EIGHT partnerships from as many different teams make up the Oxford Pairs quarter-finals in one of the most open competitions for years.

Four venues hosted the early rounds, with three sections represented in the last eight.

Gladiators A duo Kevin Baker and Den Butler, and Black Prince’s Phil Austin and Mick Phipps progressed from the matches at The Cricketers.

Baker and Butler were in danger of a first-round exit against George A’s Liam Purcell and Steve Bayliss.

Having lost the opening leg 7-5, they levelled the match in a three-stick shoot-out after the second was tied 6-6, before winning the decider 4-3.

Austin and Phipps, meanwhile, were rarely troubled on their way to the last eight.

At Garsington Sports, 2009 winners Pete Rampton and Steve Ward progressed, along with George A’s James Morrison and Kevin Smart.

The latter were tested by teammates Billy Trinder and Brian Reidy, only winning the second leg on three sticks in their 2-0 triumph.

Tiddington Cricket Club’s Pip Goulding and Pete Shepherd advanced at Gladiators, as did Red Lion A Yarnton’s Nigel King and Mark Poulter.

Goulding and Shepherd, from Section 2, were involved in two three-leg matches.

They needed a three-stick shoot-out to overcome Premier pair Ian and Steve McAteer, of Black Prince.

Garsington Sports’ Trevor Greenaway and Barry Ruffels, and Ampleforth Arms A’s Mark Washington and Andy Lewis won through at the Black Prince.

The latter duo fended off teammates Phil Wilkins and Dave Simms 5-6, 4-3, 7-6 in a thrilling third-round tie.

The Lower Section Pairs competition was also contested, with Cowley Workers’ Steven Bradbury and John Griffin setting up a final meeting with Chequers B’s Ian Gillett and Richard Hathaway.

Bradbury and Griffin’s matches all went the distance and they could have been knocked out by Blackbird’s Yorkie Finney and Steve Buckle, who blobbed to lose the second leg 1-0 and were unable to better two sticks in the decider.

RESULTS

OXFORD PAIRS

First round: I Preedy & S Walters (Donnington A) 2, S Walton & A Baker (Donnington A) 0; D Slater & J McMahon (Bullnose A) 2, R Wade & R Wright (New Club) 1; E Lacey & H Johnson (Red Lion A Yarnton) 2, J Kent & J Horton (New Club A) 1; A Keenan & D Harris (Woodman) 2, R Alder & P Alder (Chequers A) 0; B Lester & T Gillett (George A) 2, A Gorge & G Hambrdige (Bullnose A) 0; M Washington & A Lewis (Ampleforth Arms A) 2, M Rollins & J Glensiter (Woodman) 0; D Simms & P Wilkins (Ampleforth Arms A) 2, D Bowler & I Bowler (Littlemore BL A) 0.

Second round: K Baker & D Butler (Gladiators A) 2, L Purcell & S Bayliss (George A) 1; A Keenan & D Harris (Woodman) 2, M Bough & G Irvine (Littlemore BL A) 1; M Phipps & P Austin (Black Prince) 2, R Goodall & R Bradford (Black Prince) 0; J Smith & W Gray (Donnington A) 2, B Lester & T Gillett (George A) 0; K Stuart & J Morrison (George A) 2, W Waite & R Frazer (Bullnose A) 0; S Ward & P Rampton (Six Bells D) 2, D Cox & S Thompson (Gladiators C) 0; K Giles & C Jenkins (Gladiators A) 2, D Walsh & J Townsend (Swan A) 0; B Reidy & B Trinder (George A) 2, G Bailey & M Revill (Swan B) 1; E Lacey & H Johnson (Red Lion A Yarnton) 2, I Preedy & S Walters (Donnington A) 1; N King & M Poulter (Red Lion A Yarnton) 2, P Townsend & R Grant (Woodman) 0; P Goulding & P Shepherd (Tiddington Cricket) 2, G Townsend & S Bishop (Chequers A) 1; I McAteer & S McAteer (Black Prince) 2, D Slater & J McMahon (Bullnose A) 1; M Washington & A Lewis (Ampleforth Arms A) 2, C Buckingham & N Pratley (Black Prince) 0; G Bairstow & R Manning (Tiddington Cricket) 2, C Wright & A Shepherd (New Club A) 0; D Simms & P Wilkins (Ampleforth Arms A) 2, G Coyle & K McMahon (Bullnose Morris A) 1; T Greenaway & B Ruffels (Garsington Sports) 2, J Fox & S Ducker (Six Bells D) 0.

Third round: T Greenaway & B Ruffels (Garsington Sports) 2, G Bairstow & R Manning (Tiddington Cricket) 0; M Washington & A Lewis (Ampleforth Arms A) 2, D Simms & P Wilkins (Ampleforth Arms A) 1; N King & M Poulter (Red Lion A Yarnton) 2, E Lacey & H Johnson (Red Lion A Yarnton) 0; P Goulding & P Shepherd (Tiddington Cricket) 2, I McAteer & S McAteer (Black Prince) 1; K Stuart & J Morrison (George A) 2, B Reidy & B Trinder (George A) 0; S Ward & P Rampton (Six Bells D) 2, K Giles & C Jenkins (Gladiators A) 1; M Phipps & P Austin (Black Prince) 2, J Smith & W Gray (Donnington A) 0; K Baker & D Butler (Gladiators A) 2, A Keenan & D Harris (Woodman) 0.

Sixers: G Bailey (Swan B), K Giles (Gladiators A), P Rampton (Six Bells D), P Austin (Black Prince), B Ruffels (Garsington Sports).

LOWER SECTION PAIRS

First round: I Gillett & R Hatthaway (Chequers B) 2, J Debanks & J McMahon (Bullnose B) 1; H Jenkins & B Green (Chequers B) 2, D Simms & M Simms (Blackbird) 1.

Second round: M Richardson & P Wiggins (Kidlington FC) 2, P Edwards & A Williams (Yarnton BL) 1; H Jenkins & B Green (Chequers B) 2, J Goodenough & M Simmonds (Cricketers) 0; I Gillett & R Hatthaway (Chequers B) 2, M Murphy & T Finney (Blackbird) 1; E Hanlon & M Burke (Cowley Workers) 2, B Cuff & L Gumersill (Chequers B) 0; D Sims & D Lamin (Bullnose B) 2, N O’Donnell & K Leahey (Prince of Wales) 1; S Bradbury & J Griffin (Cowley Workers) 2, C Bloomfield & K Bloomfield (Bullnose B) 1; Y Finney & S Buckle (Blackbird) 2, L Costar & C Jilberts (Masons Arms B) 0; S Macer & P Sims (Bullnose B) 2, M Gillen & J Dunne (Cowley Workers) 0.

Quarter-finals: S Bradbury & J Griffin (Cowley Workers) 2, D Sims & D Lamin (Bullnose B) 1; Y Finney & S Buckle (Blackbird) 2, S Macer & P Sims (Bullnose B) 1; H Jenkins & B Green (Chequers B) 2, E Hanlon & M Burke (Cowley Workers) 0; I Gillett & R Hatthaway (Chequers B) 2, M Richardson & P Wiggins (Kidlington FC) 0.

Semi-finals: S Bradbury & J Griffin (Cowley Workers) 2, Y Finney & S Buckle (Blackbird) 1; I Gillett & R Hatthaway (Chequers B) 2, H Jenkins & B Green (Chequers B) 0.