St Andrews bowlers deliver superb club finals weekend action

Their first meeting was in the two-wood singles. Venn had scored 10 in the first eight of the 21 ends before McMillan got off the mark. With six ends left, McMillan was still seven behind, but she dominated the rest of the match to win by one, the first time she had been ahead.

Both players continued their outstanding form in a high-quality women’s club championship final. McMillan was in front for most of the match, then Venn came back from 16-14 down to lead by four. On the last end, with Venn needing one for victory, the shot changed hands three times before Venn’s final wood snatched victory.

Carolina Venn (Image: Jim Keay)

Elsewhere, despite back and leg problems, the redoubtable Barrie Forse retained his men’s championship and beat Rebecca McMillan in the open championship final. He also won the two-wood singles and handicap as well as the men’s pairs, in which he was partnered by Tim Wyatt, in his first full outdoor season.

His only defeat came in the men’s triples, when Roger Brereton, Tony Lay and Andy McMillan beat Forse, Paul Smart and Robin Potter.

St Andrews made virtually certain of avoiding relegation in the Weston Over-60s League when they took all 12 points on offer in their final match away to second-from-bottom Burnham-on-Sea.

It proved a very close game, with two Saints’ rinks winning by one and another by two. A seven on the penultimate end by Barrie Forse’s rink gave them some leeway.

Results, club finals, Men: Championship: B Forse 21 D Holborow 7; Pairs: T Wyatt/B Forse 24 G Cooper/D Hurst 18; Handicap Singles: B Forse 27 A Dawes 6; Two-wood Singles: B Forse 19 A Cooper 7; Triples: R Brereton, A Lay, A McMillan 20 P Smart, R Potter, B Forse 17.

Women: Championship: C Venn 21 R McMillan 19; Two-wood singles: R McMillan 16 C Venn 15; Triples: J Forse, S Sinclair, R McMillan 16 J Webb, C Venn, B Mangan 9.

Open: Championship: B Forse 21 R McMillan 13; Non-Winners’ Singles: T Wyatt 21, B Mangan 12.

Weston Over-60s League, Burnham-on-Sea 59 (0) St Andrews 73 (12): M Goddard, R Venn, A McMillan 21-19; A Cooper, D Holborow, B Forse 25-15; J Keay, D Bailey, D Favis 13-12; R Potter, G Webber/A Dawes, A Steer 14-13.

Mixed tourists, St Andrews 100 Northampton Express 86: A Lay, L Fisher, D Holborow, Jackie Pitman 19-14; Judy Forse, R McLeod, M Goddard, G Wride 27-10; B Rogers, Margaret Wride, A Cooper, R Venn 15-13; C Curtis, Jenny Webb, R Potter, B Forse 13-15; P Smart, Barbara Mangan, G Cooper, A McMillan 13-13; Carolina Venn, D Reynolds, A Ware, K Curtis 13-21.

St Andrews 118 Portsmouth Gas & Social 93: D Reynolds, Monica Pattenden, M Goddard, K Curtis 16-22; Carolina Venn, R McLeod, R Potter, B Forse 17-14; Judy Forse, L Fisher, R Venn, D Johnston 25-7; C Curtis, Jenny Webb, D Holborow, A Ware 18-18; Frid Allen, G Cooper, Jackie Pitman, D Favis 18-16; P Smart, Margaret Wride, D Hurst, G Wride 24-16.

St Andrews 107 Pendine 76: D Reynolds, R Potter, D Hurst 13-13; Margaret Wride, A Dawes, D Johnston 9-17; P Smart, G Cooper, Jane Smith 23-18; Frid Allen, Audrey Powell, G Wride 24-10; Jenny Webb, A Cooper, D Bailey 17-8; C Curtis, Jill Bishop, K Curtis 21-10.

Men’s tourists, St Andrews 92 Llansawel 71. A Dawes, J Ling, D Holborow, A McMillan 27-7; P Smart, M Campbell, R Venn, D Johnston 16-15; D Reynolds, G Cooper, J Keay, A Steer 15-19; C Curtis, R Potter, D Hurst, D Bailey 14-12; L Fisher, A Cooper, M Goddard, K Curtis 20-18.

St Andrews 53, Ynysddu 62. R Potter, D Reynolds, A Dawes, A Steer 17-12; J Ling, G Cooper, K Curtis, D Bailey 11-16; C Curtis, L Fisher, R Venn, C Howard 17-15; P Smart, R Brereton, D Hurst, D Johnston 9-19.

Women’s DRT League, West Backwell 49 (9) St Andrews 37 (1): D Baker, S Sinclair, A Campbell 13-13; G Holborow, J Smith, J Pitman 10-17; J Forse, B Mangan, M Favis 14-19.