A CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH THE TOWN

Todays game in the Ladies' National Top Club Competition between Basingstoke Town and Oakley could not have been closer or more tense for the spectators. With one point available for each of the four disciplines, it was Oakley that secured the fiirst point as the Triples won 16-11 but the other games were very close and could have gone either way. Oakley added another point in the Pairs but, after a marathon match in the singles, Town's Camilla Kingshott pulled back a point with a narrow win over Heather Statham. Everything now depended on the Fours who, with one end to play, were trailing by 11-13. A win for the Town would mean that the discipline points would be shared 2-2, and the match would be decided by the aggregate scores where, at that stage, on the completed games, Oakley had just a 3 shot advantage. The last end was so tense. With 2 bowls to play Town held four shots but the Town Skip moved the jack to an Oakley bowl at which point Janie was persuaded that, as the aggregate was 64-60 in Oakley's favour, she should not deliver her last bowl. Well done to both teams for providing such excellent bowling. It was a shame there had to be a loser. Oakley scores: Heather Statham lost 19-21; Lorna Butler and Val Ryan won 17-15; Shirley Ball, Ruth Bown and Alice Lovett won 16-11; Mary Varndell, Sue Dixon, Anji Rowe and Janie Vickers lost 12-13.