Stamford Seniors on course to make an impact

Post date: Feb 27, 2020 6:18:38 PM

With four matches to play - three of them at home - Stamford's Over 60s team are poised to make a late bid to claim the runner-up spot in the Lincs Seniors League Division One, following their latest haul of 16 points at relegation-threatened Dunholme, who were promoted with them from Division Two last season.

Lincoln A are the runaway leaders for the 22nd consecutive year and still have two games to play, but if Stamford can win at home against Boston A, Louth and Sleaford and grab points at Scunthorpe their season will still be considered a triumph.

Against Dunholme the overall points were never in doubt after rinks skipped by Cliff Watson, Trevor Christie and Trevor Collins raced into comfortable leads after 12 ends of 17-2, 13-4 and 21-4.

Indeed Watson - supported by Mike Ramsden, Jeff Bourne and Peter Burt added four more shots without reply before eventually winning 31-8. Roger Clarke and Neil Crees, alongside Dusty Miller continued to show great promise at this level for Christie in a 23-9 win.

The overall spoils, however, went to Tony Barwell, Mick Linnell, Mick Owens and Collins in a 38-8 victory that included three 5-counts and a six on the 17th end.

The result keeps Stamford secured in third spot with 96 points from eight matches, just five behind Scunthorpe with a game in hand and 34 behind leaders Lincoln A who have played two games more.

Stamford's next game is at home to Boston A on March 25.

Result (Stamford names only):

Lincs Over 60s League Division One: Dunholme 66 (2 pts) Stamford 132 (16). R Blake, P Pheasant, D Henshaw, R Martin won 20-18; R Clarke, N Crees, D Miller, T Christie won 23-9; M Ramsden, J Bourne, P Burt, C Watson won 31-8; T Barwell, M Linnell, M Owens, T Collins won 38-8; D Heffernan, M Dye, K Vinter, B Warters lost 20-23

LOUISE AND KATIE THROUGH TO FINALS

Louise Harris and Katie Bailey have reach the national finals of the women's pairs, thanks to a 22-13 victory at Grantham over Rita James and her partner from Melton. It follows a 21-6 defeat of Spalding's Lauren Finbow and Annalisa Dunham.

Their opponents at Nottingham in the preliminary round will be a pair from either Oxford City or Whiteknights on March 24 - the day Katie is due to give birth to her second child!

The pair were also part of the Lincolnshire Ladies side - along with clubmate Helen Holroyd - which reached the final of the Atherley Inter-County championship for the second successive year, beating Norfolk 124-100 at Boston.

FEDERATION FINALISTS

The final of the Northants Federation mixed triples at Peterborough IBC on March 15 is shaping up to be a fascinating tussle between sides who both play their indoor bowls at Stamford.

Having beaten clubmates Mick Humphreys, Sue Moir and Roger Martin, John and Moira Holdroyd will again pair up with lead Wayne Aspinall to face Martyn Dolby, Christine Ford and Adam Warrington on the unfamiliar City surface.

Against Simon Law and Sophie and Tristan Morton, the Warrington trio were facing and early exit when Law peppered the jack to lead 10-4, before Dolby struck back with equally devastating leading, only for Morton to keep his side in it with equally accurate firing.

But 11 shots in four ends put the Warrington rink 19-15 in front and despite Morton's best efforts they held on to claim a spot in the final.

Katie Bailey, outstanding at lead, playing with Jon Earl, reached the final of the Northants Federation mixed pairs when they beat Chris Ford and Martyn Dolby 20-15.

Chris Ballard and Earl are through to the final of the pairs with a bizarre defeat of Graham Agger and Dick Noble. It was a close game until the final end when Agger stretched the jack length, only to roll his two opening bowls into the ditch!

STAMFORD RINK OUTBOWL JACKSON & CO

Four Stamford bowlers have become the second combination to reach the semi finals of the Lincs County Championship at Spalding on March 28 with an outstanding victory over a Lincoln rink skipped by former World singles winner Billy Jackson.

Dave Hudson, Mick Owens, Tony Scarr and Alan Barnes, after dropping five shots on rink 5 on the first end, won seven of the next nine to tie the match and then went on the rampage.

The Jackson quartet of Alan Watts, Dean Stevenson and Kevin Rands had no answer to their skill on the faster surface as Stamford took control.

Said Barnes: "We managed to get more in control in the second half and went into the last end with a six-shot lead. Billy had the last wood and had a shot to trail the jack and pick up the required shots to force an extra end but instead of catching the jack square he clipped it sidewards to one of our woods.

"We really played well as a team," he added.

In the semi-final, Stamford will play a Boston rink, skipped by Martin Tomlin.

FOOTNOTE: Tony Barwell is already in the Over 60s semi-final.