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That’s Wednesday’s done for the 2025 Summer League

By Roger Nichols on 18th September 2025 in Newsletter

Well last night’s Founders & Legends Trophy singles competition held at Abingdon Conservative Club was the final Wednesday of the Summer season which started 22 weeks ago with the first round of the Skol Trophy 8’s competition and ended with another long established Competition which commemorates all of the players and officials of the past who helped form, compete and administer our league for the past 65 years!

Before that Competition though we played out the remaining semi final and final of our newest competition the Thames Cable Pairs which was new in 2025 and restricted to players from teams in the D, E and F sections. The competition attracted over 20 entries and matches were very competitive in the earlier rounds, which were played up to the semi final stage when held at the Harwellian Club last month.

The first semi final was between two sides from The Fox, Boars Hill represented by Steve Fernback and Jo Wilson and they played that semi final a couple of weeks ago against team mates Alan Fowler and Todd Morris on a neutral throw with Alan and Todd winning through after a tight contest which ended with a 3 stick shoot out.

So last night it was the turn of the other semi finalists who were Keiran Murphy and Michael Rainbow from 2025 newcomers to the league Long Wittenham Athletic Club and they faced John Curry and Ashley Jerome representing Harwellian A. In another tight game that went to 3 legs it was the Harwellian’s who won through to face Alan and Todd in the final.

Again a close run contest which proved a “stretch” too far for the Fox pair and again after 3 legs it was, due in a large part to an excellent 4 doll leg from John which saw the Harwellian pair to become the first winners of this Competition kindly sponsored, as is the league overall, by Thames Cable.

With those matched decided it was time to move on to the main event and one which so many players are eligible for being of or over a certain age! Disappointingly entries this year were significantly down compared to recent years, but 16 players took to the oche to compete for the Trophy and there were a number of tight matches in the early round before Geoff Lee, Dave Butler, Leigh Clapton and Dave Sapey progressed to the semi finals. Both semis both of which were only decided after 3 legs and it was Abingdon Con Club’s Leigh Clapton and Berinsfield SC A’s Geoff Lee who made it through and then in the final it was Leigh who triumphed to take yet another title, this time though a singles title, to the Abingdon Conservative Club whose domination this year in all competitions is there for all to see. They are far from finished and in just a few weeks time when they are represented in both the Singles and Pairs semi finals, our final competitions of the season on Presentation Night which takes place on Friday October 10th at Abingdon United.

8’s, 5’s and 4’s it’s a clean sweep for Abingdon Conservative Club

By Roger Nichols on 15th September 2025 in Newsletter

Last Wednesday, quite the worst weather we have experienced all Summer we decided to move the Final’s indoors which, fortunately we were able to do because we were at Abingdon United FC. I should straight away thank Brian Clapton and son Leigh for responding to my late, late call to make this possible.

Well not altogether surprisingly it was a very successful nitht for Premier Section Champions Abingdon Conservative Club who secured all of the titles on offer starting with a straight 2 leg victory over Croft Nomads in the Team 8’s. Putting Croft in, the Nomads scored a respectable 23 dolls, but that was not enough as the Con Club left anchorman Phil Adams needing only 1 doll to win the leg and, not surprisingly, he obliged with his first stick! Croft chose to set in the next leg and although they once again set 23 it was not enough and anchorman Phil Adams once again saw them home. Top scorers wer3 Alex Chamberlain with 9 dolls and Ken Fisher with 7 for the victors although one suspects Phil Adams might have been leading the count is he had needed to throw his 12 sticks. For Croft Steve Enock with 9 and Chris Jenkins with 7 dolls apiece led the Croft’s efforts.

Next up it was the 4’s final and this time the Con Club’s fearsome foursome were Alex Chamberlain, Dave Dix, Ken Fisher and Phil Adams against the Plum who had Mick Samways and Simon Winterbourne stepping in for the unavailable Paul Longford and Dave Bradshaw who had been part of the Plum’s team in the earlier qualifying rounds. Plum’s Paul Leach hit 7 dolls and Terry Downes 6, but with Alex Chamberlain’ s first leg 3 and Dave Dix following that with a 5 the Plum’s first leg total of 7 was soon overtaken It was Plum again who set in the second leg and with 3’s from Terry and Mick and a 4 from Paul Leach a target of 11 looked a good set, but 3 4’s from Alex, Dave and Phil was enough to see the Con Club home in 2!

The third and final competition was the 5’s and in this competition the Con Club were sure to taste defeat (only because their 2 teams were playing each other so one had to lose!!) Surprisingly the scoring in this final with the extra player was very similar to the scoring in the 4’s with the 4 leg scores being 10-9, 13-12 in favour of the A team featuring Alex, Tom Lach, Ken and Phil. The B side comprised Paul Barrett, Tom Baldwin, Bob Duff, Dave Davies and Leigh Clapton. Top scorer in this final was Dave Dix with 9 dolls.

