AUNT SALLY: Crown storm in for title glory

Original Swan A, who had led the section most of the season, needed only two points to secure the top spot, but crashed 3-0 at Masons Arms A. Swan only set 10 in the opening leg which Masons raced by, with 22 in reply.

Masons then set and won the next leg 21-18 and made it a full house in the final leg 23-14. Jim Gaul top-scored for the Masons with a steady dozen dolls (4-4-4).

The result meant their closest rivals, Crown, needed two points against Tiddington Cricket Club to be crowned champions or one point for a play-off. They got off to a good start winning the first leg 19-16, but lost the next 17-22. In the final and deciding leg, Crown set with 20.

In reply Tiddington also hit 20, thanks to anchor man Dick Brownshill who clanged off the necessary four dolls needed to tie the leg. Crown set 12 in the three sticks which proved to be enough as Tiddington could only reply with seven.

Section 6 was just as close with leaders Donnington Club C and second place Red Lion A Kidlington playing each other. Lion drew first blood, winning the opening leg 18-13.

Donnington set the second with 17 and it was to be enough as Red Lion fell four short in reply with 13.

That point was enough to give Donnington the crown, while Red Lion won the final leg 15-11 to finish one point behind.

The top two clashed in Section 7 for the title and it was Cricketers A who beat Ampleforth B 3-0 to claim the crown.

Needing just one point, they won the first leg 19-18 and then went on to bag the next two legs 20-13, 18-11. In the Premier Section, Three Pigeons finished off in fine style with 95 dolls in their 3-0 win against Ampleforth Arms A.

Mick Phipps was in top form with 15 dolls (6-4-5) and was well supported by Paul Townsend with 14 dolls (5-4-5) as they took all three legs 34-16, 29-16, 32-21.

Brothers Barry and Jon Townsend starred for Cricketers with 15 (6-5-4) and 14 (4-6-4) respectively in their 2-1 win over Section One champions Gladiators A.

They won the first two legs 28-23, 31-29 before Glads grabbed a point in the final leg 27-26.

Garsington Sports A, who finished bottom of the Premier, ended in style with 92 dolls, but were still on the wrong side of a 2-1 scoreline against Red Lion B Eynsham.

They won the opening leg 34-20, but lost the next two 32-28, 32-30. Barry Ruffels (6-3-4) Martin Ruffels (5-6-1) and Steve Greenough (4-4-5) hit 13 dolls for Garsington.

In Section 2 Rose Hill Club A failed at the last hurdle to be the only team to go through the season unbeaten in a 2-1 home defeat by The Woodman 2-1.

The damage was done in the first two legs, which Woodman won 20-16, 23-16. Rose Hill took the final leg 21-19.

Charlie Buckingham was top dog for Woodman with 11 dolls (5-3-3) James Bennett was in sparkling form as he bagged himself a six in his 15-doll haul (6-4-5) for Six Bells A Quarry as they beat Team Monarch 2-1.

They won the first leg by the odd doll 22-21 and then had to rely on a three-stick shoot-out in the next after the sides were tied at 20-20.

Monarch took the last leg 19-15 for whom Keith Bull top-scored with a 12- doll haul (5-5-2).

Mick Murphy recorded his best score of the season with a baker’s dozen (5-4-4) as Chequers defeated fellow-strugglers Cowley Workers. Chequers won all three legs 20-15, 22-17, 17-16.

Queens Head A ended up bottom of Section 3 after a 2-1 defeat at Headington Con Club A.

They set 15 in the first leg, but thanks to The Club’s anchor man Pete Kennett, who clanged off five dolls, they won the leg by the odd doll.

Queens levelled in the next leg 22-16, only to lose the final leg 16-9.

In Section 5 Fairview’s Bernie McCormack recorded his best score for many seasons with 14 dolls (4-5-5) as they claimed maximum points at home to Pheasant in leg scores of 19-17, 24-11, 18-15.

In Section 9 Steve Jessop was in tremendous form as he whipped off 14 dolls (6-4-4) for George B, but it could not prevent them going down 2-1 at Kings Arms.

They won the first leg 19-14, but Kings Arms came back to take the next two legs 13-11, 14-11 for whom Nigel King hit his first double figure score in the league with ten dolls (3-3-4).

Kennington Club B were crowned champions of Section 10 after leading for most of the season, with a 2-1 win at home to Cricketers Littleworth.

They made sure in the first two legs 12-10, 14-12 with Cricketers taking a point in the final leg 10-7.

The league’s finals night will take place on Friday, October 18 at Oxford Sports Club, Roman Way. Tickets, which are priced at £3, are available from Keith Alder on 01865 767107.

