ANDY Beal was in outstanding form as he smashed off 16 dolls (5-5-6) for The Gladiators in their 3-0 home win over The New Club, however the game was a lot closer than the scoreline suggests.
The Gladiators set the opening leg with an imposing 28, and in reply, a good start from New Club, and wobble in the middle, left anchorman Mark Washington needing all six to win.
He gave it a good go, but fell one short with five, to send it to a three-stick shoot-out. Gladiators set with a beatable 11, however New Club struggled and didn’t even give Washington a chance to throw, and ended up with seven.
In the second leg, New Club set but could only muster up 22. It should have been a formality for Gladiators, however they struggled and could only tie with 22, to send it once again to three sticks.
New Club set but could only hit a score of 10, however Gladiators had to rely on anchorman Kevin Baker to whip off the two dolls needed to win the leg. In the final leg, chasing a set of 24, Gladiators sailed past with 28. James Morrison was top dog for The New Club, with a baker’s dozen (4-4-5).
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The White House got their Premier title ambitions back on track when they came away from The Black Horse ‘A’ with all three points. They banged in a set of 29 in the opening leg, and in reply Black Horse produced a good effort but fell just two short with 27.
The second leg was tied 23-23 with White House winning it on three sticks, and then they completed the whitewash in the final leg 25-20. Jon Townsend for the White House threw well for his 13 dolls (3-5-5).
Only one doll separated The Ampleforth Arms ‘A’ and Seacourt Bridge (52-51), however it was Ampleforth that sneaked the game 2-1. The damage was done in the first two legs 17-15, 16-14, before Seacourt threw well in the last leg, chasing a set of 19, they hit 22 in reply for a point. Harry Tilling for Seacourt was in top form with a baker’s dozen (4-5-4).
Bletchington Sports pulled off a surprise win at home to high flying Masons Arms ‘A’, to give them their first taste of victory this season. Hitting their highest score of the season, they set the first leg with 19.
A slow response from Masons left anchorman Chris Webb needing five to tie and six to win. A good effort by Webb though left him one short with four. Bletchington won the next leg 20-14 but couldn’t make it maximum points when Masons set and won the final leg 18-16. Webb ended up with a dozen dolls (4-4-4).
SIXERS: A Beal (Gladiators), S Rogers (Yarnton British Legion).
BLOBBERS: R Jackson (The Blackbird), S Jones (White Hart), M Colley, D Eggleton (Cricketers).
TOP DOLL SCORERS: 16: A Beal (Gladiators); 13: J Morrison (New Club ‘A’), J Townsend (White House), H Tilling (Seacourt Bridge), D Ross (Cowley Workers).
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