Outstanding 126-60 win by Stamford A over Spalding

Post date: Feb 24, 2017 11:10:41 PM

AN OUTSTANDING 66-shot defeat of local rivals Spalding A has given Stamford Men's A team an outside chance of claiming the title they were so cruelly robbed of last season.

Boston A pipped them by one shot to win the Lincs IBA League Division One last season but by taking 17 of the 18 points available against Spalding in a 126-60 win, it has set a respectable target for others to chase with still a game to play (at home to Boston on March 18).

Stamford head the table with 84 points - 17 clear of Spalding who have two games in hand.

Stamford might have grabbed all the points but with a superb last bowl, current English indoor singles champion Martin Spencer trailed the jack from under the noses of four Stamford bowls to snatch a point in a 17-17 draw against Martyn Dolby's rink.

Elsewhere Paul Bailey's quartet - with Richard Allam, Dusty Miller and Derek King - took the rink honours, showing little sympathy for John Needham's four in a 31-3 victory.

There was also an impressive debut by David Howarth at lead for Roger Martin, in keeping the pressure on highly rated cousins Scott and Andy Dunham who suffered a 13-31 defeat.

Result (Stamford names only):

Lincs Men's League Division One: Stamford A 126 (17 pts) Spalding A 60 (1). D Howarth, J Holroyd, A Barnes, Roger Martin won 31-13; R Allam, D Miller, D King, P Bailey won 31-3; B Warters, J Travis-Jenner, A Warrington, M Dolby drew 17-17; M Cullingworth, K Rippin, R Montgomery, C Watson won 25-11; D Hudson, S Travis, D Want, P Edwards won 22-16

With just one fixture left of their 14-match campaign in Division Two, Stamford's Lincs Over 60 team still have an outside chance of promotion following relegation in 2016.

They head the table with 142 points after their latest victory 120-79 at home to Horncastle but their nearest rivals Boston are just four behind with two games in hand after grabbing all 18 points against fellow title chasers Dunholme.

Stamford picked up 14 points against Horncastle winning three of the five rinks.

Top scorers were Mal Smith, Derek Veasey, Denis Henshaw and David Heffernan who took control of the end rink with a 29-5 win which included 17 shots without reply in the last eight ends.

Result (Stamford names only):

Lincs Over 60s League,Division Two: Stamford 120 (14 pts) Horncastle 79 (4). Mal S its, Veasey, D Henshaw, D Heffernan won 29-5; J Bourne, T Freeman, R Harvey, K Vinter lost 20-21; R Graham, A Lonslow, P Banks, A Horton won 27-10; T Barwell, G Corby, T Christie, M Owens won 22-14; D Howarth, T Weaver, C Jones, Richard Martin lost 21-29.

Northants' hopes of reaching the final of the inter-county Derbyshire Trophy final at Newark in April were dashed when they were beaten by a youthful Norfolk Federation at Stamford.

Needing to win at least three of the four two-bowl triples rinks by an overall margin of 26 shots to prevent Hunts from taking the southern qualifying section, Northants lost the match 87-80 picking up only four points from two winning rinks.

Norfolk had a chance to qualify themselves if they could take maximum points but rinks skipped by Roger Martin and Tris Morton put paid to that!

Northants held a tidy lead overall in the early stages as Norfolk got used to the pace of the Stamford surface but by 20 ends, with only five to play, it was clear Northants - trailing by 11-23 alone on Simon Law's rink - were not going to be able to salvage the points or shots they needed.

As expected there were fireworks in the match between Morton and Sam King - son of former world champion Mervyn. Both sent shudders through the foundations with heavy artillery to kill heads against them but in the end it was the accuracy of the respective drawing and converting of Howard Shipp and Joe Randall which carried the day in a 25-20 win for Morton.

Elsewhere Bob Warters, Neil Wright and Roger Martin always had the edge on their rink after leading 9-0 after six ends and eventually romped home 26-17. Sandwiched between Adam Warrington and Martyn Dolby, and with one eye on events going against him, Northants captain James Harford had to concede a 17-18 defeat.

Result (Northants names only):

Derbyshire Trophy. Northants 80 (4) Norfolk 87 (10). B Warters, N Wright, R Martin won 26-17; H Shipp, J Randall, T Morton won 25-20; P Dalliday, P Afford, S Law lost 12-32; A Warrington, J Harford, M Dolby lost 17-18

Dave Hudson, Mike Humphreys and John Holroyd have reached the Area 5 final of the national Over 50 triples despite dropping nine shots in the last four ends.

They beat Peterborough's Terry Corney, Nick Wilkie and Jeff Pitt 18-16 and will meet Mark O'Connell and his partner from Church Gresley on a neutral green early in March.

Martyn Dolby will face clubmate Stephen Harris in the semi-final of the Northants Federation 4-bowl singles after beating Simon Law 21-12 at Peterborough.

And with Adam Warrington and Christine Ford he will meet Pitt and partners in the Mixed triples semi-final following a 21-11 defeat of Joan Robinson, Steve Travis and Humphreys.

Stephen Harris reached the quarter-finals of the Lincs IBA sets singles competition at Grantham but, having beaten Paul Roberts (Sleaford), was eventually beaten for a semi-final place in straight sets by Spalding international Graham Smith.

Smith will play Alan Dent Snr (Louth) while Paul Bark (Horncastle) faces Jonathan West (Boston).

There were also defeats for Richard Allam (by Roberts), Derek King (by Joe Lewis) and Mike Ramsden (by Josh Meakins).

Louise Harris will play in the semi-finals of the 18 and under senior group singles against Liam Reeson (Boston) at Lincoln on April 2 having qualified at Horncastle. James Hebden failed to qualify from the same group.