This week it is the Founders & Legends Trophy which will be held at the Conservative Club on Wednesday evening. This is open to all registered players aged 55+with Registration on the night from 7pm with the draw taking place at 7.20, no latre registrations will be accepted. Play will commence at 7.30 after a remaining semi final and final of the Thames Cable Pairs trophy take place.

It could be a long night depending on the weather so we would ask all players to arrive promptly, register quickly and be ready to play when called to avoid delays between games. If you want to pre-register you can via the Team support link on the website or, by sending me an e mail/text message that will help speed up the process on the night as we will be a couple of committee down!!

Summer 2025 Week 18 Results

By Paul Stone on 10th September 2025 in Newsletter, Summer League Reports

Match Results

P/A – Abingdon United A 6 – Steventon Sports SC A 0; Legs (22-17, 24-21, 23-18)

P/A – Berinsfield SC A 5 – Croft Nomads 1; Legs (27-25, 28-26, 28-28)

P/A – College Oak A 2 – Abingdon Conservative Club 4; Legs (19-31, 23-25, 21-20)

P/A – Red Lion A 6 – Plum Pudding 0; Legs (21-20, 30-24, 26-17)

P/A – Stanford in the Vale FC 6 – The Vine, Cumnor 0; Legs (25-21, 24-16, 23-17)

B – Abingdon RBL 4 – Royal Oak 2; Legs (11-13, 12-10, 13-9)

B – Bear & Ragged Staff 2 – Harwellian B 4; Legs (18-14, 10-13, 16-17)

B – Fleur De Lys A 2 – Earl of Abingdon A 4; Legs (12-13, 13-14, 15-13)

B – The Bell A 4 – WADS Bar 2; Legs (18-13, 9-11, 16-14)

B – The Croft Bar 6 – Abingdon United C 0; Legs (15-11, 15-10, 18-12)

C – Boundary House 4 – The Bell B Grove 2; Legs (15-8, 13-9, 10-15)

C – Brewery Tap 0 – The Fox, Denchworth 6; Legs (9-14, 5-13, 5-14)

C – The Earl of Abingdon B 4 – Red Lion B Drayton 2; Legs (15-7, 14-13, 5-17)

C – The Wheatsheaf, Didcot 6 – The Midget 0; Legs (19-9, 17-8, 17-16)

D – Harwellian A 4 – College Oak B 2; Legs (9-4, 9-11, 12-10)

D – Prince of Wales Shippon 4 – Fleur de Lys B 2; Legs (14-10, 11-14, 13-8)

D – RAL Social Club 0 – Plough West Hanney 6; Legs (5-12, 8-12, 10-11)

D – Steventon Sports B 4 – The Fox Boars Hill 2; Legs (8-7, 12-8, 11-13)

D – The Lamb Wantage 0 – The Plough Inn Long Wittenham 6; Legs (8-11, 10-12, 1-12)

E – Black Horse E.Hanney 0 – Bystander 6; Legs (7-15, 8-12, 4-11)

E – Challow Cricket Club 5 – Crown Marcham A 1; Legs (11-11, 11-9, 13-4)

E – Hanney RBL 2 – Marcham Centre A 4; Legs (8-10, 11-10, 6-9)

E – Queens Arms Didcot 6 – The George Sutton Courtenay 0; Legs (7-6, 10-7, 12-5)

E – Waggon and Horses B Southmoor 6 – Berinsfield SC B 0; Legs (18-8, 11-8, 8-4)

F – Black Swan 0 – Ladygrove A 6; Legs (6-8, 5-6, 8-11)

F – Crown Marcham B 5 – Plough Appleton A 1; Legs (7-7, 12-7, 10-6)

F – Long Wittenham AC 6 – Horse & Jockey Stanford in the Vale 0; Legs (10-8, 7-4, 9-7)

F – Marcham Centre B 1 – Grove RFC 5; Legs (11-20, 8-8, 8-13)

F – North Star B 4 – The Lamb Wantage B 2; Legs (8-4, 6-7, 18-7)

Blobbers

A Watson-Harrison (The Lamb Wantage B), Adam Davies (RAL Social Club), David Mills (Brewery Tap), Jo Wilson (The Fox Boars Hill), John C Vaughan (Harwellian A), Lloyd Woodington (Berinsfield SC B), Matt Tarrant (Ladygrove A), Mckenzie Godfrey (Horse & Jockey Stanford in the Vale), Michael Barry (Harwellian A), Nigel Tait (Abingdon RBL), Pam Edwards (Black Horse E.Hanney), Pete Hogan (C) (The Lamb Wantage), Robert Beasant (Black Horse E.Hanney), Sarah Stacey (Plough Appleton A), Simon Busby (Berinsfield SC B), Tessa Beasant (Black Horse E.Hanney), Tom Moore (Royal Oak), Wayne Robins (Plough West Hanney).

Sixers

Alex Chamberlain (Abingdon Conservative Club), Barry Townsend (Croft Nomads), Gary De La Ruiz (Harwellian B).

