Week 6 June 3rd

UNBEATEN RECORDS END AS PREMIER PACE SETTERS STUMBLE

A third of the way through the season, a wet, cold and windy night proved the undoing of the league's last remaining unbeaten sides as both suffered their first defeats of the campaign.
The headline clash in the Premier Section saw the top two meet, with White House relinquishing their unbeaten record after a hard-fought 2-1 defeat at home to Littlemore British Legion A. Legion set the tone with an opening-leg total of 22, but White House responded impressively, reaching 25 to take an early advantage. The hosts then elected to set in the second leg but could only manage 20, a target Legion comfortably surpassed with 24 to level the match. The decisive third leg provided the night's key moment. Legion looked in trouble after reaching just 14 with two players remaining, but superb finishing from Kevin Baker and Kevin Stuart, both striking sixes, transformed the leg and lifted the visitors to a formidable 26. White House never recovered from a sluggish start to the chase and could only muster 20, surrendering both the leg and their unbeaten status.
Kevin Stuart led the scoring for Legion with 13 dolls (3-4-6), while Andy Beal, Mark Bayliss and Kevin Baker all contributed a dozen dolls apiece.

New Club's recent revival came to an abrupt halt as they suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat away at Blackbird. An opening-leg set of 18 never looked likely to trouble the hosts, who eased through with 22 to take the lead. New Club hit back in the second leg, overcoming Blackbird's modest set of 17 with a score of 19 to level matters. However, after Blackbird posted 22 in the deciding leg, New Club faltered at the crucial moment. Sitting on 16 with three players left, they appeared well placed to snatch victory before a late collapse left them stranded on 20.

At the foot of the table, North Leigh FC remain rooted to the bottom after a 3-0 home defeat to Jolly Sportsman. The visitors took the opening leg 26-23 before producing the highest set of the night, a superb 27 in the second leg, which North Leigh could only answer with 21. Sportsman completed the whitewash with a 21-19 success in the final leg. Mark Hewitson starred for the visitors with a dozen dolls, including a maximum six (3-6-3), while Charlie Buckingham was North Leigh's standout performer with a dozen dolls of his own (4-4-4).

Black Horse B halted a two-match losing streak with an impressive comeback victory over Masons Arms A. Despite setting only 12 in the opening leg, they nearly emerged winning the leg after Masons struggled throughout and left Chris Webb needing three to win, which he duly delivered. The visitors responded strongly to claim the second leg 20-18 before sealing the match in convincing fashion. Masons could manage only 12 in the decider and Black Horse swept past the target with 22 to complete a 2-1 turnaround.

In Section 1, defending champions Black Horse A continue to endure a difficult start to the season as they remain without a victory following a 2-1 defeat at Ampleforth Arms A. The visitors edged a tense opening leg 17-16 and looked set to build on that success, but Ampleforth had other ideas. The hosts responded superbly, taking the remaining two legs 19-12 and 18-16 to condemn the champions to another frustrating evening.

SECTION 2 TITLE RACE TIGHTENS AS DONNINGTON SIDES LEAD THE CHARGE

The Section 2 title race is developing into one of the closest contests in recent memory, with just three points separating the top six teams after another dramatic round of fixtures.
Donnington Club C moved into a share of top spot following a comprehensive 3-0 home victory over WADs Bar. The leaders were rarely troubled throughout the evening, comfortably taking all three legs 18-12, 17-11 and 16-10 to maintain their promotion push.

Joining them at the summit are Donnington Club A, who also recorded a straightforward 3-0 success on home soil against Garsington Sports Club. The hosts were in control from the outset and sealed maximum points with leg victories of 16-11, 16-12 and 17-6.

Lurking just behind the leaders are Six Bells C, who remain firmly in contention after an emphatic whitewash of Queens Head A. Jack Lane was the star performer, finishing with a dozen dolls (5-3-4) and Tom Parsons chipping in with 10 dolls (3-3-4) as Six Bells cruised to victories of 21-11, 17-12 and 22-10.

Donnington Club B boosted their own title aspirations while dealing a significant blow to Catherine Wheel A's challenge with a hard-earned 2-1 away victory. The visitors made the perfect start by setting and winning the opening leg 17-13. Catherine Wheel responded in the second leg, setting 15. Donnington looked on course to secure the match there and then, only for their anchor man to blob out needing two to win, allowing the hosts to level the contest. However, Donnington regrouped impressively in the deciding leg, setting 18 and then restricting Catherine Wheel to just a dozen dolls to secure a valuable victory.
Phil Cassidy was the standout performer for Donnington, producing a superb 13-doll haul that included a maximum six (4-6-3).

