Reigning champion Neil Lyon (Three Pigeons) crashed out 2-1 to Mick Berry (Red Lion Eynsham) in the Greene King Oxford & District League singles second round, writes ANDY BEAL.

The first leg was a marathon as it was tied 3-3, and then on three sticks and one stick and six sticks again, before Lyon took the second three-stick shoot-out 3-1.

But Berry took the next 5-2 before triumphing 4-3 in the decider.

Berry’s challenge came to an end in the next round with a 2-1 defeat by Barry Townsend (Cricketers B), who in turn lost by the same score to teammate Phil Adams.

Townsend won the opening leg with five, but ten-times winner Adams took the next 5-4 before taking the last with four. Steve Ward (Six Bells Kidlington), last year’s runner-up, battled his way to the semi-finals. In the quarter-finals, he defeated Kevin Giles (Three Pigeons) 2-1, with the final leg going to three sticks, which Ward won 2-1.

Kevin Baker (Cricketers B) also came through some hard-fought games to reach the last four. In the first round, he just got the better of Tommy Recht (Garsington Sports) 2-1 with the final leg going to three sticks.

He then saw off Dick Walsh (Six Bells Kidlington) and Mick Phipps (Three Pigeons) 2-0 to reach the quarter-finals against Eddie Edwards (Three Pigeons).

Baker won the opening leg 5-3, but Edwards took the second leg on a second throw of six sticks after the three and one stick shoot-outs were tied.

Baker set five in the decider to claim victory.

Section 3 player Keith Bull (Team Monarch) sprang a surprise by clinching the fourth semi-final place, knocking out three Premier aces and a Section 1 player on the way.

In the first round, he saw off Dave Townsend (Three Pigeons) 2-0, and then beat Den Butler (Gladiators A) by the same score.

Bull then pipped Pete Rampton (Six Bells Kidlington) 2-1, before edging past Keith Powell (Red Lion Eynsham) 2-1 in the last eight.

Peter Sellar (Crown Chalgrove) will face John Lucin (Donnington Club C) in the Ted Houghton Singles final.


Sellar booked his place in the decider of the competition for Section 4-11 players at Oxford Sports Social Club on Friday, October 19 with a 2-1 victory over Steve Christy (Cricketers A) in the last four.


Sellar had been taken to the wire in the first round by Marc Joines (Donnington Club C).


The first two legs both went to three sticks, and were shared.
Sellar then set four in the decider, which Joines matched.


They both scored two in the three-stick shoot-out, before Sellar sealed victory by taking the one-stick battle 1-0.


Lucin beat Ken Bradbury (Cricketers A) 2-0 in his semi-final.


Lucin won the first leg 3-2 and then posted three in the next leg.


Bradbury matched that and three and one-stick shoot-outs could not separate them, before Lucin clinched victory 5-4 as the game reverted to six sticks.

OXFORD SINGLES


1st round: K Bull (Team Monarch) 2, D Townsend (Three Pigeons) 0; P Townsend (Three Pigeons) 2, P Wilkins (Cricketers B) 1; A Beal (Six Bells Kid) 2, M Murphy (Chequers A) 0; L Thompson (Red Lion A Eyn) 2, P Goulding (Cricketers B) 1; K Baker (Cricketers B) 2, T Recht (Garsington Sports A) 1; P Adams (Cricketers B) 2, M Herbert (Red Lion A Eynsham) 0; A Goodgame (Six Bells C Kid) 2, L Hazell (Red Lion A Eynsham) 0; I Clarke (Cricketers B) 2, W Waite (Bullnose Morris) 0.

2nd round: C Jenkins (Gladiators A) 2, S Greenough (Garsington Sports A) 0; K Bull (Team Monarch) 2, D Butler (Gladiators A) 0; P Rampton (Six Bells Kid) 2, A Cross (Six Bells Kid) 1; K Powell (Red Lion Eyn) 2, P Hounslow (Chequers A) 1; P Townsend (Three Pigeons) 2, R Goodall (Six Bells Kid) 0; S Ward (Six Bells Kid) 2, A Beal (Six Bells Kid) 0; K Giles (Three Pigeons) 2, P Sawyer (Red Lion A Kid) 0; C Greenough (Original Swan A) 2, C Proudfoot (Team Monarch) 0; B Trinder (Garsington Spts A) 2, P Dempsey (Three Pigeons) 1; E Edwards (Three Pigeons) 2, M Cook (Gladiators A) 1; K Baker (Cricketers B) 2, D Walsh (Six Bells Kid) 0; M Phipps (Three Pigeons) 2, L Thompson (Red Lion A Eyn) 1; A Goodgame (Six Bells C Kid) 2, D Sellar (Cricketers B) 1; M Berry (Red Lion A Eyn) 2, N Lyon (Three Pigeons) 1; B Townsend (Cricketers B) 2, I Clarke (Cricketers B) 1; P Adams (Cricketers B) 2, K Weller (Gladiators A) 0.


