Triples trophy fought to the finish at Banwell

The second trophy of the season was decided at Banwell when the triples semi-finals and final took place.

The sun appeared right on schedule and it was a great day of bowling. Newcomers Terry Brice and Jill Bishop were skipped by the experienced Darrell Johnston and after easily brushing aside their opponents in the semi-final, they managed to overcome Debbie Baker, Tony Hyde and Harry Woodards in the final.

Following on from the win against Ilminster, Banwell A just missed out on another memorable victory when they drew against Bristol A.

Banwell had stormed off into an early lead and the margin was 16 shots at the halfway stage, but Bristol pegged back end after end in the second half and managed to draw level on the final end.

Banwell 55 (5), Bristol 55 (7): H Woodards, R Smith, B Taylor, J Davies 25-16; G Millard, L Pheasant, K Burgess, D Johnston 16-18; T Hyde, T Garfield, P Villis, M Davies 14-21.

In the penultimate league match, Banwell travelled to a wet and windy Portishead. Both teams knowing they were safe in Premier One for another season, but this did not stop either side pushing for points to move them up the table.

Two rinks went down with identical scores, but the other rink skipped by Darrell Johnston won comfortably by eight shots to ensure Banwell came away with a couple of points.

Banwell 58 (2), Portishead RBL 68 (10): J Rickerty, H Woodards, B Taylor, J Davies 16-25; G Millard, D Robinson, C Wilson, D Johnston 26-18; T Hyde, P Aldus, P Villis, M Davies 16-25.

The B team almost pulled themselves out of relegation contention with a fantastic win against promotion hopefuls Congresbury B. Wining on all three rinks to get the maximum 12 points for only the second time in the season, the B side moved to within one point of guaranteed safety.

Banwell B 67 (12), Congresbury B 41 (0): T Garfield, T Brice, M Laycock, K Burgess 21-15; M House, J Amos, J Laurent, M Amos 19-18; T Burnett, J Evans, C Coffin, A Vickery 27-8.

There were a couple of friendly games, all played at home, with Banwell wining all of them. First up were fellow local Premier One side Victoria. It was a warm and pleasant evening in which Banwell won three of the four rinks to emerge overall winners by five shots.

President Barry Taylor skipped his rink to the highest wining margin, it should also be noted that two of the club’s newest members made their first appearances as well, Andy Game and Rob David.

Banwell 72, Victoria 67: J Amos, T Brice, D Robinson, K Burgess 17-15; A Cockayne, T Couch, J Laurent, B Taylor 23-16; T Hyde, R David, A Vickery, M Davies 20-18; G Hollier, A Game, T Garfield, H Guckian 12-18.

Second was the visit of St Andrews, although there was no rain it was a humid afternoon during which ended in a good win for Banwell. Darrell Johnston skipped his rink to the highest wining margin of the match.

Banwell 69, St Andrews 50: T Hyde, P Wilfan, C Coffin, P Aldus 19-11; A Cockayne, T Couch, J Amos, D Johnston 22-9; G Hollier, S White, T Garfield, J Davies 13-14; T Brice, B Dredge, B Taylor 15-16.

This was a quieter week for Ashcombe Park, with just two league matches and two mixed friendlies.

Ashcombe B were against Clevedon B in the Somerset Bowls League where they managed a win on one of the three rinks, but losing by four shots.

In the Weston and District Over-60s League, Ashcombe Knights played Nailsea and only managed a draw on one rink, going down on the remaining five

Ashcombe B 53, Clevedon B 57: G Pople, K Hallett, A Tucker, T Cotterell, 11-25; D Freestone, S Andrews, E Hopkins, D.A Williams 29-13; F Bertram, D Wynne, R Tasker, K Wheeler 13-19.

Ashcombe Knights 97, Nailsea 124: R Counsell, G Mills, E Hopkins 19-19; D Wynne, K Hallett, E Roberts 14-20; B Alden, M Field, R Tasker 16-23; B Jones, W Spring, A Freke 14-21; G Pople, G Sansam, A Cracknell 20-21; F Bertram, M Bass, K Wheeler 14-20.