Fivers

Andy Morton 3-5-2 (Abingdon United A) – Week 18

Andy Phelps 5-5-3 (Berinsfield SC A) – Week 18

Andy Shipman 4-1-5 (Harwellian B) – Week 18

Bob Duff (S) 5-3-1 (Abingdon Conservative Club) – Week 18

Charlie Guinan 5-3-2 (The Wheatsheaf, Didcot) – Week 18

Dave Collett 1-1-5 (The Plough Inn Long Wittenham) – Week 18

David Mott 2-5-3 (Abingdon United A) – Week 18

Dean Bowler 3-3-5 (Red Lion A) – Week 18

Dennis Forbes-Smith 5-2-1 (Waggon and Horses B Southmoor) – Week 18

James Fletcher 2-1-5 (North Star B) – Week 18

Jason Bowler 3-2-5 (Abingdon United A) – Week 18

Ken Fisher 2-5-1 (Abingdon Conservative Club) – Week 18

Kevin Billington 0-5-1 (Red Lion A) – Week 18

Mark O’Neill 5-2-2 (Grove RFC) – Week 18

Mark Weston 5-1-1 (Plough West Hanney) – Week 18

Paul Leach 5-4-2 (Plum Pudding) – Week 18

Phil Soden (CS) 3-5-4 (College Oak A) – Week 18

Sam Weston 5-1-3 (Bear & Ragged Staff) – Week 18

Steve Weeks 5-0-3 (The Bell A) – Week 18

Steven Pembroke 1-1-5 (Plough West Hanney) – Week 18

Stuart Wilson (C) 5-4-2 (Berinsfield SC A) – Week 18

Summer League 2025………Now it’s all over, all been said and now it’s done!

By Roger Nichols on 10th September 2025 in Newsletter, Summer League Reports

It really doesn’t seem over 18 weeks ago that we were looking forward to our Summer season, some with hope, some with trepidation and some just simply looking forward to Wednesday night’s with some banter, a drink or two and a relaxing game of Aunt Sally with their mates in the garden or backyard of a local hostelry!

So how do we reflect on the Summer? Firstly with lots of pleasure because this year we achieved our goal of attracting 60 teams to our league with 8 new teams welcomed some joining for the very first time, others returning after a time away and a few other changes saw some changes of names and venues for old friends. Remarkably the Summer was kind to us as well with Wednesday evenings being mostly rain free and warm! Can’t always say that, but it certainly helps! Equally remarkably our game attracted 835 actual players in total over the course of the season with 60 teams that’s at least 16 players and some onlookers at 30 pubs or clubs every Wednesday evening for 18 weeks! That must be good for business!

So who were the successful teams now that it is all over for another season? Firstly all teams were successful in their own way not necessarily because they won their section or finished runners up, but because they took part, introduced new players to our game and spent some much needed income in the pubs and clubs who provide the facilities and the environment which enables our game to continue to thrive.

We do need to reflect on to last week’s games and there were some tight finishes some of which were decisive in determining winners and runners up in some sections. The Premier section winners were Abingdon Conservative Club who finished 12 points clear at the top of the table averaging over 24 dolls per leg over 54 legs! A challenge and achievement for us all to aspire to (in our dreams!). Special mention to both Phil Adams and Dave Dix from the Con Club who both just fell 1 doll short of that coveted maximum 18 dolls match total. Maybe next year it will happen! Runners up in the Premier were Croft Nomads who despite losing 5-1 at Berinsfield SC A still managed to retain second spot because their nearest rivals Plum Pudding needing a win on the night at the Red Lion A, but they lost 6-0 so were unable to close the gap finishing 5 points adrift.

It was those 2 winning sides who dominated the A section, Berinsfield SC A winning the title with a 12 point winning margin over the Red Lion A who finished runners up.

The B section went right to the wire and it was the Croft Bar who clinched top spot by just 3 points with a closing night 6-0 victory over Abingdon United C and Abingdon RBL also won on the night to secure the runners up spot.

The C section was comfortably won by The Wheatsheaf who had an excellent season losing only 2 of their 18 matches, runners up in this section were The Bell B from Grove who enjoyed another successful summer.

The D section was won by The Plough West Hanney who topped the table for most of the season so congratulations to them and to the section runners up from East Hagbourne, The Fleur de Lys B.

The E section was, like the B section, a close run thing with 4 teams contesting the top spots for much of the year. At the end though it was The Bystander who came out on top just 1 point ahead of runners up The Waggon & Horses, both sides winning 6-0 on the last day! Marcham Centre A who had been in contention for a long time fell short on their last day going down 5-1 against Hanney RBL, but can take the consolation that their skipper Brian Bosley secured the overall top dolls total for the section.

Finally to the F section the home of several of our new teams i 2025. With lots of solid performances through the Summer Ladygrove and Long Wittenham AC can be pleased with their first year in the league, but it was last year’s newcomers grove RFC who clinched the title and long serving North Star B who finished runners up in this section.

