YESTERDAY AT LEAMINGTON

There were mixed fortunes for Oakley's players at yesterday's National Championships at Leamington. In the morning Ashley Nethercliffe took on Lincolnshire in the first round of the Junior Singles and after 5 ends he led 4-2 before a run of twos saw him move out to an 11-3 lead after 10 ends. His opponent fought back to 11-8 before another run from Ashley saw him 18-11 up. Already 24 ends had been played and for the next 9 ends, with his opponent having taken the mat up the green, Ashley failed to score although he confined his opponent to a single shot on all those ends bar one when he dropped a two. 20-18 down Ashley then won the next two ends to tie up the match at 20-20. His first two bowls on the final end were short and unable to recover the situation he went down 21-20 after a marathon game.

Later that day, Nicole Rogers and Heather Statham took on Dorset in the Last 16 of the Junior Pairs. 5 down after 3 ends they rallied to lead 8-5 only for a bowl from the Dorset skip Rebecca Cresswell, on which she turned her back, to recover to 8-8. The game was tied again at 11-11 and at 15-12 to Oakley and holding 5 shots Rebecca produced a magnificent saving bowl to take the game into a last end with Oakley leading by two. Never a pair to spare their supporters from anxiety Oakley held shot until the very last bowl when Rebecca moved the jack. Fortunately on this occasion Oakley won the measure and the match by 17-16 to progress to the quarter final for the second successive year.