Barnard Castle Bowls Club
Monday Evening League
FLAMING June it wasn’t but some of the players were so red hot they made up for it.
Old work horse Brian Carter is still going strong partnering first Rene Armstrong then June Parkin in Trio Nova’s game against the Young’ns who only had three to chose from tonight.
Starting with Bill Carter and Alan Gowland they went in at half time with their noses just in front 5-3, at which point Bill had a snack and Bob Lockyer limbered up for round two. It was a closely fought affair with Trio trailing by three shots with one to play, but with a successful joker they took the last end just losing out 9-8.
A game that could have gone either way unfolded on rink two where the Alwyn Brothers crossed swords with the Bold Eagles.
Alwyn Dowson and honorary Alwyn Paul Craddock shot into a first half lead 6-2 against John Robinson and Graham Moore who looked like he’d lost a pound and found 10p but we think it’s his concentration look.
However, talk about a game of two halves. The Boldies were straight out of the blocks winning seven of the eight ends and with the help of the joker took the game 10-7.
The Lavender Ladies are on a bit of a roll but Gillian and Debbie came down to earth with a bump following their 11-6 defeat at the hands of the Men in Black.
Starting with Frank Ashmore and Angus Dowson they were 5-3 up at the break but the game could still have gone either way.
However, Angus thought half a shift would do and went home for his tea making way for Neil Bailey who didn’t do his chances of marital bliss any good as his wife and Gillian never moved for the next six ends.
A late revival including the joker gave the Lavs six points but the MiB had already reached 11 points.
Boys in Blue Peter Rimmington and Dave Smith were up against high flyers Wall and Watters and in a very close encounter both teams were on four points at halftime.
Neil and Stephen had obviously worked out a new strategy at the break as they shot into a 11-5 lead going into the last end, however the Boys came back at them with the joker to finish on seven points.
The Odd Bowls have a new player to partner Alan Wearmouth. With Kevin Cross recovering from his accident Denis Richards – freshly back from bionic surgery – has stepped into the breech.
Apparently it was a highly entertaining game which the Lads just won 9-8.
I haven’t deliberately left the game between the Pink Panthers and Team Kryptonite to the end but TK’s performance was just short of breathtaking.
In a move of sheer genius, David Gurnhill and John Tallentire played their joker on the fourth end and winning all eight ends went into the break 9-0 up.
Denise Dent and Ann Hodgson to their credit never gave up and some of the ends were very close. They managed one in the 11th end and won the last two including the joker to end on 4 points. Meanwhile TK reached 14 points and snuck into third place on 69 points.
It’s turning into one of the tightest seasons we’ve had with the Bold Eagles and Wall and Watters fighting over the king size at the top spot with 74 points each while the Pink Panthers are fighting over the sleeping bag on desolation row with 45 points.
JT
The Alcock Trophy
LOOKING at the result, you might think it was Ladies’ Day, but no – it was a mixed competition with Mary Lambert beating Gillian Harle in the final.
Mens Vets
THE A team were away at Darlington RA and this result comes with a Government health warning for the sensitive – they lost all three rinks and the long game 89-45.
The B team entertained Middleton-St-George and continued in their march to the title with another 3-1 win.
Top rink went to Neil Bailey, Alan Gowland and Angus Dowson who won 36-9 ensuring Barney won the long game 75-41.
Men’s Darlington and
District League
IT was knock-out week and the team was drawn at home against Darlington North Lodge. It resulted in a morale boosting 5-0 win and the team progressing to the next round.
Top rink consisted of Michael Littlefair, Stephen Wall and Neil Watters who won 21-11.
Ladies’ bowls
TWO team knock-out competitions took place last week.
In the Evening League, the match was at Darlington South Park Thunderbirds, where a closely-fought contest resulted in the Thunderbirds winning 31-29.
In the Afternoon League, we were again drawn away playing Bedale. Both rinks started out well, but Bedale pulled back to win 35-28.
As some consolation, in the Evening League match at home to Darlington Woodland we gained three league points.
Ursula Munnerley, Denise Dent and Debbie Bailey won 18-7 and the home team took the long game 42.33-35.
JP