The shock result of the night came at New Club B, where Catherine Wheel B recorded their first win of the season with a surprise 2-1 triumph over the title chasers.
After losing the opening leg 16-12, the visitors showed tremendous character to fight back. They set and won the second leg 18-16 before completing the turnaround with a 17-14 success in the decider.
John Cleaton (4-3-3) and Chris Holton (3-4-3) both recorded 10 dolls for New Club B, but their efforts were not enough to prevent a defeat that could prove costly in the increasingly congested title race.

COWLEY WORKERS EXTEND LEAD IN TITLE CHALLENGE INTENSIFIES IN SECTION 3

Cowley Workers have opened up a four-point lead at the top of Section 3 after edging out Six Bells B in a dramatic contest where just a single doll separated the sides across the entire match. The opening leg could not have been any closer, ending tied at 14-14. Even a three-stick shootout failed to separate the teams before Cowley finally claimed the leg on the one stick shoot out. Workers then set a modest target of 11 in the second leg, giving Six Bells a golden opportunity to level the match. The visitors made a promising start, but consecutive blobs from their sixth and seventh players left anchor man Terry Lester requiring four dolls for victory. Lester came agonisingly close, scoring three to force another three-stick shootout, and this time Six Bells held their nerve to draw level.
The decisive third leg proved equally dramatic. Cowley posted 16, and Six Bells appeared on course for victory after reaching 10 at the halfway stage. However, a stunning collapse saw them fall just one doll short on 15, handing Cowley an unlikely but valuable 2-1 victory that strengthens their grip at the summit.

Littlemore Rugby Club remain firmly in the title hunt after an impressive 3-0 victory away at Masons Arms B. Dave Lammin (3-5-3) and Graham Irvine (5-4-2) both led the way with 11 dolls apiece as Rugby Club secured all three legs 16-13, 17-15 and 19-14. Mav Darch reached double figures for the first time this season with 10 dolls (4-2-4) for Masons Arms, but his efforts were ultimately in vain.

One of the performances of the night came from Jack Wells, who produced a sensational 13-doll haul, including a maximum six, to inspire Queens Head B to a 2-1 victory over Catherine Wheel C. Queens Head dominated the opening leg, winning comfortably 17-8, before being set 15 in the second. A sluggish start left Wells requiring four dolls to secure victory, but he responded in style by clearing all six to finish on 18 and put his side 2-0 ahead. Catherine Wheel responded strongly in the final leg, posting an imposing 20. Once again Wells found himself under pressure, this time needing all six dolls to tie the leg. Despite another determined effort, he could only manage four, leaving Queens Head on 18 and allowing Catherine Wheel a deserved point.

Ampleforth Arms B ended a four-match losing streak with a hard-fought 2-1 comeback win away at Littlemore British Legion B. A low-scoring opener went the way of the Legion 10-8, but the match turned dramatically in the second leg. Ampleforth set 16 and despite an inconsistent chase, the Legion anchor man was left needing just two dolls for victory. Remarkably, he blobbed out completely, allowing the visitors to level the contest. That setback proved decisive. The Legion could manage only nine in the deciding leg, a target Ampleforth swept aside with a score of 15 to complete the turnaround. Chris Williams led the scoring for Ampleforth with 10 dolls (2-4-4).

Red Lion's impressive run of form continued as they recorded a third consecutive victory with a 2-1 success away at Headington Con Club. The visitors roared into an unassailable lead by taking the opening two legs 13-9 and 18-9. Headington salvaged some pride in the final leg with a convincing 16-11 win, but the damage had already been done as Red Lion secured another valuable victory to continue their climb up the table.