Ashcombe were hosts to a mixed touring team from Ebbw Vale in what was an enjoyable match played on both greens. After the match the visitors enjoyed a two-course meal in the Ashcombe Club house before setting off home.

Ashcombe 168, Ebbw Vale 115: S Bayntun, M Bass L Paterson, L Cox 23-13: P Wynne, M Butt, G Sansam, J Creasey 22-15; D Underhay, S Noyes, B Cullen, A Freke 20-16; A Cox, D Wynne, J Hughes, J Whitlow 23-15; B Alden, B Miles, B McGregor, T Morgan 17-19; M Tripp, S Hopkins, R Tasker, E Hopkins 16-12; M Griffiths, A Goacher, J McKenzie, T Bass 25-11; A Bass, P March, S Hedges, B Benstead 22-14.

Rounding off the week, Ashcombe were again hosts to a mixed touring team, this time from Geddington and Newton Using both greens and 11 out of the possible 12 rinks and winning on just four.

Ashcombe 189, Geddington & Newton 225: B Spring, C Hedges, T Morgan, M Bass 13-19; S Appleby, D Bleasdale, J Hornett, S Weedon 16-26; M Shufflebotham, S Noyes, S Hedges, G Wilkinson 10-28; G Tucker, D Little, J McKenzie, A Goacher 22-19; A Cox, N Shufflebotham, L Paterson, J Whitlow 24-17; L Cox, S Hopkins, A Freke, J Taylor 15-20; A Bass, R Smith, A Cracknell, T Bass 17-15; D Underhay, J Sansam, B Underhay, B Benstead 19-13; M Butt, P Wynne, M Paterson, J Creasey 14-25; C Vardon, N Coombes, G Fews, A Little 10-26; K Davies, L Cornford, M Tasker, R Powell 29-17.

St Andrews A moved two points above the relegation places in Premier Two of the Somerset County League after a nail-biting, one-shot home defeat by second-placed Clevedon Prom A.

At the halfway stage, Saints were nine behind, winning on only Nick Sell’s rink. However, they clawed their way back and when Sell played an outstanding take-out shot with his final wood to give his rink four, the home team were ahead for the first time in the game.

Barrie Forse’s quartet were holding three on their last end and St Andrews looked set for eight precious league points. But two perfectly-drawn shots by the Prom’s No 3 and skip on Forse’s rink were enough to give their club victory by one.

This Saturday, the final day of the league, Saints need to get some points from their last match, at home to champions Purnell A, to ensure that they will still be playing in Premier Two next season.

St Andrews A 57 (2), Clevedon Prom A 58 (10): R Wootten, G Cooper, G Webber, N Sell 26-14; L Yeates, J Keay, A McMillan, B Forse 16-25; T Lay, A Cooper, B May, D Favis 15-19.

Saints’ indoor captain Ron Gill played his first outdoor match of the season and skipped the highest winning rink as the team won by 12 shots at home to Burnham in the Weston & District Over-60s League.

Gill’s triple included another indoor-only player Don Wills and they romped home by 13 shots. Danny Favis, Tony Ware (from 6-11 down with six ends to go) and over 60s captain Brian Reeves also earned rink points.

St Andrews 104 (16), Burnham 92 (4): D Reynolds, A Cooper, B May 16-19; T Lay, R Brereton, B Reeves 19-16; A Frost, R Wootten, D Favis 18-12; K Rodgers, G Sims, T Ware 13-12; R Gordon, R Potter, G Cooper 10-18; D Wills, M Simpson, R Gill 28-15.

The hospitable Banwell club made St Andrews feel very welcome for their second friendly of the season, but proved too good for them again, winning by 19 shots.

Some consolation for Saints was that Tony Ware’s rink scored single shots on the last three ends to win by one, while Barrie Forse, well down at one point, recovered well for victory by the same margin.

Banwell 69, St Andrews 50: K Rodgers, J Ling, K Uglow, D Favis 11-19; D Reynolds, M Simpson, R Venn, N Sell 9-22; R Wootten, A Cooper, G Cooper, T Ware 14-13; G Sims, A Frost, J Keay, B Forse 16-15.

Barrie Forse reached his sixth club final of the season when he and Audrey Powell beat Rebecca McMillan and George Webber 16-9 in the mixed pairs.