RESULTS CHECK

Oxford & District League

Premier/Section 1: Six Bells C Kidlington 3, Vikings Sports B 0; Red Lion A Eynsham 1, New Club A 2; Gladiators A 1, Cricketers B 2; Garsington Sports A 1, Red Lion B Eynsham 2; Ampleforth Arms A 0, Three Pigeons 3.
Section 2: The Griffin 2, Black Prince A 1; Team Monarch 1, Six Bells A Quarry 2; Rose Hill Club A 1, The Woodman 2; Chequers A 3, Cowley Workers 0.
Section 3: Six Bells A Kidlington 2, Three Horseshoes 1; King & Queen A 3, Kennington Club A 0; Headington Con Club A 2, Queens Head A 1; Crown 0, Red Lion B Yarnton 3; Chequers C 3, Seacourt Bridge 0.
Section 4: Vikings Sports A 2, Cowley Con Club 1; Six Bells B 2, Garsington Sports B 1; Masons Arms A 3, Original Swan A 0; New Club B 1, Kidlington Sports B 2; Crown 2, Tiddington Cricket 1.
Section 5: Vikings Sports C 0, Masons Arms B 3; Queens Head B 1, Democrats Club 2; North Oxford Con A 2, King & Queen  B 1; Fairview Inn A 3, Pheasant Inn 0; Donnington Club A 2, Red Lion 1.
Section 6: The Priory 1, Red Lion C Eynsham 2; Red Lion A Kidlington 2, Donnington Club C 1; Kidlington Sports A 0, Chandos Arms 3; Gladiators B 1, Chequers B 2; George A 0, Fairview Inn B 3.
Section 7: Northway Club 2, Prince Of Wales 1; Marston British Legion 3, Brill Sports Club A 0; Cricketers A 3, Ampleforth Arms B 0; Catherine Wheel 2, Red Lion 1; Donnington Club B 2, Six Bells Kidlington 1.
Section 8: Red Lion A Yarnton 2, Northway Club B 1; Donnington Arms 2, Six Bells B Kidlington 1; Brill Sports Club B 3, Florence Park Club 0; Red Lion Yarnton 2, Northway Club 1.
Section 9: White Hart 0, North Oxford Con Club B 3; The Kite 1, Crooked Pot B 2; The Blackbird 3, Crown B 0; Original Swan C 3, Red Lion A Cassington 0; Kings Arms 2, George B 1.
Section 10: Red Lion B Cassington 3, Oxford Rugby Club 0; Kennington Club B 2, Cricketers Arms 1; Headington British Legion 2, Corner House 1; Prince Of Wales 3, Headington Con Club B 0.
SIXERS
L Hazell (Red Lion A Eynsham), P Dempsey, M Phipps (Three Pigeons), J Bennett (Six Bells A Quarry), B Townsend, J Townsend (Cricketers B), B Ruffels, K Maunder (Garsington Sports A), D Brown (Seacourt Bridge), G Williams (Cricketers B), S Jessop (George B), J Fox (Six Bells D Kidlington).
BLOBBERS
P Doolan (Six Bells B Quarry), A Bremner (Vikings A), E Blackwell (Kidlington Sports A), D Glancy (Kings Arms), S Walker, A Bradbury (The Kite), M Pestana (Crooked Pot), B Newman (Red Lion B Cassington), S Gibbens (Corner House), V Kemish (Headington Con Club B).
top doll scorers
B Townsend 15 (Cricketers B), J Bennett 15 (Six Bells A Quarry), M Phipps 15 (Three Pigeons), B McCormack 14 (Fairview A), J Town-send 14 (Cricketers B), P Townsend 14 (Three Pigeons), S Jessop 14 (George B), B Ruffels 13 (Garsington Spts A), D Walsh 13 (Six Bells B Kidlington), L Thompson 13 (Red Lion A Eynsham), M Murphy 13 (Chequers A), M Ruffels 13 (Gars-ington Spts A), N Lyon 13 (Three Pigeons), P Dempsey 13 (Three Pig-eons), S Greenough 13 (Garsington Spts A), S Ward 13 (Six Bells B Kidlington).

Brakspear Abingdon & District League
Prem & A Section: Abingdon United D 0, Spread Eagle 6; Abingdon Con Club 4, Fox 2; Tandem 0, Steventon Sports 6.
B Section: Admiral Benbow 0, Abingdon Con Club 6; Abingdon United C 2, Berinsfield SC 4; The Hatchet 4, Abingdon Legion 2; The Vine 2, Didcot Con Club 4.
C Section: White Horse 4, The Vine 2; Pack Horse 4, Fox Denchworth 2; Spread Eagle 0, Chequers Charney 6.
D Section: Eight Bells 2, Plough 4; Fleur De Lys 5, Drayton Park Golf Club 1; Red Lion 2, Black Horse 4.
E Section: College Oak 4, Crown Didcot 2; Stanford FC 6, Queens Arms 0; Plough 4, Brewery Tap 2.
F Section: Spread Eagle 6, Bowyer Arms 0; North Star 6, Spread Eagle 0; Black Horse 6, Boundary House 0.
G Section: Hart of Harwell 4, The Anchor 2; Abingdon Legion 2, Plough 4; Morning Star 4, North Star 2; Cross Keys 0, The Bear 6; Plough 0, Crown 6.
H Section: Waggon & Horses 6, Challow Legion 0; Black Swan 6, Cross Keys 0.
J Section: Cross Keys 4, Wheatsheaf 2; The Midget 6, Peachcroft SC 0; Rose & Crown 6, Black Swan 0; Saxton Arms 6, Cross Keys 0.
Sixes: P Longford.

Hook Norton Brewery Bicester & District League

Premier & Division 1: Muddy Duck 0, White Lion 3; Launton S&SC A 3, Ashton Club 0; Plough B Bicester 3, Highfield SC A 0; Black Bull 2 Prince of Wales 1.
Division Two: Bull & Butcher A 0, Bell Bicester 3; Red Cow 1, Black Bull B 2; Bull Launton 1, Red Lion Wendlebury 2; Red Lion Finmere 1, Shakespeare 2.
Division Three: Highfield SC B 3, Six Bells 0; Barley Mow 0, Nut Tree 3; Fountain A 0, Bull & Butcher B 3; Bell Lower Heyford 1, White Horse A 2.
Division Four: White Horse B 3, Fountain B 0; Plough Marsh Gibbon 1, Launton S&SC B 2; Royal Oak 1, White Hart 2; Crown Twyford 3, Red Lion Stratton Audley 0; Crown Gawcott 0, Ex Services Avengers 3.
Division Five: Angel 0, Safari Garden 3; Eight Bells 0, Chearsley Cricketers 3;
This week's sixers are Bobby Allen (White Lion) and Liam Merchant (Plough B Bicester).