Finally let’s not forget all of those players who recorded personal double figure scores last week, some for the first time (and last) this season.

Leading the pack last week was Alex Chamberlain for AB Con Club with 14 dolls including a maximum 6 Phil Adams and Dave Dix chipped in with 12 and 11 respectively for the league champions. In the Berinsfield SC A match against Croft Nomads, Andy Phelps top scored with 12 dolls for the home side and for the Croft both Barry Townsend (with a 6) and Chris Jenkins matched Andy’s 12. Also in this pretty high scoring match Stuart Wilson with 11 an Mick Greenaway and Richard Jones weighed in with 10 dolls each and for the Croft it was Alan Bell and Steve Enock with 11 dolls apiece.

In the Plum Pudding v Red Lion game Paul Leach and Dean Bowler for the Plum (Paul) and Red Lion (Dean) both hit 11 and also for the Lion, Scott Tabor racked up 10 dolls.

Elsewhere Phil Soden’s 12 dolls were his best of the season, Gary de la Ruiz’s 12 for the Harwellian B included a 6, Andy Morton’s 11 was joined in double figures by team mates, Jumbo Mott, Jason Bowler and Steve Martin who all contributed 1o dolls for Abingdon United A. Steve Davidson, mine host, captain and secretary for the Fox Denchworth led his team with 11 dolls.

There were lots of 10’s scored last week William Glen for Stanford FC, Charlie Guinan for the Wheatsheaf, Andy Shipman of the Harwellian B and his Harwellian clubmate from the A side Woodie Reiszner all broke single figures with 10 dolls each.

A final mention in the race for top doll scorer for top doll between father and son Billy and Dave Collett it was Billy who came out on top by just 4 dolls despite Dave outscoring him 7 to 5 last week. The difference in their season’s totals was probably decided by Billy playing all 18 fixtures whilst Dave only played 17!

Just to close this last league review of the season I would just like to remind you that the season is yet to finish! Tonight (Wednesday 10th) we will be staging the team competitions finals at Abingdon United and next week, Wednesday the 17th it is the Founders & Legends Trophy at Abingdon Conservative Club again from 7.30 which is open to all registered players aged 55 or over, registration on the night from 7 to 7.15. We also plan to hold the remaining semi final and final of the inaugural lower section pairs (D/E/F) before the start of that competition.

Even then the summer season isn’t completely over as we will stage our Presentation Night at Abingdon United FC from 7pm on Friday 10th October when the singles and pairs semi finals and finals will be played and all of the season’s trophies will be presented.

Still More to Come!

Don’t hang up your sticks just yet:

Tonight (Wed 10th Sept): Team Competition Finals at Abingdon United.
Next Wednesday (17th Sept 7pm): Founders & Legends Trophy at Abingdon Conservative Club (open to all players aged 55+ registration 7-7.15).
Lower Section Pairs (D/E/F): Semi-final and final to be played before the Legends Trophy kicks off.
Presentation Night: Friday 10th October at Abingdon United FC from 7pm. Singles and pairs finals, plus trophy presentations—don’t miss it!

A Massive Thank You

That’s it for this season’s Roger’s Ramblings! Huge thanks to every player, captain, secretary, landlord/lady, steward, and supporter. Whether you played every week or just stepped in when needed, you’ve helped keep this wonderful game not just alive—but absolutely thriving.

Here’s to another cracking season. Cheers!

Roger Nicols

League Treasurer and Match Secretary

Summer 2025 Week 17 Results

By Paul Stone on 1st September 2025 in Newsletter, Summer League Reports

Match Results

P/A – Croft Nomads 2 – Abingdon Conservative Club 4; Legs (22-23, 27-23, 23-26)

P/A – Plum Pudding 4 – Stanford in the Vale FC 2; Legs (24-21, 21-20, 18-22)

P/A – Berinsfield SC A 6 – Abingdon United A 0; Legs (23-19, 22-21, 24-10)

P/A – Red Lion A 5 – College Oak A 1; Legs (22-20, 21-19, 16-16)

P/A – The Vine, Cumnor 3 – Steventon Sports SC A 3; Legs (24-21, 17-17, 19-21)

B – Abingdon United C 2 – Royal Oak 4; Legs (11-10, 8-9, 9-11)

B – Earl of Abingdon A 1 – The Croft Bar 5; Legs (13-13, 6-14, 10-12)

B – Fleur De Lys A 4 – Bear & Ragged Staff 2; Legs (13-12, 13-9, 11-15)

B – The Bell A 2 – Abingdon RBL 4; Legs (14-15, 11-10, 14-18)

B – WADS Bar 2 – Harwellian B 4; Legs (13-17, 11-15, 14-13)

C – Boundary House 6 – Eight Bells, Eaton 0; Legs (0-0, 0-0, 0-0)

