Borough's Ted Eley, Ken Allen, Bob Colbourne and David Gardner 21-18.

From 11-3 down after eight ends, the Borough rink levelled the match at 15-15 on the 16th end.

But six shots over the next three ends from Carterton proved too large a gap for them to make up over the last two ends.

Banbury Borough's other rink of Keith Holloway, Richard Redford, Alan Prew and Gary Lucas ran out 20-14 winners over Oxford City & County's Dave Nash, Richard Jackson, David Allin and Mick Charlett.

The City & County four opened up a 9-2 lead after eight ends only to see it disappear over the next four.

City & County's Mike Petersen, Robin Hewson, in for the injured Steve Gibson, Bernie May and Mervyn Gleeson went down 22-18 to Shiplake's Dave Hall, Jim Bland, Barry Lambourne and Ryan Buckett.

The two sides were level at 12-12 at halfway, but nine shots over the next four ends gave the Shiplake rink a lead which they held on to.

The singles quarter-finals saw some of the most exciting bowling of the week.

In a night of fightbacks, Banbury Borough's Colin Whitehead won eight successive ends to come from 19-8 down against Banbury Central's Lee Young for a 21-19 triumph.

Similarly, Carterton's Andy Wise fought back from 16-9 down to pick up 12 shots over the next six ends for a 21-16 victory against West Witney's Paul Skidmore.

Sammy Timms's fightback from 17-8 down against Carterton clubmate Paul Sharman proved in vain as he went down 21-17.

In the last match, Headington's Nick Rae-Welsh brushed aside Kidlington's Jim Feeley 21-12.

SUNDAY'S SEMI-FINALS LINE-UP (At Oxford City & County) Pairs (10am): M Nash & M Charlett (Headington) v K Holloway & R Redford (Banbury Borough), S Claridge & P Mabbutt (Headington) v S Timms & R Clanfield (Carterton).

Gary Harrington Cup Under 25s Singles (11am): W Campion (Banbury Central) v S Muir (Carterton), J Philpott (Banbury Borough BC) v W Soden (Watlington).

Triples (2pm): I Henwood, P Mabbutt & C Nicoll (Headington) v G Coggon, G Coombs & H Williams (West Witney), R Hewson, M Petersen & DA Ley (Oxford City & County) v S Richens, R Clanfield & B Sparkes (Carterton).

Fours (2pm): S Muir, C Thorne, J Hicks & G Weedon (Carterton) v C Weedon, Re Clanfield, D Abbott, D. Clanfield (Carterton), D Hall, J Bland, B Lambourne, R Buckett (Shiplake Village) v K Holloway, R Redford, A Prew & G Lucas (Banbury Borough).

Singles (2.30pm): N. Rae-Welsh (Headington) v C Whitehead (Banbury Borough), A Wise (Carterton) v P Sharman (Carterton).