Cross duo go one better in the final

Oxford & Districts Eric Hollinrake and Alan Mead with Banbury Cross duo Nigel Galletly and Tom McKenna

The first of this season’s six men’s indoor bowls finals took place at Oxford City & County Bowls Club on Friday and the Cross duo went one better than last year.

Last season’s runners-up beat two times winners Oxford & District pair Alan Mead and Eric Hollinrake in Friday’s final in a first ever meeting between the two pairs.

The opening six ends saw a very high standard of bowls with the lead changing hands several times during the ends and neither pair establishing any clear dominance at 4-4.

But McKenna and Galletly managed to get more woods into the head, forcing Hollinrake to attempt some difficult recovery shots.

With the score 16-5 to Cross after 13 ends, the Oxford & District pair rallied. But good saving woods from Galletly on the 16th and 17th ends left Mead and Hollinrake with too much to do with ends running out, leaving the final score 19-13 to the Banbury pair after 21 ends.