Wedmore men won the Charity Cup, an annual event played at five different venues on the same day. The prize money will go to MacMillan Cancer Support.

The ladies held their triples day and after an enjoyable day’s bowling, the winners were Audrey Birch, Joy Gainey and Julie Masters.

Wemore men enjoyed a good win away at Long Ashton in the Clevedon & District Over-60s League. Ron Barron and his team had the best win of the day 24-8

Wedmore 123, Long Ashton 84: A Birch, R Thurkettle, R Hughes 23-12; I Faulkner, M Grosvenor, R Barron 24-8; J Runciman, I Gallop, E Payne 18-10; R Bull, T Brown, K Pettit 26-14; V Matthews, D Collins, C Moss 23-18; B Aston, C Panchaud, K Burt 9-22.

Wedmore ladies enjoyed a good win at home against Fosseway in the MLT by 26 shots. Julie Masters and her team were the highest scorers winning their rink 27-6.

Wedmore Ladies 64, Fosseway 38: J Collingwood, A Birch, J Masters 27-6; J Collins, P Beard, C Pettit 24-19; A Hughes, L Hamblin, M Hordle 13-13.

A ladies’ friendly match was played away at Wells and Wedmore lost by 38 shots to 63.

With the end of the outdoor season approaching, Wedmore is once again holding indoor taster sessions for both beginners and experienced bowlers. These free events will be held on September 17, 24 and 25 between 10am and 4pm. Just come along and have a go.

Only two matches played this week at Winscombe, the first was a friendly mixed match against Prattens played over over rinks.

Three of these were very close with one loss, one draw and one win leading to just a one shot difference in favour of Prattens. However, on the fourth rink featuring David Brown, junior member Adam Trenchard, Eve Watts and Mike Adams, the term friendly did not seem to apply, at least as far as the score was concerned, with the Winscombe rink winning by a massive 30 shots to four in order for the club to comfortably take the victory by 27 shots.

Winscombe 79, Pratten 52: D Brown, A Trenchard, E Watts, M Adams 30-4; C Hopes, D Phillips, M Sprouting, M Dorrington 15-20; P Hopes, M Renchard, G Coombe, Mavis Adams 13-13; J Smith, M Howell, M Newing, J Sprouting 21-15.

The second match was also a friendly men’s match played over five rinks of triples against Mark Moor. This went a similar way to the Prattens match with the club winning on three rinks and losing on two, with four of those rinks leading to a small lead in favour of Winscombe.

However, in this case it was the triple of Peter Cast (past president of the Somerset County Bowling Association), Gerald Lloyd and Tom Ellis who took the title of the unfriendliest rink, winning by 20 shots to give the club the win.

Winscombe 101, Mark Moor 79: J Smith, L Collier, T Dudley 20-23; P Cast, G Lloyd, T Ellis 27-7; P John, W Ainsworth, R Lacy 18-19; R Fisher, G Neville, M Adams 19-14; D Peakall, M Newing, B Andrews 17-16.

More than £100 was raised for Ashcombe Ladies captain Averill Goacher’s charity Freewheelers Bikers, who supply any medical requirement to hospitals.

Alan and Margaret Cracknell entertained about 40 members with a six-rink medley game, various obstacles to bowl around, on and through, each rink played by everyone.

The game was set up by Averill and John Whitlow. Afternoon tea was served following the game, organised by Margaret and her band of helpers.

Ashcombe Ladies 48 (8), Portishead 41 (2) (NSL): L Paterson, M Tasker, S Weaden 20-11; P Wynne, N Counsell, A Goacher 14-12; J Field, M Tucker, B Cullen 14-18. Friendly rink: A Cox, S Noyes, S Hopkins 14-14.

Ashcombe Ladies 50 (8), Long Ashton 47 (2) (NSL): J Matthews, S Bayntun, M Tucker 20-15; J Field, N Counsell, A Goacher 19-14; L Paterson, M Tasker, S Weaden 11-18.

St Andrews Ladies have a selection headache for what could be their busiest three days of the year this weekend.

Tomorrow (Friday), they at home to local rivals Ashcombe Park in the quarter-final of the Somerset county Fear Cup. If they win that, they could be playing twice on Sunday: in the semis of both the Fear and the four-discipline county Southey Trophy, in which they face Watchet at Victoria, Weston.

