Archive | Summer League Reports

Well, that was a wet one. I think we’ve been lucky that this was the first really wet Wednesday of the season. Ask any seasoned player and they’ll tell you a time that it was raining even harder etc. It’s all part of the charm of this game we love. And it definitely affected some players scores, I find it’s a great leveller for the teams ! And yet there are other players who can just hit dolls in the rain just the same as the dry. 

So this is reflected in that there were NO SIXERS this week and more blobbers, 10 to be precise, including myself! I’ll have a rest next week Captain Roger! Sometimes trying harder doesn’t help in this game.

So the total player scores maxed out at 12 dolls and those worth a mention with double digit scores are:-

12 Barry Townsend 2-5-5 (Plum Pudding) – Week 12
12 David Dix 4-5-3 (Abingdon United @Con Club) – Week 12
11 Leigh Clapton 4-5-2 (Abingdon United @Con Club) – Week 12
11 Mick Christopher 2-5-4 (The Grapes B) – Week 12
10 Dean Bowler 3-3-4 (Red Lion A) – Week 12
10 Derek Fletcher 3-4-3 (Steventon Sports A) – Week 12
10 Kenny Moore 4-3-3 (The Brewery Tap B) – Week 12
10 Mark Brind 4-4-2 (Hanney Plough A (W.Hanney)) – Week 12
10 Martin Rawlings 3-3-4 (Berinsfield B/C) – Week 12
10 Martin Robinson 4-4-2 (Croft Nomads) – Week 12
10 Michael Jarvis 4-3-3 (Steventon Sports A) – Week 12
10 Scott Humphries 4-4-2 (Abingdon United @Con Club) – Week 12

You see what I mean by those that can play in the rain, Barry Townsend (Plum Pudding) AGAIN getting two 5s and the next three top scores with a 5 in theirs. The fact there’s lower section players in that list is a great thing to see. 

Now we may be missing some scores because some teams might have elected to play on another night under Rule 14 – some might have been spared the rain with a fortunate bye of course.  Any reschedule should take place before the next Wednesdays match- not least because you know the mess it makes with the score card and week numbers! SO any teams that have rescheduled drop an email to Team Support so we know we are awaiting a card (or attach the card and I’ll put it in). I’ll be changing the week number on Wednesday night so if you play on Tuesday get that card online before 7pm Wednesday.

Because of this, and the byes, it’s a little difficult to judge the table positions. Premier is still possible for any of Ab Utd/Steventon Sports or Berinsfield to take the top spot. Ditto the A section top 3 still neck and neck. B section has College Oak extending the lead to 8 points ahead of Fleur de Lys making it harder for them and The Plough LW to catch them. C Section again it’s within the grasp of the top 3, D Section top 4, E Section top 3 and F Section seem to be a few missing but Abingdon Arms A look strong with 40 points although Wheatsheaf Didcot with 29 and seemingly a game in hand will need to go some to take top spot. 

ABOUT THE BYES – As you know we took the decision at the start of the season NOT to throw out 2 teams to make 50 teams hence 5x 10 team sections but be inclusive and this meant the only sensible way to do that is with some sections with byes to spread the teams out over 6 sections. This is the only sustainable approach because unless we change the section size (9 or 8 team fixtures) or we wait until we have 60 teams exactly we can’t field the same fixtures. Byes are a way to get people playing albeit with a few weeks off when of course you could arrange a friendly.  We already have some interest for few new teams for next year so I think this is the right way to go to get more people playing. Of course, at the AGM in January you might feel different – do let us know after Christmas. The other thing is why not a 2nd team (or 3rd/4th if you have 2 pitches) at your venue – we always get some teams signing on lots of players and it might be possible to get another team on the books. 

REMINDER COMPETITION SUNDAY – 6th August at Abingdon Utd FC starting at 1pm. Do come along even if you’re not playing because we are all hoping for some great games. You know there’s nothing quite like the pressure of a competition match, as Phil “The Power” Taylor of darts fame once said “You can’t practice sh*****g yourself”. It really is in the taking part under pressure.

Roger should be back in the Roundup chair next week. Thanks for reading this far!

Roger is on 2 weeks much deserved and needed given last weeks issues 😉 holiday so this week’s round up won’t necesarily be in the same flavour. As they say, a change is as good as a rest.

Blobbers and Sixers

This week we’ve had only eight blobbers – I won’t name them because I know they’ll be trying better next week (or be dropped for one)! Overall we’ve had 86 blobbers so far this season with 69 players so some are making a habit of it as repeat offenders. We all started there so give them some encouragement next match. Last year we had 200 over the whole season with 147 players so that means we’re doing a lot, lot better this year but we are only half way !

Four Sixers this week and some of the usual suspects … Barry Parker (Abingdon United @Con Club), Bob Beasant (Chequers Charney), David Dix (Abingdon United @Con Club), Phil Soden (College Oak A). That makes 17 sixes scored so far this season. I’m just waiting for Kevin Regan to make good (see below) as he had 2 fives this week.