LEADERS FALL AS SECTION 4 TITLE RACE TAKES ANOTHER TWIST

Section 4 took another dramatic turn as league leaders Red Lion Cassington saw their unbeaten record come to an abrupt end following a surprise 2-1 home defeat to Rose Hill Club B. The leaders made the ideal start by edging a tight opening leg 15-13 and looked on course to extend their impressive run. However, standards slipped in the second leg when they could manage only nine dolls when setting. Rose Hill took full advantage, comfortably passing the target with 14 to level the match. The decisive third leg proved costly for the hosts. Rose Hill posted a solid 15 and Red Lion looked well placed in reply after reaching 10 at the halfway stage. Yet a dramatic collapse from the lower half of the team saw them finish two dolls short on 13, bringing their unbeaten start to a crashing halt.
The one bright spot for Red Lion was an outstanding performance from Mark Finch, who top scored with 13 dolls (4-4-5).

Bletchingdon Sports continue to emerge as serious contenders after extending their unbeaten run to five matches with a 3-0 victory away at Rose Hill Club A. The score line perhaps flattered the visitors, as the contest was far closer than the final result suggests. Bletchingdon set and won the opening leg 14-12 before taking the second while chasing, 14-10. The visitors then produced their best leg of the evening, setting an imposing 21 in the decider. Rose Hill responded with their strongest display of the night and pushed Bletchingdon all the way before falling agonisingly short on 20. Their efforts deserved at least a share of the points. Matthew Leach led the scoring for Bletchingdon with nine dolls (2-3-4).

Tandem's difficult run continued as a third successive defeat followed an opening sequence of three straight victories. Their latest setback came at home to Vikings Sports C despite scoring only two fewer dolls overall than their opponents. Setting all three legs, Tandem posted 12 in the opener. Erratic throwing from Vikings left anchor man Barry White needing four dolls to secure victory, but despite a determined effort he could only manage three, forcing a three-stick shootout which Vikings went on to win. The visitors doubled their advantage by taking the second leg 13-10 before Tandem salvaged a deserved point in the final leg, edging a closely fought contest 14-13.

Corner House remain without a point this season after suffering a sixth consecutive 3-0 defeat, this time at the hands of Kidlington Football Club. Daryl Connelly led the way for the visitors with a consistent nine-doll haul (3-3-3) as Kidlington secured all three legs 13-8, 12-10 and 14-8.

Meanwhile, White Hart have already matched last season's total number of victories after a convincing 3-0 win over Gardiners Arms, who are still searching for their first success of the campaign. White Hart dominated the opening two legs, winning 12-2 and 10-4, before being pushed much harder in the final leg. However, they held their nerve to complete the whitewash with a narrow 8-6 victory and continue their encouraging start to the season.

SIX GAME RECAP: RECORDS FALL AND TITLE RACE TAKE SHAPE

With six games now completed across all sections, the season is beginning to take shape and there are already plenty of storylines emerging.
Most notably, there are now no unbeaten teams remaining in the league after the final two sides with perfect records both suffered defeats last week. The battle for honours across the sections remains wide open, with several title races still too close to call.
At the opposite end of the table, two teams are still searching for their first victory of the campaign, while one side remains without a point after six rounds of fixtures.

Scoring levels continue to impress. A total of 20 maximum sixes have been recorded so far this season, shared between 16 different players, highlighting the depth of quality throughout the league.
There have also been 44 blobbers recorded by 37 different players, proving that consistency remains just as important as brilliance in such a competitive competition.
The highest individual score of the season currently stands at 16 dolls, a feat achieved by both Roger Goodall of White House and Mark Bayliss of Littlemore British Legion A.

The highest single-leg total belongs to New Club, who produced an outstanding 31 dolls in one leg, while White House hold the best three-leg aggregate with an impressive 84 dolls.
Individually, 12 players are currently averaging double figures per match, and four of those are on course to break the 200-doll barrier over the course of the season.
With a third of the campaign now completed, the statistics suggest an exciting second half of the season lies ahead, with title races, promotion battles and individual honours all still very much up for grabs.

THIS WEEK
SIXERS
K.Baker, K.Stuart (Littlemore B.L.) P.Cassidy (Donnington B) J.Wells (Queens Head ‘B’) M.Hewitson (Jolly Sportsman)

BLOBBERS
D.Allsworth (The Tandem) J.Brown (LBL ‘B’) C.Santoliquido) O.Collins (Garsington sports)

HIGHEST SCORERS
13: P.Cassidy (Donnington B) J.Wells (Queens Head ‘B’) M.Finch (Red Lion Cassington) L.Thompson (Jolly Sportsman) K.Stuart (Littlemore B.L.)

HIGHEST LEG SCORE: Jolly Sportsman 27
OVER THREE LEGS: Jolly Sportsman 74

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