'B' Team Success at Last
At last Stamford’s Men’s B team have chalked up their first Lincs League (South) victory of the season - against fellow strugglers Boston B. But it was by the narrowest of margins.
Trailing in the early stages, Stamford led by seven at 15 ends but squandered shots in the closing few ends and it needed a late rush of scoring by Martin Hewitt’s rink of Pete Linnell, Mick Owens and Graham Patrickson to secure an overall 8-6 points win in a 69-63 aggregate.
The rink contributed a 26-10 win thanks chiefly to ten shots without reply in the last five ends.
Dean Wilkinson’s four had two points in their grasp but dropped two shots on the last end, while Dennis Henshaw’s quartet could not hold on to a 15-13 lead at 16 ends.
The ‘A’ team’s hopes of closing the gap on Spalding’s lead at the top suffered a set back when they could only manage four of the 14 points at stake at Boston ‘A’.
While some of their leading players chose to chase vital points representing Northants Federation at Huntingdon, a re-shuffled side couldn’t hold a rampant home team, though rinks skipped by Chris Ballard and Neil Wright put up stubborn resistance to claim points which could ultimately be crucial.
Supported by Dusty Miller and father and son, Wayne and Owen Aspinall, they surged into a 10-4 lead and eventually won by nine shots. Against the wily Les Feary, Wright’s rink of Ally McNaughton and late replacements Pete Linnell and Ron Blake, fought back from 8-13 behind to win by three shots.
The B team’s next fixture is at home to Spalding January 13 while the A team visit Grantham the following day.
Results:
Lincs Men’s League (South): Stamford B 69 (8 pts) Boston B 63 (6). Stamford names only: J Suffling, B Orme, R Blake, D Henshaw lost 15-19; P Linnell, M Owens, G Patrickson, M Hewitt won 26-10; H Gordon, K Rawlins, C Jones, P Smith lost 14-19; S Christie, G Clarke, D Bruce, D Wilkinson lost 14-15.
Lincs Men’s League (South): Boston A 95 (10) Stamford A 55 (4). Stamford names only: W Aspinall, D Miller, O Aspinall, C Ballard won 22-13; M Linnell, B Crouch, K Rippin, B Warters lost 8-23; T Barwell, M Ramsden, P Buckley, R Martin lost 9-46; P Linnell, R Blake, A Mc Naughton, N Wright won 16-13.
SENIORS EDGED OUT
Against bottom team, Boston B, Stamford Seniors were hoping to climb further up the Lincs Over 60s League table, following a maximum points win against Spalding.
They started promisingly but failed to maintain their momentum and though they won three of the four rinks it was not quite enough to claim the overall points.
John Holroyd’s rink raced into a 14-2 lead at eight ends and extended it to 23-7 with a five count on the 15th but then conceded 14 shots in six ends, hanging on for vital rink points.
In contrast Kevin Vinter’s rink finished strongly to overturn a 15-19 deficit in the last three ends, while Jeff Bourne and John Pearson were outstanding in claiming the 20-17 rink honours with Mick Owens and Bob Warters - a four-count on the penultimate end proving a game-changer.
Lincs Over 60s League: Boston B 87 (8 pts) Stamford 78 (6). Stamford : D King, D Bruce, K Rippin, J Holroyd won 23-21; R Blake,S Miner, M Hewitt, K Vinter won 21-19; T Barwell,D Cave, D Henshaw, P Smith lost 14-30; J Bourne, J Pearson, M Owens, B Warters won 20-17.
YOUNG FOES IN THE PLATE
Stamford can expect to face a young, talented side when they meet St Neots for a last 16 place in the Denny Plate on Saturday (10 am).
With area sections re-configured this year, it is the first time the two clubs have met in national inter-club team competition, Stamford having beaten Louth and St Neots their Cambridgeshire rivals from Peterborough in the last round.
St Neots lost to star-studded Huntingdon in the first round of the Denny Cup, while Stamford were beaten by former champions Spalding Lightning.
