JUNIORS DO OAKLEY PROUD AT LEAMINGTON

Today was a very special day for the club's Juniors as they competed in the Sutton Winson National Under 18 tournament at Leamington. Heather Statham who had lost yesterday in the Singles teamed up with Emma Muir of Northamptonshire and got very close to a second victory only going out to the last bowl in the consolation Plate competition. For Nicole Rogers and Ashley Nethercliffe it was to be long day, In the main competition, having both won twice yesterday they faced potentially having to play 5 games in a format where players have to come out best in four sets of five ends, where a sudden death end is played if the scores are level after the 4 sets. For their first two games Nicole and Ashley managed to put their supporters through agonies as all their games went to the extra end with the particularly nail biting win being Nicole's come back from two sets down to beat last year's winner and the reigning British Isles Under 18 champion. With both players qualifying for the quarter final they recorded good wins and then unfortunately had to play each other in the semi final. Here it was Nicole who settled immediately and producing her best performance of the tournament she cruised to a good victory to take her into the Final. Starting well in the Final the Oakley and Hampshire supporters briefly dreamed of Nicole becoming the the National champion but in this game Nicole struggled with weight and went down to a 3-1 sets defeat.. Disappointed as both players will be to have got so close to winning the title, it was a fantastic achievement and the club is delighted that from a field of 128 we have provided both a semi finalist and the runner up.