A GOOD WEEKEND FOR OAKLEY
The weekend began well with a men's league victory on Friday evening over fierce local rivals Basingstoke Town and then on Saturday morning, at home, we took on Farnborough in the County Mixed Top Club Competition. This was expected to be a difficult game as last year we had lost to them in the Tony Allcock Trophy but the team rose to the occasion and with Camila Kingshott, playing her first singles at this level, and Terry Heath recording emphatic wins, Oakley soon had 2 of the 5 points secured. The triples and pairs then came in with further points and Farnborough then conceded, giving Oakley a 5-0 victory. Oakley scores: Camila Kingshott won 21-7, Terry Heath won 21-8, Chris Williams and Ric Newson won 27-8. Sue Dixon, Sean Lassman and Duncan Wilkins won 27-7, Martin Smith, Angie Rowe, Janie Vickers and Graham Tompkins won 18-16. Later in the day we were delighted to learn that Mary Varndell and Ruth Bown, unavailable in the morning, had played on winning rinks in the Hampshire team, managed by Kay Kerley, as Hampshire recorded a maximum 22 points victory over Buckinghamshire in the Johns Trophy.
Sunday morning saw the club's men travelling to Kingsclere for their second game in the National Top Club Competition. Oakley were forced to make three changes from the team that had beaten Old Basing in the previous round and, with all three "A" team skips from Friday unavailable, Oakley were thought to be the underdogs, given our poor League record at Kingsclere in recent years. Again our team rose to the occasion and, although Ric Newson was well beaten in the Singles, Terry Heath easily disposed of former Oakley player Bob French in the Two Wood to level the scores. The other three disciplines were hard fought and although the Pairs were narrowly beaten the Triples and the Fours, against a strong Kingsclere rink, secured the other two disciplines to give Oakley a well deserved 3-2 win. Oakley Scores: Ric Newson lost 10-21, Terry Heath won 15-7, Malcolm Grime and Sean Lassman lost 13-15, Martin Smith, Trevor Wearn and Graham Tompkins won 23-14, Ashley Nethercliffe, Duncan Wilkins, Dave Harrison and Stan Mond won 27-20.
Find Oakley Bowling Club
Oakley Bowling Club, Malshanger, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG23 7EY