C – Brewery Tap 0 – The Earl of Abingdon B 6; Legs (0-0, 0-0, 0-0)

C – North Star A 0 – Red Lion B Drayton 6; Legs (11-12, 4-10, 9-15)

C – The Fox, Denchworth 4 – The Wheatsheaf, Didcot 2; Legs (18-8, 15-12, 9-12)

C – The Midget 0 – The Bell B Grove 6; Legs (7-20, 6-17, 6-7)

D – College Oak B 2 – RAL Social Club 4; Legs (11-7, 6-8, 9-11)

D – Harwellian A 1 – Prince of Wales Shippon 5; Legs (8-9, 16-16, 9-12)

D – Plough West Hanney 5 – The Plough Inn Long Wittenham 1; Legs (13-11, 10-10, 18-12)

D – Steventon Sports B 4 – The Lamb Wantage 2; Legs (5-8, 8-6, 7-6)

D – The Fox Boars Hill 1 – Fleur de Lys B 5; Legs (8-11, 15-18, 11-11)

E – Black Horse E.Hanney 0 – Waggon and Horses B Southmoor 6; Legs (6-8, 5-13, 5-7)

E – Bystander 6 – The George Sutton Courtenay 0; Legs (19-8, 12-9, 13-8)

E – Crown Marcham A 6 – Berinsfield SC B 0; Legs (13-11, 11-9, 16-7)

E – Hanney RBL 5 – Queens Arms Didcot 1; Legs (11-10, 7-7, 12-6)

E – Marcham Centre A 5 – Challow Cricket Club 1; Legs (15-12, 12-12, 12-11)

F – Black Swan 6 – Marcham Centre B 0; Legs (7-5, 6-5, 7-4)

F – Horse & Jockey Stanford in the Vale 3 – Grove RFC 3; Legs (18-16, 11-11, 13-16)

F – Ladygrove A 4 – North Star B 2; Legs (10-9, 12-10, 9-10)

F – Long Wittenham AC 2 – Crown Marcham B 4; Legs (12-9, 10-11, 8-10)

F – The Lamb Wantage B 6 – Plough Appleton A 0; Legs (10-8, 11-8, 9-4)

Blobbers

Aaron Scott (The Plough Inn Long Wittenham), Charlie Greenslade (Black Horse E.Hanney), Declan O’Neill (Earl of Abingdon A), Gill Ebberson (RAL Social Club), J Buchanan (The Lamb Wantage), James Mansfield (Plough Appleton A), Jamie Stewart (Queens Arms Didcot), Lloyd Woodington (Berinsfield SC B), Malcolm Thomas (Waggon and Horses B Southmoor), Mary Carey (Plough Appleton A), MIck Wright (Marcham Centre B), Nick Monger (Steventon Sports B), Paul Hackwood (Steventon Sports B), Pete Hogan (C) (The Lamb Wantage), Simon Busby (Berinsfield SC B), Simon Coate (Black Swan), Stuart Packford (The Fox Boars Hill), Tina Harper (S) (The Midget), Vince Tyrrell (Marcham Centre B).

Sixers

Jason Bowler (Abingdon United A).

Fivers

Alan Bell 3-3-5 (Croft Nomads) – Week 17

Dave Dix 5-3-4 (Abingdon Conservative Club) – Week 17

Ken Fisher 3-5-3 (Abingdon Conservative Club) – Week 17

Mark Brind 3-1-5 (Plough West Hanney) – Week 17

Pat Wiltshire 5-1-2 (Grove RFC) – Week 17

Paul Barrett 5-2-4 (Abingdon Conservative Club) – Week 17

Paul Ealey (S) 5-3-4 (Abingdon RBL) – Week 17

Paul Stone 5-4-1 (Croft Nomads) – Week 17

Steve Fernback (CS) 0-5-2 (The Fox Boars Hill) – Week 17

Wout VanGallen 1-1-5 (Abingdon United C) – Week 17

Week 17 and as the league season draws to a close, 4 section winners and 3 runners up are now decided

By Roger Nichols on 1st September 2025 in Newsletter, Summer League Reports

Last Wednesday’s fixtures saw several season outcomes decided. In the Premier Abingdon Con Club only needed 1 point to secure the title and Phil Adams needing 3 to draw the leg and secure that point with his last stick went 1 better with his 4 dolls in the opening leg actually gaining 2 points and securing the Premier section title against hosts Croft Nomads. The second leg went to the Croft, but Con Club secured a 4-2 result with the third leg in a match which saw 144 dolls recorded and the Premier league title comfortably finding a new home at the Con Club albeit with many serial winners of the title included in their side. For the Con Club of the 8 team hit double figures Dave Dix with 12, Phil Adams, Paul Barrett and Ken Fisher all contributed 11 and for the Croft Alan Bell top scored with 11 and Both Barry Townsend and Paul Stone hit 10, for Paul it was his first double digit score of the season.