3rd round: K Powell (Red Lion Eyn) 2, C Jenkins (Gladiators A) 0; K Bull (Team Monarch) 2, P Rampton (Six Bells Kid) 1; K Giles (Three Pigeons) 2, P Townsend (Three Pigeons) 0; S Ward (Six Bells Kid) 2, C Greenough (Original Swan A) 1; K Baker (Cricketers B) 2, M Phipps (Three Pigeons) 0; E Edwards (Three Pigeons) 2, B Trinder (Garsington Spts A) 1; P Adams (Cricketers B) 2, A Goodgame (Six Bells C Kid) 0; B Townsend (Cricketers B) 2, M Berry (Red Lion A Eyn) 1.


Quarter-finals: K Bull (Team Monarch) 2, K Powell (Red Lion Eyn) 0; S Ward (Six Bells Kid) 2, K Giles (Three Pigeons) 1; K Baker (Cricketers B) 2, E Edwards (Three Pigeons) 1; P Adams (Cricketers B) 2, B Townsend (Cricketers B) 1.


Semi-finalists: K Bull (Team Monarch), S Ward (Six Bells Kid), K Baker (Cricketers B), P Adams (Cricketers B).


Sixers: K Giles, M Phipps (Three Pigeons), K Baker (Cricketers B).


TED HOUGHTON SINGLES

1st round: M Arnold (Crown Chalgrove) 2, N Rudman (Golden Ball A) 1; C Lewis (Donnington Club) 2, M Faulkner (Golden Ball A) 0; B Gilding (New Club B) 2, H Carter (Florence Park A) 0; D Cholewinski (Donnington Club) 2, D Soanes (Donnington Club C) 1; J Lucin (Donnington Club C) 2, P Flaherty (Donnington Club C) 0; K Bradbury (Cricketers A) 2, J Crawford (Golden Ball A) 0.


2nd round: P Sellar (Crown Chalgrove) 2, M Joines (Donnington Club C) 1; G Williams (Cricketers A) 2, M Arnold (Crown Chalgrove) 1; C Lewis (Donnington Club C) 2, D Rudman (Golden Ball) 1; S Christy (Cricketers A) 2, K Soanes (Donnington Club C) 0; J Lucin (Donnington Club C) 2, S Rose (Donnington Club C) 0; K Bradbury (Cricketers A) 2, R Harvet (Donnington Club C) 0; B Gilding (New Club B) 2, G Millard (Fairview Inn A) 1; P Burden (Cricketers A) 2, D Cholewinski (Donnington Club) 1.


Quarter-finals: S Christy (Cricketers A) 2, C Lewis (Donnington Club C) 0; P Sellar (Crown Chalgrove) 2, G Williams (Cricketers A) 1; K Bradbury (Cricketers A) 2, P Burden (Cricketers A) 1; J Lucin (Donnington Club C) 2, B Gilding (New Club B) 0.


Semi-finals: P Sellar (Crown Chalgrove) 2, S Christy (Cricketers A) 1; J Lucin (Donnington Club C) 2,  K Bradbury (Cricketers A) 0.


Final: P Sellar (Crown Chalgrove) v J Lucin (Donnington Club C) at Rover Social Club on Friday, October 19.


ABINGDON & DISTRICT LEAGUE


Premier & A Section: Abingdon United 6, Tandem 0; Steventon Sports 4, Berinsfield SC 2; Spread Eagle 4, Wootton Legion 2; Abingdon Legion 4, Red Lion 2.


B Section: Hart of Harwell 6, North Star 0; Berinsfield SC 2, College Oak 4; Admiral Benbow 2, Abingdon Utd 4.


C Section: Vine 2, Abingdon Utd 4; Waggon & Horses 4, Abingdon Con Club 2; Plough 0, Vine 6.


D Section: Wootton Legion 0, Fleur De Lys 6; Brewery Tap 6, Crown 0; Pack Horse 4, Eight Bells 2; North Star 5, Stanford FC 1.


E Section: Harwell Legion 4, Boundary House 2; Spread Eagle 5, Black Horse 1; Wheatsheaf 4, Hatchet 2.


F Section: Abingdon Arms 5, North Star 1; Bear 4, Bowyers Arms 2; Didcot Con Club 2, Hart of Harwell 4.


G Section: Horse & Harrow 2, Goodlake Arms 4; Morning Star 4, Brewery Tap 2; Plough 2, Queens Arms 4; Royal Oak 6, Crown 0; Old Anchor 5, Spread Eagle 1.


H Section: Challow Legion 0, Abingdon Legion 6; Drayton Park Vets Golf Club 5, Cross Keys 1; Midget 4, Cross Keys 2.


J Section: Kings Arms 4, Wheatsheaf 2; Rose & Crown 4, Waggon & Horses 2; Hinds Head 6, Cross Keys 0.


Sixes: J Simmons, P Wright.