"Thursday the 5th of April once again saw The Bampton Aunt Sally, Inter-League team travel to General Foods Sports and Social Club Banbury.
The format for the uninitiated is as follows, 8 leagues playing on 4 indoor pitches, 8 aside, with the added twist that the pitches are marginally longer in length than we would be used too. The Banbury League rules state that the pitch is measured 30 feet from the front of the swivel - we measure from the iron, and so effectively the team were stood 6 inches further back to have their throw.
The team this year was once again drawn from both Bampton, Summer and Winter leagues, with Ady Pitts and Mark Rollins (Athletico Talbot), David Edwards and Dave Lee (The Griffins) Paul Gill, (The Bell, Ducklington) Stevie Cleaver (Duck Sports and Social) Neil Lyon (3 Pigeons) and Jeff Glenister (Bampton Indoor League)
The Chairman Steve Mace had been press ganged by President Fred Cook onto the no expense spared luxury coach too give his very vocal support, as he travelled, he repeatedly made it clear that he was only coming as they had Guinness on tap. Steve had been on many occasions before and detests the range of beers on offer.
This year the team was stronger than in previous years .The inter-league competition always seems to fall on the same evening as Bampton Indoor League finals night, this year however it didn’t thanks MR LYON for sorting that out: and with a strong side we had high hopes, it was way back in 2011 the last time we reached the final and lost to a star studded Oxford League.
As previously mentioned the side was strong, but it would be an injustice to not briefly mention the way in which they dressed for the occasion - has Bampton ever fielded a more handsome side? I doubt it very much.
If the format where to be changed slightly and each team paraded around the venue for bonus points, before the start, I can say without any hesitation we would win every time.
Mark Rollins sported his trademark tweed cap, looking every inch the country squire, The ever youthful Ady Pitts looked quite the Dandy and can still pull off wearing clothes meant for those so much younger than himself. Our chairman Steve Mace as usual wore shorts, but even he had dressed up was wearing a different pair from the old faithful’s that we are so accustomed to seeing him in.
Dave Lee was without any doubt the star of the show, the self-proclaimed KING OF COOL sported his winkle pickers, which if I were to hazard a guess where hewn from the skin of a Crocodile, trapped in the wild no doubt, (none of that factory farmed rubbish for our David), probably on the endangered list, if not the last of its kind.
All I can say is that if the unfortunate reptile was looking down from his swampy, crocodilian heaven as David approached the Hocking to take his turn, the sacrifice would have all seemed well worth it Gasps of amazement and bewilderment where heard from the Aunt Sally old guard, surely the last time footwear like that graced General foods was when Del Shannon and Gene Pitney were topping the Hit Parade.
First up we faced the Chipping Norton league, with a side featuring no less than two ex singles world champions in Trevor Dyer and Steve McAteer, and the legendary Steve Arthurs playing at Anchor. The coin was duly tossed and with the evening not 10 minutes old The Guinness ran out leaving Beer Snob, Steve Mace the choice of Mitchell and Butlers Brew 11 or Webster’s Yorkshire bitter for the next 4 hours, much to the amusement of the team, with the exception of Mark Hitman Rollins who was also far from amused.
Chippy won the Toss and opted to set and put 21 on the board, Bampton started steadily, but with the last 3 to go we still needed 12 to draw, Dave lee hit 4 Neil Lyon 4 leaving the Anchor 5 to win 4 to draw, we fell 1 short, Chippy 1 leg up.
In the second leg Bampton set, and what a set it was, scores of 3,5,4,2,5,4,4,4, put a mighty 31 on the board a record breaking leg for the inter-league team, and the highest on the night from any team. Chippy started well despite needing to hit 4 a man to win, but after 4 players needed 22 dolls out of 24 sticks to win.
The third and deciding leg again saw Chippy set, and post a respectable 27, this time Bampton where on course. A wobble in the tail left Number 7 Neil Lyon and Anchor man Mark Rollins, with a lot to do. Neil throwing his sticks as hard as he does, duly caused the backdrop to collapse with three sticks still to throw, and it had to repaired for the remainder of his throw, seven to win and even Mark would struggle with that. Chippy won 2-1 hitting 70 dolls to Bampton’s 71 dolls, Neil Lyon top scored for Bampton with 4,4,4 and was well supported by Ady Pitts 2,5,3 and Jeff Glenister 2,5,4
Bampton now dropped into the Plate competition the Inter-League shield, and faced the hosts Banbury, Jeff Glenister (The General) hit a great 6 for Bampton in the first leg and Mark Rollins finished the leg in style with a 5 to give Bampton a score of 25, the second leg saw a solid performance to again set 25, Banbury’s Anchor man needing 6 for the win 5 for the draw fell one short with 4 Overall a great all round team performance from Bampton, beating Banbury 2-0 on their own alley.
Into the plate final and facing opponents The Kidlington League, Neil Lyon three times winner of the Oxford singles won the toss and opted to set, two 5’s from Ady Pitts and Mark Rollins saw a score of 25, they were well supported by David Edwards and Neil Lyon who scored 4 apiece.
Now at this point of the proceedings it is probably best to point out that the beer was starting to take its toll on the team, this was proper aunt sally, none of this drinking coke malarkey to try and preserve your average from these boys, we were on our third game and had been at it for the best part of 3 hours, scores were starting to reduce and the wayward sticks where starting to fly.
Kidlington, who to their credit where also a drinking team posted a score of 26, five of their players hitting 4. Bampton started well, Paul Gill leading off he was solid all night, always getting something on the board. Jeff Glenister followed with a 5, and we seemed to be on course until Mr. Lee and his winkle pickers took to the throw. How much he had drunk I can only imagine, he was clearly suffering the effects and his 1 doll left a big ask for Number 7 Neil Lyon and anchor Mark Rollins, Neil hit 5, leaving Mark six to draw, missing with his first stick he walked, 1 leg apiece the plate final would be decided on the third leg.
Kidlington won the toss and opted to set and scored 22. The team rallied and to shouts of “come on boys’ we can do this” off we went. All was going well until Dave Lee approached me and said I would have to get a stand in for him as he could no longer see the doll. After a bit of a pep talk from the team and words of encouragement like” aim for the middle one”, he stepped up to take his turn, gently swaying in his winkle pickers. This was a Death or Glory moment and to our relief somehow he scraped a 3.although I believe he was oblivious as to hitting the doll at all. Six to win with 2 still to throw. Up stepped Neil Lyon, surely one of the few men to have ever hit the perfect 666 (twice) could wrap this up on his own. Aunt Sally as we all know is a funny game and with Neil only hitting 2, all eyes turned to Mark the HITMAN Rollins. 3 to draw 4 to win. Cool as a cucumber he slipped off the first 3, we all watched as sticks 4 and 5 passed the doll with less than an inch clearance. It was all down to the last stick, had Mark, forever the showman deliberately missed 4 and 5 to set himself for a grandstand finish. You could have heard a pin drop as he released his final stick and the venue erupted as it landed straight on the very top of the doll.
It was a great night, as always there where a few contentious calls, even at this level, but that’s Aunt Sally everyone just accepts it and gets on with the game. A cracking night and a great result for The Bampton and District Aunt Sally League. Well done boys. And well done to Oxford who beat Wychwood in the main final 2-0, and thanks to Pete Dempsey and The Banbury League for hosting the event".