Disappointment for Stamford men and women

Post date: Nov 4, 2017 7:46:39 PM

IT WAS double disappointment for Stamford's men and women bowlers as both battled to stay in national team competitions for the respective Denny Plate and Yetton Trophy.

While the men were ejected by local rivals Grantham 79-89, the women went out in a derby tussle with Peterborough 75-87, though they live to fight another day in the Yetton Plate in two weeks time.

Against Grantham, Stamford had re-shuffled their side following the defeat by Melton in a bid to shore up the front ends of each rink and the move looked to be working when Dave Hudson, Malcolm Cullingworth and Doug Want supporting Roger Martin, galloped into a 12-3 lead against the excitable Adam Berridge.

But inspired by the youngster, the rink fought back to within a shot and although Martin led 20-17 with two ends to go, Grantham finally grabbed a worthy draw.

On the adjoining rink, Adam's father Terry was keeping his side in it almost single-handed against Simon Law's rink which included James Harford making his club debut. Time and again Paul Dalliday set up heads with immaculate drawing for Stamford but Berridge, ably assisted by Mark Eurich, repeatedly had the answer and Grantham deserved their four shot rink win.

It was a similar story for the Stamford away team where father and son Joe and Jason Lewis continually thwarted the hopes of Stamford rinks skipped by Martyn Dolby and Paul Bailey.

A typical example came as early as the fifth end with Dolby's rink 9-0 ahead and holding seven more shots until Joe Lewis converted the situation, much to Stamford's frustration. His rink added 15 more shots in a seven-end spell to take a 18-13 lead and finally ran out a 26-21 winner.

On a tricky end rink, Bailey's re-shaped four trailed 6-18 at one stage but fought back with two five counts and finally lost by only one shot - 24-25. Sadly, it was too little too late and Grantham deserve a second round clash with Boston.

Denny Cup: Stamford 79 Grantham 87 (Stamford names only). Home - P Dalliday, B ?Warters, J Harford, S Law lost 14-18; D Hudson, M Cullingworth, D Want, R Martin drew 20-20; away - S Harris, M Humphreys, P Edwards, M Dolby lost 21-26; A Romaine, J Holroyd, A Warrrington, P Bailey lost 24-25. Scoreline: 18-18 (5 ends), 37-39 (10), 55-61 (15), 64-78 (18), 79-87 (21).

Stamford's women bowlers a chance to put one over local rivals Peterborough looked a mouth-watering prospect but in the end they couldn't maintain the momentum an early lead Christine Ford's rink had given them.

They led by 17-6 after nine ends and with Rose March's four also ahead by three it gave Stamford an early overall lead.

But with Joan Robinson's and Glenys Edwards' rinks finding the unfamiliar, slick Peterborough surface a serious challenge, the tide turned

Yetton Trophy Stamford 75 Peterborough 87 (Stamford names only). Home - J Want, D Mackie, S Suffling, C Ford won 21-24; J Brennan, H Holroyd, P Birch, R March lost 19-23; away - K Bailey, C Warters, M Bloxham, J Robinson lost 14-22; E Wallace, M Andrews, M Holroyd, G Edwards lost 18-21. Scoreline: 24-16 (5 ends), 43-39 (10), 59-58 (15), 67-69 (18), 75-87 (21).