Friendly Team's Huntingdon Hurrah

Post date: Nov 12, 2019 2:23:50 PM

The writer of our usual weekend friendly fiction was unfortunately, or as many would prefer to say fortunately, unavailable to scribble his ramblings, which are usually on the back of of a fag packet, about our spectacular win at Huntingdon, the home club of the one and only local king of the green, and sometimes blue carpets Nick Brett. He was also fortunately for us engaged elsewhere playing against some geezer called Paul Foster and therefore didn’t put his name on the Hunts team sheet for selection.

So, how did this remarkable win come about? As boring as it may seem we have to refer to the scorecards, and a little bit of maybe secondhand hearsay. On rink one was the usually tried and trusted trio of the Goodes, Reg and Jill sandwiching their adopted sibling Serena Brunning. They led after the first two ends but after then were behind but finished only four adrift 14-18.

Nigel Trigg now recovered from his bad neck, skipped Ann Preston-Bambridge and Roly McHard to become our best rink, pipping our captain’s rink by just one shot. Perhaps not a good move Nigel, we shall see when the next team’s selected. They had an impressive 23-14 win after being down after seven ends and all square after fourteen.

Back to our captain Maggie Holden’s win on rink three. With Howard (Eh, Up) Neath and our newly tried skip Alison Lea they went to 8-1 up after six ends were pulled back to thirteen all after thirteen ends but with two threes on the last two ends finished up winning 22-14.

A newly tried format of Jenny Desborough, Vanessa Shackleton and Denis Stapleton on rink four saw them go into a 14-6 lead after eight ends but then slump to be 18-20 down with one to play. A two on the last saw them salvage a draw.

Cherry and Colin Burgess partnered Dave Edwards on rink five after Colin had decided to self inflict a large bruise on to a part that’s unmentionable by making an ungainly contact with the concrete slabbed path on the way in. Cherry blamed it on the four bags which he insisted on carrying which included two sets of bowls and shoes, two waterproof capes and southwesters, two pairs of wellington boots and a complete change of clothing. He blamed the fact that he had heard on the radio that it might rain! Anyway, after more ups and downs, mainly ups they ran out 15-8 winners. Hope you’re feeling better Colin.

Finally, thank god we hear you cry, rink six saw that wily old veteran Ken Rawlins lead with Margaret Grainger at two and ‘what he doesn’t know about trains isn’t worth knowing’ Ken White playing skip in between asking everyone in earshot what the score was in the top of the table premier league clash. This didn’t distract Ken and Margaret from keeping him on the rails to lead 15-4 after eleven ends and to hang in to finish winning by one 15-14.

Our team celebrated their total winning score of 109-88 by devouring a first class meal in the company of excellent hosts. We hope to be able to reciprocate in the return match at home with of course the same result.