High scores this week

13 – Barry Parker 4-6-3 (Abingdon United @Con Club) 

12 – David Dix 6-2-4 (Abingdon United @Con Club), Dean Bowler 5-3-4 (Red Lion A), Kevin Regan 2-5-5 (Red Lion A)

11 – Andy Phelps 5-4-2 (Berinsfield SC A), Dave Butler 3-5-3 (Plum Pudding), Jumbo Mott 5-4-2 (Bystander A), Leigh Clapton 2-5-4 (Abingdon United @Con Club), Mike James 4-3-4 (Abingdon United C), Phil Soden 3-6-2 (College Oak A)

10 – Barry Townsend 2-3-5 (Plum Pudding), Colin Brind 4-3-3 (Steventon Sports A), Doug Bolton 3-4-3 (Steventon Sports A), Malc Jones 4-4-2 (Berinsfield SC A), Mick Greenaway 4-3-3 (Berinsfield SC A), Scott Humphries 4-3-3 (Abingdon United @Con Club), Simon Reeve 5-1-4 (The Hart, Harwell), Tyler Rawlings 4-4-2 (Berinsfield B/C)

There’s a lot of 5’s in those scores which probably could have been 6’s if the gods of Aunt Sally (and the wind) were with them. Over the whole season we’ve had 141 scores from 92 different players with at least one 5 in the score. You only need one doll to win and some of you are so close to a 6!

Talking if individual performance don’t forget to check out your ‘ranking’ in the ‘Player Rank by Average‘ report and get some competition going between your mates. After all, if low ranking players can win Wimbledon who knows what you could achieve!

The Tables

So where are we on the Sections?

Well, Ab Utd have squeezed past Steventon Sports by 1 point with Berinsfield on their tail just 3 points below Stivie in the Premier. Croft Nomads has sunk to the bottom of the Premier with Plum Pudding inching by 2 points above them.  In the A section we’ve got Red Lion and Stanford i-t-V FC jockeying for the top spot level on 34 points with the Bystander A in with a chance to better them both in the last half of the season. In the B Section,  it feels like the College Oak A and the Fleur are leaving the rest behind with at least 7 points ahead. In C Section it’s still tight at the top with only a point between The Grapes B and Boundary House. In D Section it’s up for all 4 of the top teams to prove themselves worthy of the silverware with only 3 points between them. E Section shows the Midget only 4 points away from the Harwellian A. In F Section it’s possibly a hard task for Fox Boars Hill to catch Abingdon Arms B with a 7 point lead but it’s not impossible. Talking of the impossible, or so they thought, the Bystander C won their first game 6-0 against North Star B so stranger things can happen in this game!

COMPETITION SUNDAY

Don’t forget the Pairs, Singles, Captains and Secretaries Competitions are being played at Abingdon Utd FC on Sunday 6th August at 1pm. Even if you’re not playing come along and see some great Aunt Sally.

And Finally… There’s a lot of talk about AI, Artificial Intelligence going to take over the world. Here’s what ChatGPT, the Artificial Intelligence engine made of the tables report……just for fun, you can draw your own conclusions about it’s emphasis and accuracy! I’ll be happy when Roger returns with his reports!

Let’s dive into the thrilling world of Aunt Sally and the Sections!

In the Premier Section, the competition is fierce, and Ab Utd managed to secure a nail-biting victory, edging past Steventon Sports by a mere 1 point! But they better watch their backs, as Berinsfield is closing in just 3 points behind Stivie, ready to challenge for the top spot. On the flip side, Croft Nomads finds themselves at the bottom of the table, while Plum Pudding inches ahead by 2 points, trying to escape the relegation zone.

Over in the A Section, the race for supremacy is a neck-and-neck affair! Red Lion and Stanford i-t-V FC are locked in a thrilling battle, level on 34 points each. But hold on, the Bystander A is lurking close behind, with their eyes set on snatching the top spot in the latter half of the season. It’s anyone’s game, and the excitement is palpable!

The B Section is witnessing a stunning display of dominance from College Oak A and the Fleur. These powerhouses are leaving the rest of the competition trailing in their wake, with a commanding lead of at least 7 points! Can anyone catch up to this dynamic duo?

In the C Section, the competition is as tight as it gets, with just a single point separating The Grapes B and Boundary House at the top. Every match becomes a crucial battle for supremacy, and teams are giving it their all to claim the coveted position!

Over in the D Section, it’s an all-out war for the silverware! The top four teams are locked in an intense battle, with only 3 points separating them. Each point earned or lost carries immense significance in this heated pursuit for glory!

In E Section, the Midget is hot on the heels of the Harwellian A, a mere 4 points away! The tension is building as they try to narrow the gap and potentially seize the top spot.

And finally, in the F Section, Fox Boars Hill faces a daunting challenge as they aim to catch up to Abingdon Arms B, who boast a commanding 7-point lead. It may be a difficult task, but in this game of surprises, anything is possible!

