A MIXED WEEKEND FOR OAKLEY MEN

Saturday afternoon was one to forget for Oakley's men when they travelled to take on Fleet United in the National Two Rink Championship. Fleet's green is very much shorter than Oakley's and can be a difficult one on which to vary tactics and Oakley did not make a good start trailing 5-12 after 6 ends. The difference remained 7 shots for the next 5 ends but thereafter Fleet were in the driving seat and ran out comfortable winners 36-21. Oakley scores: John Yarrall, Gerald Norris, Spencer Kerley and Graham Tompkins lost 6-19; Steve Devonish, Jim Dixon, Sean Lassman and Martin Vickers lost 15-17.

After Saturday's result, hopes were not high, as on Sunday morning in the National Top Club event, seven of Saturday's team travelled to Basingstoke Town, who, in the previous round had defeated the district champions Kingsclere. With a point available for each discipline, Oakley roared out of the blocks leading 13-3 in the Pairs and 10-1 in the Fours and with both singles going well it looked for a while as if Oakley would have a comfortable win. Victories for Ric Newson in the two wood singles and for Martin Vickers in the four wood gave Oakley two of the three points necessary for victory but Town were now fighting back in the other disciplines and for a while it looked as if Oakley might snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. In the pairs Oakley had been pegged back to 13-11 with 2 ends to play but a single to Oakley on the penultimate end left the Town pair with too much to do and as Oakley now had three points Town conceded the game and the other 2 disciplines were not completed.. Oakley scores: Ric Newson won 13-9; Martin Vickers won 21-12; Steve Devonish and Sean Lassman won 14-12; Martin Smith, Malcolm Grime, Spencer Kerley drawing 12-12; Jamie Fewtrell, Jim Dixon, Gerald Norris and Graham Tompkins winning 14-8.