OAKLEY junior bowlers have had more success with Nicole Rogers and her skip Heather Statham reaching the quarter finals of the National Junior Pairs at Leamington Spa.

In their first game they overcame Herefordshire and followed this up with a win over a very strong Norfolk duo.

In the quarter-final match it was a different story, as they faced the top Devon pairing of Sophie Tolchard and Harriett Stevens.

In what was always going to be a tough task, Rogers found herself leading against Tolchard.

She is England’s best singles player, who had won both the National Junior and Senior Singles titles in 2015 and had already lifted three titles at the 2016 Championships in Leamington Spa.

The task was no easier for Statham who had to skip against Stevens, who the previous day had finished runner up in the National Pairs.

Both Oakley players performed well and there were some excellent heads but they were unable to match the skill and experience of their illustrious opponents who ran out 23-4 winners and went on to lift the national crown.

l At the Oakley Club Finals, the following weekend, juniors again excelled with the Men’s Singles title being won by 16-years-old Ashley Nethercliffe who defeated four times champion Ric Newson to retain his crown.

The Ladies Singles also saw youth in control with 17-years-old Rogers overcoming the favourite, former county champion and five times club winner, Mary Taylor.

The Open Singles Crown went to Newson who beat Trevor Wearn. Newson had started the day looking for a hat-trick of titles, had to settle for just one as he lost the Two Wood final to Spencer Kerley.

The Novice titles were won by Ted Trantum, last year’s runner up, and by Rogers, who was then on for a hat-trick as she partnered Ashley Nethercliffe against Angie Rowe and Fred Norris in the Pairs final.

This was easily the closest and most exciting game of the day.

The juniors struck early picking up a four on the second end, but the scores were tied after 15 ends.

Two threes from Rowe and Norris saw them take a four shot lead with three ends left.

The juniors then tied the game at 19 ends and having established a strong position on the penultimate end seemed set for victory.

However, Norris produced the perfect draw to save the game and a two on the last end gave Rowe and Norris victory.

For Norris this capped a good few days as he had been a member of the Oakley Men’s team that clinched the Basingstoke Division One League title.

Having begun the season disastrously, getting only 2.5 points out of a possible 15 and bottom of the league the team then had a 12 game winning streak, taking them into the last match at Whitchurch needing just two points for the title.

This game was approached with trepidation, as last year league success had eluded the club, when Oakley failed in their last game to score just the half a point which would have given them the title.

This year, however, there were to be no mistakes as a four points to one win, took the club to its second title in three years.

Pictured above, top row (left to right): Angie Rowe and Fred Norris, Ted Trantum, Ric Newson.

Bottom row (left to right): Ashley Nethercliffe, Spencer Kerley, Nicole Rogers.