OAKLEY ADVANCE IN MIXED TOP CLUB

A dull morning at Malshanger saw Oakley play local rivals Basingstoke Town in a much anticipated clash in the Mixed Top Club event. The two singles matches were expected to be close affairs. Oakley's Ashley Nethercliffe was taking on Town's Matt Carr, who this year reached Southampton in both the 2 and 4 bowl singles, whilst Alice Lovett was playing Camilla Kingshot who, on the last occasion the teams met in this competition, was the Oakley singles representative. Both Oakley players made strong starts leading 11-3 and 11-6 after 8 ends and the Oakley triples and fours also had early leads. A fight back was expected and when both Town singles players closed to 16-14 and with the Town pair of Caz and Steve Harris leading comfortably it looked as if the match might go to the wire. However, when the two Oakley Singles players successfully chiselled out wins to secure two of the five points on offer, Oakley were almost home and dry as they were by then leading comfortably in two of the other three disciplines. A win for the triples followed and Town then conceded the match giving Oakley a 4-1 win.

Scores; Ashley Nethercliffe beat Matt Carr 21-17; Alice Lovett beat Camilla Kingshott 21-16; Janie Vickers and Sean Lassman lost to Caz and Steve Harris 7-18; Leigh Allen, Ruth Bown and Nick Hardy beat Dave Goddard, Keith McEwan and Paula Haynes 23-7; Sue Dixon, Shirley Ball, Ric Newson and Bob Goodyear beat Tina Rogers, Jackie Garrett, Trevor Morgan and Richard Birgin 20-9.