BAD NIGHT AT OLD BASING

This evening Oakley's Men travelled to Old Basing hoping, as last year, to reach the Area Final of the County Club Championship. We arrived to find a green that not only looked badly in need of being cut but was heavy for this stage of the season and most players on both sides struggled to find the weight, yet alone the line. At 5 ends Oakley were losing by 10 shots and although there was a resurgence over the next 5 ends, so that Oakley led by 2 at 10 ends, we were soon back in trouble trailing by 12 at 15 ends and 13 at 18 ends. A late rally saw us just 2 down as the last end was played but Spencer Kerley trying to trail the jack to convert a last end deficit of 2 into a 4 for Oakley missed narrowly and we were out of the competition for another year. Once again when playing on a heavy green with no wide draws we have failed to adapt to the prevailing conditions and can only blame ourselves for the defeat. We wish Basing good luck in the Area Final where they will play either Basingstoke Town or Cove.

Oakley scores: Ashley Nethercliffe, Malcolm Grime, Bob Goodyear and Fred Norris lost 12-16, Terry Heath, Eric Lamkin, Trevor Wearn and Ted Brown lost 15-17, Ric Newson, Sean Lassman, Dave Harrison and Spencer Kerley won 29-16, Dave Clewer, Martin Smith, Duncan Wilkins and Graham Tompkins lost 13-23