Croft now need at least 3 points from their last game at Berinsfield SC A this week to see off nearest rivals for the runners up spot, Plum Pudding who closed the gap to 4 points with a 4-2 win against Stanford FC. Paul Longford again top scored for the Plum with 10 dolls.

Berinsfield SC A themselves have enjoyed a successful summer winning last week 6-0 against Abingdon Utd with Richard Jones hitting 10 dolls for the already secured A section winners. For Utd Jason Bowler recorded the only maximum six last week in his 11 dolls for Utd. Berinsfield will finish comfortable winners of the A section ahead of already certain to be runners up Red Lion A.

There were a good number of double figure totals recorded last week amongst the sections, Abingdon RBL’s Paul Ealey scored 12 in the B section and in the same section Harwellian B’s Andy Shipman hit 10. The C section saw Red Lion B’s Alex Winton hit 10 In the D section both Tom McGregor for the Fleur de Lys B and Todd Morris for the Fox, Boars Hill also scored 10 apiece for their sides and for them both that was their first double dolls tally of the season. And in the F section it was a 10 for Sol Parker which wasn’t only his first double figure haul, but also the first for the Horse & Jockey team so well done Sol and to all of the other first timers!

Of the 6 sections 3 are going to the wire in terms of both section winners and runners up with a lot of “crowding” at the top. In the B section Croft Bar find themselves at the top for the first time this season with just the one game to play, but 0nly 4 points separate the top 4 and both the the section winners and runners up could end up being decided not on points difference, but on actual dolls scored! All will become clear on Wednesday!

The C section winners are The Wheatsheaf Didcot despite losing only their second game of the season to The Fox, Denchworth they had already secured the title the previous week, The Bell B, Grove will finish runners up thanks at least in part to ensuring a maximum 6 points haul in 6 of their 17 games so far.

D section winners are The Plough, West Hanney and runners up spot has been secured by The Fleur de Lys B who are finishing the season strongly winning their last 3 games.

That takes us to the E section which is another section going right to the wire this week. Bystander currently lead the table by just 1 point from Marcham Centre A and the Waggon & Horses. Hanney RBL still have a theoretical chance of claiming one of the 2 top spots, but to do that they will have to win 6-0 at home to Marcham Centre this week and that, in turn would deny Marcham their hopes for top spot.

The F section has been led for most of the season by Grove RFC and they just need 4 points from this week’s home tie against Marcham Centre B to secure the F section title. North Star B look favourites to come runners up, but in the unlikelyhood of a 6-0 and a 6-0 defeat for the Rugby Club this week those roles could be reversed!

So as we approach the last week of the Summer 2025 season still lots to play for many teams and that also extends to a couple of the section individual “top dollers”.

Not surprisingly Dave Dix is not catchable in the Premier, but in the A section this weeks tally will determine the outcome in the race between Danny Hamilton and Richard Jones, Derick Brown of the WADs bar will take the honours in the B section and Steve Taylor in section C. Section D is very interesting with “brothers” ? Billy and Dave Collettt separated by only 6 dolls with just 18 sticks left to throw! Brian Bosley will collect the E section top “doller” trophy and Jim Fletcher the F section award!

So the last week of the season, one that has been pretty kind in terms of Wednesday night weather and still lots to play for!

Don’t forget Finals Night at Abingdon United on the 10th September with a 7.30 start.

And a final not from me by way of apology for all the times I have got things wrong in these reports over the season, but as I have said before I didn’t mean it and that includes anyone who has hit double figures who I failed to mention, Sorry to my teamate Steve Enock who should have got his 10 dolls mentioned in last week’s report!

Red Drive Team 3’s Competition

By Roger Nichols on 28th August 2025 in Competition News, Newsletter, Summer League Reports

Regrettably the scheduled remaining rounds of the Red Drive Competition which had been re-arranged for this evening has been cancelled. The Competition had initially had attracted 10 entries and the preliminary rounds were held in early August leaving 8 teams through to the quarter finals which were to take place this evening. Originally we had hoped to complete the Competition on that initial date, but due to some lost time and prolonged games on that evening which also hosted the Team 4’s competition we were unable to complete the necessary 6 additional games needed to conclude the team 3’s competition.

So we had the challenge of finding a mutually acceptable date for the teams which were drawn from just 4 clubs. With the end of the season fast approaching Thursday August 28th was chosen. One team gave ample notice that they would be unable to make that date and withdrew. Then yesterday evening one of the remaining 7 teams withdrew and then this morning another withdrawal was advised leaving only 5 teams left to compete.

After due consideration it was felt that it was not feasible to continue so notice was given earlier today to the remaining sides that the competition would be cancelled and not held this season.

It is regrettable as we have, as a Committee maintained a determination to stage all of our Competitions although for some, entries, particularly for the team competitions has declined, in recent years.

Entries for individual and pairs competitions remains good and last weeks new pairs competition exclusively for players in the D, E and F sections attracted a brilliant 22 entries!

