York pair Sandra Grantham and Brian Gray pulled out a six at the crucial time to steal into the quarter-finals of the 38th York Open mixed pairs championship.

The pair were trailing 15-10 with three ends to go against Barbara Maidment and Peter Webster until a six at the 16th turned the game on its head and Strachan and Gray stormed through to the next round 20-17.

Defending champions Ann Illingworth and Gary Bunce made it into the quarter-finals after beating Pauline Veitch and Tim Winters (Cayton and Hull) 19-16 and Jean Bartnett and Gordon Storey (York) 26-6.

Betty Richardson and Ian Hodge of York inched into the third round after cracking a 14-14 last-end deadlock against Hazel Knapton and Geoff Eagles to win 15-14, having topped Carol and Frank Williams 27-6.

Their third round opponents Val and Tony Thornton disposed of Maureen Walker and Les Redhead 13-12 and mother and son team David and Jean Newsome 19-16 earlier on.

Gill and Ray Clark bagged their place in the quarters by defeating Geoff Sykes and Dot Turpin 23-13.

Young guns Zoe Eagles and Scott Burrell turned heads in section 'B' of the draw with their 15-12 defeat of M and N Herbert, followed up by an emphatic 20-8 win over Lynne Tattersall and Eddie Howcroft.

With a combined age of 26 - Burrell being just 12 - they must now face Pauline and John Cooper, who have already claimed the scalp of 2003 champs Shirley Stacey and Tex Stevens 15-14 after a tight third round clash.

Joan Parker and John Sykes carved a steady path to the quarter-finals, including a narrow 18-17 defeat of A and D Badger from Riccall.

The final qualifying slot went to York pair Ann Peacock and Martin Foster after they saw off John and Pat Bracken 14-10 in the third round.

The mixed pairs quarter-final draw is: B Richardson and I Hodge v S Grantham and B Gray, A Illingworth and G Bunce v G Clark and R Clark, J Parker and J Sykes v A Peacock and M Foster, P Cooper and J Cooper v Z Eagles and S Burrell.

Updated: 11:12 Thursday, July 28, 2005