In the four-rink format - two rinks of four at home and two away playing simultaneously with aggregate scores to count over 18 ends - it will be a case of which team handles best, the contrasting away rinks on the day. St Neots is recognised as one of the slickest carpet surfaces in the region.
Stamford: Home - Chris Ballard, Ally McNaughton, Bob Warters, Roger Martin; Mick Humphreys, Wayne Morris, Neil Wright, Adam Warrington. Away - Paul Dalliday, Mick Linnell, Michael Jeapes, Simon Law; Wayne Aspinall, Dusty Miller, Owen Aspinall, Jon Earl.
Simultaneously Stamford women will break new ground by facing Cambridge Chesterton IBC in the equivalent Yetton Plate.
They scored an upset with a commanding performance against Skegness in the last round while Chesterton beat Kettering Lodge.
Stamford: Home - Janet Lonslow, Peggy Birch, Stella Henshaw, Chris Ford; Janet Dye, Miriam Hulbert, Elizabeth Wallace, Denise Mackie. Away - Marilyn Christie , Rose March, Shirley Suffling, Sue Moir; Val Du’Kett, Ann Northen, Rita Downs, Moira Holroyd.
MIXED ON THE MOVE?
Stamford’s Mixed team entertain second placed Skegness in the South Lincs League(South) on Saturday ( November 16, 2pm) aiming to close the gap on leaders Spalding.
With team captain Shirley Suffling simultaneously making her debut representing Lincolnshire against Nottinghamshire in the Atherley Trophy, the team has been re-shuffled in a bid to maximise home advantage.
Stamford : R Roberts, R Blake, S Moir, H Gordon; L Cave, J Lonslow, A March, D Cave; M Ramsden, J Allen, R March, N Crees; T Barwell, J Barwell, P Jones, B Warters.
FEDERATION ‘A’ HEADING FOR FINALS
Northants Bowling Federation’s A team are on course to reach the final of the EBF Inter County Derbyshire Trophy after recording their third successive win - this time at Huntingdon - following success against Northants B and North Cambs.
They won 90-81 against Hunts, claiming 11 of the14 points available
There were rink wins for captain Simon Law and Peter Brown while Adam Warrington drew and Jon Earl lost by five shots.
They are not in action again until February when they complete their programme with home matches at Stamford IBC against North Essex and Norfolk.
Northants B won narrowly at March against North Cambs but lost at Norfolk and on a slippery surface at North Essex.
FOOTNOTE: Northants Bowling Federation’s indoor competition draws have been made with the preliminary round of the men’s singles to be played by December 23.Finals will be staged at Stamford IBC on Sunday, February 25.
BUMPER QUALIFIERS IN COUNTY COMPS
With a record number of Stamford bowlers entering the Lincolnshire indoor singles competitions - each generating five places for the club in the area finals - it has produced some great battles in recent weeks.
One of the most intriguing has been the sets singles competition in which Stamford will host the county qualifiers on January 21, when Ollie Jeapes, Chris Ballard, Graham Patrickson and Neil Wright will be among those chasing a place in the semi-finals against the cream of the county’s singles players.
Equally competitive has been the Open Senior singles in which Stamford has produced county champions in the past. This year Boston will stage the qualifying competition on March 3 when John Holroyd, Jeff Pitt, Kevin Vinter and Christine Ford will take part. Ron Blake must first beat Spalding’s Martin Simpson in a preliminary round.
Elsewhere, Martin & Elizabeth Wallace and Jeff & Jeannette Bourne have qualified for the mixed pairs play-offs and Owen & Wayne Aspinall with Chris Ballard are through in the men’s triples having beaten Holroyd’s rink on an extra end.
CLUB SINGLES DRAW
The draws have now been made for Stamford IBC’s club competitions and such is the size of the entries that first round matches in men’s singles, sets singles, open Senior singles, men’s and mixed pairs must be played by January 29.
The club will be closed between Saturday, December 23 (noon) and Monday, January 2 apart from the Christmas Open Fours Tournament on Thursday December 28, the draw for which will be made on Friday, December 15 (7pm). The club re-opens on January 3.