Speaking of surprises, the Bystander C defied all expectations by securing an astonishing 6-0 victory against North Star B in their first game. It’s a vivid reminder that Aunt Sally is a game full of unexpected twists and turns, and every team has the potential to rise and shine!

So, as the battle continues in each section, the stage is set for more thrilling encounters, heart-stopping moments, and triumphant celebrations. The world of Aunt Sally never fails to amaze, and fans can’t wait to witness the captivating drama that lies ahead!

Well the warmer weather certainly seems to have led to some improving individual scores and 14 players manged double figures last week with Barry Townsend (Plum Pudding), Alan Bell (Croft Nomads) and Ian Morrison (Steventon Sports) all leading the way with 13 dolls each. Titch shaded the honours though with a maximum 6 in his 13.

Dave Dix (Ab Utd/Con Club) and teammate Scott Humphries together with Robert Glenn of Stanford FC were hot on their heels with 12 dolls apiece. Phil Adams, Mr Consistent, for the Plum Pudding hit 11 dolls and 7. There were a good smattering of 10’s scored and amongst these were Andrew Wilson of the Plough, Simon Armstrong of the Queens Arms in Section E and I must mention Barry Parker returning to the Abingdon Utd/Con Club side after a n illness enforced long lay off hitting his first double figures of the season, I suspect there’s more big scores to come from Barry before the season is out!

Other sixers last week were  Derek Fletcher (Steventon Sports) and Billy Collett of the Plough, Long Wittenham. Lots of 5’s scored last week for many with 13  throwers just failing to make 1 stick count to make the magical and elusive maximum. Really encouraging to see several of these scores coming from the lower sections including Andy Barrett for the Croft B  playing in the D section,  Darragh Murphy for the Plough in B section, together with Les Giles from the Fleur at Hagbourne also in the B section and Alistair Brewis for the Chequers in C section. Well done to all of you.

Just a few interesting stats so far after 7 weeks of the 18 week season 600 players have picked up the sticks and thrown them for the 51 sides entered in the league this year. Of those 11 players are averaging over 3 dolls a leg leading the way is Dave Dix closely chased by Phil Adams and his teammate Scott Humphries. Really encouraging is that within the top 25 in terms of doll average you will find Rick Selby of the College Oak B, and Dave Harris of the Prince of Wales Shippon also within the leading pack you will see Andrew Wilson (Plough), Dave Worrell (College Oak), Steve Taylor, (Fox Denchworth) Richard Burns (Chequers ), Steve Fisher (Royal Oak) and landlord Tony O’Sullivan (Eight Bells) so there is plenty of consistent talent playing outside of the Premier/A section and hopefully we will see some of these entering the singles and pairs competitions later in the season.

Firstly let me start with a week 1 apology to Scott Humphries who I failed to mention recorded a 6 in his 13 dolls against Berinsfield A, sorry Scott.

Week 2 saw some very good individual scoring across all sections so for some obviously week 1 was a necessary early season excursion after, for many, a long lay off. Week 2 was a statement of having had the initial game many of you are back on it with 18 double figure scores recorded and unusually individual double figure scores were recorded in every section. Maybe, for some, improved scoring was helped by the fact that last Wednesday was  a  little warmer than previous weeks.

Top doll man last week was Barry Townsend  who hit 13 dolls in Plum Pudding’s 6-0 win over Bystander A. Jason Bowler hit a fine 11 for the Bystander in reply.  Another 6-0 victory in the Premier/A section  saw Stanford in the Vale FC comfortably beat Croft Nomads with Garry Gibbard hitting and Rob Glen both hitting 11, but Garry was the star of the night with his excellent second leg 6 and the result leaves newly promoted Stanford with a clean sweep of 12 points from their first two. matches

12 dolls were recorded by Dave Dix for Ab Utd/Con Club, Paul Leach for The Hart Harwell,and  Phil Soden for College Oak A whilst mention should be made of Dean Bowler,Danny Hamilton, Matt Dingle, Steve Taylor , John Allnutt, Rick Selby, Billy Collett, George Gregory, Bob Duff and Mark Newman all of whom made double figure contributions for their sides last week.

Just a reminder that the Competition entries are due in by the end of the month for all of the remaining competitions which will take place on Sunday June 25th (3’s, 4’s and 5’s) and Sunday 6th August (pairs, singles, Captains and Secretaries)m so please get your entries in asap either direct to a member of the committee or via the team support link on the website.

Finally it was good to hear that some of the teams with byes in sections C and below are taking the opportunity of arranging friendlies when they have no scheduled league fixtures. That’s encouraging and ensures that not only are people playing when they don’t have a  competitive match, but most importantly we are still supporting our pubs and clubs every week.

Hope week 3 goes well for everyone.

The 2023 Fixture list is now available on line.  See 2023 Fixture List PDF

NOTE There is a minor problem with the fixture as printed (and PDF) for the Harwellian B, Abingdon Arms A/B, Abingdon RBL and Wheatsheaf Didcot due to a home game clash due to two team venues. Team captains have been contacted that are affected and have agreed to reversing the home/away status for some matches. Ask your captain/secretary for details.