We, the Committee do recognise the difficulties in attracting entries anD also when and where to stage them to maximise entry levels.

We will be seeking the views and ideas from all of our member clubs through the winter months and present both any findings and suggested options/changes at the 2026 AGM when it is held early next year.

Week 16 – A busy week in both the league, 8’s semi finals and an inaugural Competition

By Roger Nichols on 26th August 2025 in Newsletter, Summer League Reports

Well, with the end of the summer season fast approaching last week was a busy one with some results determining league winners, some bringing some very tight finishes in prospect. Also the two 8’s semi finals being held with Abingdon Conservative Club overcoming Abingdon RBL and Croft Nomads defeating Steventon Sports SC A. The final will take place at Abingdon United on September 10th together with all of the other “open” competition finals.

We also held our very first pairs competitions for players from sections D, E and F. We had a great turnout with 22 pairs entering and turning up on a very pleasant Thursday evening at the Harwellian Club who hosted us. This competition progressed to the semi final stage with 2 pairs from the Fox, Boars Hill, one from the host side Harwellian and another from Long Wittenham AC. A great evening with the individual highlight a cracking 6 doll leg by the Bystander’s international star from Canada Rene Laporte! Due to unavailability of individuals, which we had hoped to include the semi finals and final on Finals Night, will need to be arranged on dates that suit those players who secured their semi final places, so watch this space!

In the league once again it is Abingdon Conservative Club who lead the way in the Premier section. Another excellent performance saw them winning 5-1 against the Plum Pudding and that win included yet another plus 30 doll leg for the Con Club! It was Dave Dix’s night again on an individual basis hitting 17 amazing dolls taking him beyond 200 for the season and so, so close to that elusive 18 stick maximum which hasn’t been being achieved in our league since Doug Califano playing for Abingdon United back in 1979! Dave was aided and abetted on the night by Phil Adams who also hit a 6 doll maximum in his 13 dolls, Alex Chamberlain also with 13, Leigh Clapton with 11 and Paul Barrett and Ken Fisher with 10 a piece, so 6 players all in double figures on the night! Dave Dix’s doll average for the season so far is a remarkable 4.54 and the Con Club only need 1 point from the remaining 12 on offer to secure the title for another year. Paul Longford top scored for the Plum with 11 dolls in reply.

In the A section Berinsfield SC A also managed a 30 doll leg in their 6-0 victory against a depleted College Oak A side and like the Con Club Berinsfield only need 1 more point to secure the A section title. Andy Phelps was another “sixer” on the night for Berinsfield and Richard Jones and Stuart Wilson both hit a dozen dolls for Berinsfield. There was a good number of double figure doll scorers last week including Andy Morton (11), Steve Martin (12), Jason Bowler (10) and Steve Martin (10) for Abingdon United A. Barry Townsend (11) and Alan Bell (10) for Croft Nomads.

Elsewhere Gareth Brown managed 12 dolls for the WADS Bar whose 6-0 win felled the Royal Oak from the top of the B section and Dave Sapey’s 11 dolls for Abingdon RBL helped them to moved to top spot in that B section, I think for the first time this season, but only 1 point separates 4 teams so doll count may well come into play at the end of the season. In the F section Adam Connelly led the way for league leaders Grove RFC with 10 dolls which helped his side to a 6-0 win against close rivals Ladygrove and opened up a 3 point gap at the top of the F section.

So looking at the league tables as previously mentioned only 1 point each is required by AbingdonCon Club and Berinsfied to secure the Premier and A section titles, section B is still all to play for. The C section just requires 1 more point for the Wheatsheaf. The D section the Black Horse have a 7 point lead.

The E section is very tight with The Bystander and Marcham Centre A level on 63 points each, but Marcham Centre have a significant doll advantage, but Waggon & Horses are still lurking should there be any slip ups as they are just 1 point adrift. The F section looks like a race for the finish with Grove RFC holding a 3 point advantage from North Star B who are now 6 points clear of third placed Ladygrove.

Summer 2025 Week 16 Results

By Paul Stone on 25th August 2025 in Newsletter, Summer League Reports

Match Results

P/A – Abingdon Conservative Club 5 – Plum Pudding 1; Legs (24-24, 28-22, 31-19)

P/A – Abingdon United A 5 – The Vine, Cumnor 1; Legs (25-18, 28-24, 21-21)

P/A – Steventon Sports SC A 1 – Croft Nomads 5; Legs (19-26, 23-23, 19-22)

P/A – College Oak A 0 – Berinsfield SC A 6; Legs (15-26, 15-30, 14-22)

P/A – Stanford in the Vale FC 5 – Red Lion A 1; Legs (25-22, 22-22, 24-21)

B – Abingdon RBL 5 – Abingdon United C 1; Legs (15-11, 14-14, 16-14)

B – Bear & Ragged Staff 2 – The Bell A 4; Legs (15-16, 15-13, 10-13)

