After getting their Middleton Cup campaign back on track last week the Bears welcomed Oxfordshire to Stratford BC for their third fixture. Last week Lady Luck was a bear, this week she proved why she is a fickle mistress as on hot afternoon it was the visitors that enjoyed the lion’s share of the luck running out 132-101 winner and limiting the hosts to just two points, a result that ends Warwickshire’s hopes of progressing further in the competition.

Keith Avery (Avenue Coventry), Geoff Millership (Nuneaton), Adam Shuttleworth (Whitnash) and Tom Millership (Avenue Coventry) saw their early lead wiped out as they reached the eighth end all square. Another good spell took the Bears six shots clear with five ends left. With two ends to go the lead was just one, Millership’s rink took a treble and had to survive a nervy final end to complete their 20-18 win. Mark Smith (Avenue Leamington), Josh Tiffin (Rugby), Luke Horne and Adam Smith (both Avenue Leamington) took a second end five to reach seven ends ten shots up. With five ends to play Smith and co still held an eight end advantage but the visitors levelled the game on the penultimate end and took a final end double to win 20-18.

Aiden Maries (Avenue Leamington), Will Brundle (Welford), Keith Wooding and Mark Ireland (both Avenue Coventry) also took an early five but reached the halfway point all square. Oxfordshire had the better of the second half, eight shots up with two ends to play. Ireland and co finished with a pair of doubles but lost 19-23. Ian Billington (Whitnash), Harry Smith (Nuneaton), Derek Maries (Avenue Leamington) and Graham Ashby (Avenue Coventry) struggled to get going but were only a shot down after ten ends. Oxfordshire built a six shot advantage but Ashby’s rink again cut it down to one shot with two ends left. The visitors won both to finish 22-18 winners.

Andy Prickett, Chris Brereton (both Welford), Andy Manning (Nuneaton) and Dan Box (Welford) started well but were a shot down midway through. With four ends to play the deficit had reached ten shots, Box and co could only dent the deficit losing 15-21. Dan Ellicott (Avenue Leamington), Darren Ward (Rugby), Andy Sparkes (Whitnash) and Martin Timms (Welford) struggled to get going, nine down after eight ends became seventeen down after seventeen ends, the remaining ends were shared Timms’ rink losing 11-28.