BARRY Townsend was in magnificent form as he clanged off a double sixer (3-6-6) in a 15-doll haul for Gladiators A, but they still lost 2-1 at Three Pigeons.

The visitors, who were knocked off the top of the Premier Section as a result, won the first leg 28-27.

Pigeons, for whom Paul Townsend (5-5-3) and Neil Lyon (4-4-5) whipped off 13 dolls, levelled 30-27 and set 28 in the decider.

Townsend and Andy Beal (5-2-6) hit sixes to leave Keith Weller needing three to tie, but after hitting two he just missed with his final stick.

New Club A took advantage of Gladiators’ slip to move top of the Premier Section with a 3-0 win at home to Garsington Sports A.

Pip Goulding (5-4-6), Roger Goodall (5-6-4) and Pete Shepherd (5-4-6) all hit sixes in the 28-25, 29-26, 32-27 victory.

Martin Ruffels (4-4-6) was top dog for Garsington with 14.

George A stunned Section One leaders Woodman 2-1.

Luke Purcell (4-4-5) led the way for the underdogs, who triumphed 24-23, 23-29, 30-27 to claim only their second win of the season.

Martin Seacole (6-3-5) and John Greenaway (4-5-5) threw well as Swan B kept their title ambitions alive with a 2-1 victory at rivals Black Prince.

The visitors won the first two legs 26-21, 26-24, before Prince salvaged a point as anchor man Ian Grant whipped off four dolls to pinch the final leg 29-28.

Chequers C crashed to their third defeat in a row, going down 2-1 at Six Bells E Kidlington.

The former runaway leaders in Section 2 lost the first leg on three sticks after it finished 16-16 and were edged out in the next 20-18.

Chequers, for whom Geoff Townsend (5-5-5) shone, took the final leg 27-18.

Their stuttering form means only two points separate the top four.

Bullnose Morris A are level on points with Chequers, following a 25-23, 26-16, 18-22 victory at Gladiators B.

Pete Rampton (6-5-3) and Steve Ward (5-4-5) led the as Six Bells D Kidlington won the first two legs at Donnington Club A 22-18, 20-18.

But Brian Simpson’s six for Donnington prevented the whitewash as the hosts cruised to a 25-17 success in the final leg.

Chequers A are one point clear in a tight Section 3 after beating basement boys Six Bells A Kidlington 18-12, 23-14, 18-12.

Garsington Sports B kept up the pace with a 25-19, 23-13, 20-18 home triumph against Blackbird.

David Naylor clanged off a dozen dolls as Masons Arms A climbed to second in Section 4.

They took the first leg 19-12, but visitors Green Road B were only narrowly edged out 17-16, 16-15 in the next two.

Fox & Goat lost two legs on three sticks as they were denied only a second victory of the season at home to Masons Arms B in Section 5.

They took the second leg 17-14, but it was sandwiched by the visitors edging the shoot-outs after the first and third contests finished 13-13.

Six Bells B Quarry moved clear in Section 6, but a late collapse denied them a clean sweep at Northway A.

After winning 13-8, 20-12, they needed only ten to win the final leg, but could only muster seven.

Graham Williams (4-5-4) was in great form for Green Road A, but it was in vain as they lost 2-1 to Donnington B 16-19, 16-14, 14-16.

A rare six from Nick Edmonds Senior could not prevent Black Horse B falling to a 2-1 defeat at Marston British Legion.

The hosts won 16-10, 13-15, 20-11.

RESULTS

OXFORD & DISTRICT LEAGUE

Premier &Section 1: George A 2, Woodman 1; New Club A 3, Garsington Sports A 0; Black Prince 1, Swan B 2; Swan A 2, Red Lion A 1; Three Pigeons 2, Gladiators A 1.

Section 2: Gladiators B 1, Bullnose Morris A 2; Six Bells E 2, Chequers C 1; Black Horse C 2, Crown 1; Donnington Club A 1, Six Bells D 2; Six Bells A Quarry 3, Vikings Sports A 0.

Section 3: Vikings Sports B 1, Queens Head 2; Six Bells A 0, Chequers A 3; Garsington Sports B 3, Blackbird 0; King & Queen 1, New Club B 2; Tiddington CC 2, White House 1.

Section 4: Democrats Club A 0, Rose Hill 3; Masons Arms A 3, Green Road B 0; Littlemore BL A 3, Swan C 0; Donnington C 2, Six Bells B 1; Black Swan 1, George B 2.

Section 5: Vikings Sports D 0, Cricketers A Cowley 3; Chequers B 2, Cricketers Littleworth 1; Fox & Goat 1, Masons Arms B 2; Bullnose Morris B 2, Red Lion 1; Seacourt Bridge A 3, Littlemore BL B 0.