B – Harwellian B 6 – Earl of Abingdon A 0; Legs (11-8, 16-15, 12-10)

B – Royal Oak 0 – WADS Bar 6; Legs (13-16, 8-15, 11-18)

B – The Croft Bar 2 – Fleur De Lys A 4; Legs (13-14, 12-13, 11-10)

C – Boundary House 4 – The Midget 2; Legs (12-9, 9-14, 12-10)

C – Red Lion B Drayton 2 – The Fox, Denchworth 4; Legs (7-9, 8-6, 9-11)

C – The Bell B Grove 6 – North Star A 0; Legs (13-11, 13-7, 12-10)

C – The Earl of Abingdon B 6 – Eight Bells, Eaton 0; Legs (14-11, 11-9, 14-8)

C – The Wheatsheaf, Didcot 6 – Brewery Tap 0; Legs (15-7, 16-12, 20-7)

D – Fleur de Lys B 6 – College Oak B 0; Legs (18-13, 12-10, 12-9)

D – Prince of Wales Shippon 5 – Steventon Sports B 1; Legs (7-7, 10-8, 10-7)

D – RAL Social Club 2 – Harwellian A 4; Legs (8-11, 11-14, 8-6)

D – The Lamb Wantage 3 – Plough West Hanney 3; Legs (12-9, 12-12, 10-12)

D – The Plough Inn Long Wittenham 4 – The Fox Boars Hill 2; Legs (10-11, 11-9, 12-10)

E – Berinsfield SC B 2 – Bystander 4; Legs (10-11, 10-16, 11-10)

E – Challow Cricket Club 2 – Hanney RBL 4; Legs (11-10, 10-11, 7-8)

E – Queens Arms Didcot 3 – Black Horse E.Hanney 3; Legs (9-9, 9-8, 7-14)

E – The George Sutton Courtenay 0 – Marcham Centre A 6; Legs (7-11, 10-19, 8-14)

E – Waggon and Horses B Southmoor 6 – Crown Marcham A 0; Legs (14-8, 12-7, 12-4)

F – Crown Marcham B 3 – The Lamb Wantage B 3; Legs (10-12, 13-10, 11-11)

F – Grove RFC 6 – Ladygrove A 0; Legs (13-11, 12-6, 17-8)

F – Marcham Centre B 1 – Long Wittenham AC 5; Legs (7-7, 11-13, 10-15)

F – North Star B 4 – Black Swan 2; Legs (12-3, 16-6, 9-13)

F – Plough Appleton A 0 – Horse & Jockey Stanford in the Vale 6; Legs (2-11, 1-11, 5-10)

Blobbers

B Chalmers (The Lamb Wantage B), Dave Baker (Harwellian B), Dave Imrie (Steventon Sports SC A), David Carroll (RAL Social Club), Haydn Fullick (Boundary House), James Mansfield (Plough Appleton A), Keith Buckle (Abingdon RBL), Liz Downthwaite (Plough Appleton A), Mark Jones (Brewery Tap), Nick Faulkner (College Oak B), Ray Cousins (Prince of Wales Shippon), Ryhs Lewis (Plough Appleton A), Tom Turner (The Fox Boars Hill).

Sixers

Andy Phelps (Berinsfield SC A), Dave Dix x2 (Abingdon Conservative Club), Phil Adams (Abingdon Conservative Club).

Fivers

Adam Connolly 3-2-5 (Grove RFC) – Week 16

Alan Bell 2-5-3 (Croft Nomads) – Week 16

Alex Chamberlain 4-5-4 (Abingdon Conservative Club) – Week 16

Andy Morton 5-3-3 (Abingdon United A) – Week 16

Barry Townsend 4-5-2 (Croft Nomads) – Week 16

Billy Collett (C) 4-4-5 (The Plough Inn Long Wittenham) – Week 16

Charlie Guinan 2-3-5 (The Wheatsheaf, Didcot) – Week 16

Dave Dix 5-6-6 (Abingdon Conservative Club) – Week 16

Dave Myers 5-0-2 (Ladygrove A) – Week 16

David Sapey (C) 2-4-5 (Abingdon RBL) – Week 16

Gareth Brown 3-4-5 (WADS Bar) – Week 16

Geoff Smith (S) 5-2-0 (College Oak B) – Week 16

Jason Bowler 1-5-4 (Abingdon United A) – Week 16

John Simmons 1-5-2 (Abingdon United A) – Week 16

Luke Dewar 0-5-2 (Earl of Abingdon A) – Week 16

Paul Longford 5-3-3 (Plum Pudding) – Week 16

Paul Stone 5-1-3 (Croft Nomads) – Week 16

Richard Jones 3-5-4 (Berinsfield SC A) – Week 16

Simon Winterbourne 1-5-2 (Plum Pudding) – Week 16

Steven Martin 5-5-2 (Abingdon United A) – Week 16

Stuart Wilson (C) 4-3-5 (Berinsfield SC A) – Week 16

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