The problem for captain Brenda Goddard is that Saints’ three promising youngsters, Rebecca and Jenny McMillan and Imogen Cracknell, have all been selected to play for Somerset in the national Amy Rose Trophy at Leamington this weekend.

They are available for the Fear match against Ashcombe, but could all miss the Sunday games if Somerset progress in the Amy Rose. Efforts to have the Sunday matches moved to a different date have proved fruitless so far.

Last year, St Andrews Ladies were runners-up in the Fear Cup.

Carolina Venn, of St Andrews, qualified for the final of the Somerset Ladies’ unbadged singles when she beat a Long Ashton player 21-7 at Purnells. She will play Fiona Waters (Victoria) in the county final at Bloomfield, Bath, on September 11.

Fresh from her triumph in the Weston Ladies’ Open Tournament singles championship, Rebecca McMillan and Victoria’s Craig Walker just failed to reach the Somerset county final of the mixed pairs. They lost 15-13 to a Fosseway pair at Purnell.

Wessex Ladies were well represented in the final stages at Weston Bowls Tournament.

In the Sunday Triples, Val and Adrian Gardiner plus Pat Taylor came fourth, while Ann Fewings was runner-up in the ladies’ triples. Barbara Jones and Pam Turner reached the quarter-finals of the pairs, as did Eileen Wade and Debbie Welfare.

Norma Peters and Joan Duffy reached the pairs semi-finals, while Joan Davis and Ann Fewings were runners-up. Fewings also reached the semi-finals of the singles.

The club competition finals will take place this weekend.

Joan Davis and Ann Fewings.

Winscombe Ladies entertained Yatton in a friendly fixture over four rinks and 18 ends. Winscombe won two rinks, but lost overall by eight shots.

In the rink skipped by Eve Watts, the score was all square after 16 ends but picked up a three to win by two shots. Over on Angela Ainsworth’s rink, they picked up a two on the last end to win by one shot.

Winscombe Ladies 59, Yatton 67: D Sapsford, S Ovenden, C Hopes, E Watts 20-18; S Vincent, P Heal, L Coombe, A Ainsworth 15-14; T Miles, M Howell, L Parfitt, P Burns 13-17; J Wiles, M Adams, S Nash, J Rush 11-18.

In the Wessex League, Mark Moor were the visitors, but the home side won on two rinks to Mark Moor’s one and by six shots overall. The captain’s rink of Trixie Miles, June Rush, Eve Watts and Mavis Adams was the highest winning rink by 11 shots.

Winscombe Ladies 58, Mark Moor 52: M Sprouting, L Coombe, A Ainsworth, L Fredersdorff 17-24; C Hopes, L Parfitt, S Lowman, S Caddy 20-18; I Miles, J Rush, E Watts, M Adams 21-10.

The North Somerset Triples League match at Clevedon Prom was another close match, even though Winscombe lost on two rinks. Carol Hopes, Sarah Lowman and Sue Caddy’s rink win by 14 shots was not enough to overcome the other two rinks deficit and Winscombe lost by just one shot again.

Winscombe Ladies 49, Clevedon Prom 50: L Coombe, S Nash, E Watts 16-26; C Hopes, S Lowman, S Caddy 22-8; M Sprouting, A Ainsworth, L Fredersdorff 11-16.

Winscombe Floodlit League results: Winscombe J 5, Congresbury A 29; Wedmore B 13, Banwell A 14; Victoria J 7 w/o, Wells C; Nailsea A 18, Congresbury B 16; Congresbury D 17, Winscombe B 14; Wells A 17, Mark Moor 9; St Andrews B 15, Winscombe W 10; Victoria D 29, Wrington C 6; Winscombe K 25, Wells Alanators 13; Winscombe C 7 w/o, St Andrews A; Victoria J 21, Congresbury B 17; Ashcombe A 11, Congresbury D 13; Burnham A 13, Congresbury A 15; Winscombe A 19, Banwell B 18; Nailsea B 22, Nailsea C 13; Clevedon Prom B 7 w/o, St Andrews A; Wedmore B 19, Winscombe C 17.