Section 6: Northway Club A 1, Six Bells B 2; Marston BL 2, Black Horse B 1; Green Road A 1, Donnington B 2; Florence Park 2, Vikings Sports C 1; White Hart A 2, Original Swan A 1.

Section 7: Northway C 2, Prince of Wales 1; Red Lion B 3, Kidlington Sports 0; Catherine Wheel A 3, The Tandem 0; Cricketers B 1, Northway B 2.

Section 8: Gladiators C 1, White Hart Wytham 2; Original Swan B 0, Red Lion 3; Golden Ball 1, White Hart B Wolvercote 2; Kings Arms 2, Seacourt Bridge 1; Headington Con Club 3, Democrats B 0.

Sixers: B Townsend 2, A Beal (Gladiators A), K Powell (Swan A), G Willsden (Black Prince), M Seacole (Swan B), A Keenan (Woodman), P Rampton (Six Bells D), B Simpson (Donnington A), N Edmonds snr (Black Horse B).

Blobbers: A Flett (Cricketers B), B Harwood (Red Lion Cassington), N McNally (Kings Arms), K Hayle (Seacourt Bridge B), V Kemish (Headington Con Club), F Delaney, P Mazey (Democrats B), B Stone (White Hart Wytham), R McKemy (Original Swan A), A Flett (Cricketers B), D Smith (Black Horse B), D Nelms (Cricketers Littleworth).

Top doll scorers: 15 – B Townsend (Gladiators A), G Townsend (Chequers C). 14 – G Willsden (Black Prince), M Seacole, J Greenaway (Swan B), P Rampton, S Ward (Six Bells D). 13 – A Beal (Gladiators A), P Townsend, N Lyon (Three Pigeons), K Powell (Swan A), S King (Swan B), Lu Purcell (George A), K Coleman (Crown), R Charlton (Vikings Sports B), G Williams (Green Road A).

ABINGDON & DISTRICT LEAGUE

(sponsored by Dyno Plumbing & Heating)

Premier & A Section: Abingdon United B 6, Plum Pudding B 0; Spread Eagle 2, Spread Eagle B 4; Steventon Sports A 4, Abingdon Con Club 2; Tandem 2, College Oak A 4; Plum Pudding 2, Hart Harwell A 4.

B Section: Abingdon RBL 2, Royal Oak Didcot 4; Chequers Charney 4, Abingdon United C 2; Fox Denchworth A 2, Vine Cumnor 4; Red Lion Drayton A 6, Fox Denchworth B 0; SITV FC 2, Berinsfield SC B 4.

C Section: Abingdon Con Club A 4, Eight Bells Eaton 2; Brewery Tap A 3, Bell Grove 3; Fleur De Lys 3, Abingdon Arms Wantage 3; Grapes 4, Plough East Hendred 2.

D Section: Bear & Ragged Staff 2, White Horse A 4; Berinsfield SC C 6, North Star A 0; Plough Long Wittenham 6, FMSSC Morning Star 0; Waggon & Horses B 0, Harwellian A 6; Wheatsheaf Didcot A 3, Bowyer Arms 3.

E Section: Black Horse East Hanney 6, George & Dragon Upton 0; Boundary House 0, Brewery Tap B 6; Harwellian B 3, Waggon & Horses A 3; Saxton Rov 2, Boundary House A 4; Wheatsheaf Drayton 6, Crown Marcham 0.

F Section: College Oak 4, Wheatsheaf Didcot B 2; North Star B 6, Queens Arms Didcot 0; Old Anchor A 3, Plough A West Hanney 3; RAL Sec Soc 3, Wantage Town FC 3; White Horse B 6, Ladygrove A 0.

Sixers: A Bell (Spread Eagle B), D Dix (Abingdon United B).

Blobbers: G Rogers (Fox Denchworth A), I Rosser (Old Anchor A), J Miller (Plough A West Hanney), J Smith (Harwellian B), K Tchorzewski (Abingdon RBL), L Chadwick (Boundary House), M Webb (Boundary House), M Collins (Bowyer Arms), M Palmer (FMSSC Morning Star), N Fisher (Brewery Tap B).

WYCHWOOD LEAGUE

Chadlington SSC 2, Black Prince A 8; Hanborough SSC 6, Cock Inn 4; Masons Arms A 10, Queens Head A 0; Black Prince B 3, Oxford Yeoman B 7; Killingworth Castle 4, George & Dragon 6; Ye Olde Cross Keys 7, Woodman Inn 3; Red Lion 8, Stonesfield SSC 2.

Top scorer: N Pratley (Masons A) 23.

Sixer: N Pratley.