An Oxford & District trio’s bid for glory at the English Indoor Bowling Association National Championship ladies triples ended in the quarter-finals at Melton IBC.

Skip Donna Knight, Carole Galletly and Katherine Hawes went out 18-6 to Swale’s Paige Dennis, Sandy Hazell and Wendy King, who went on to beat Dolphin’s Sally Williams, Lyn Howard and Penny Cresswell 17-13 in the final.

The Oxford triple had opened their challenge with a 21-13 win over Peterborough’s Valerie Newson, Sarah Newson and Pat Reynolds, before edging past Dorchester’s Emma Follis, Barbara Follis and Annette Hallett 17-15.

Three Banbury Cross men’s sides fell at the final hurdle in their bid to reach the National Championships at Nottingham with defeats by Desborough opponents in the area deciders.

Mark Sykes, who had already been defeated 21-17 by Desborough’s Andrew Knapper in the singles decider, ended up with an unwanted hat-trick.

He skipped a Banbury Cross side to an 18-9 defeat by Matthew Hyde in the triples, and also came off second best in the fours, 20-14 to Antony Parrot. To complete the club’s woe, skip Calvin Carpenter went down 27-19 to Knapper in the pairs.