Mixed team clinches Lincs Division Two title

Post date: Apr 3, 2016 9:08:38 PM

The mixed team of the Stamford Bowls Club has won the Second Division championship of the Lincolnshire League in grand style with a 111-74 demolition of Dunholme, claiming 14 of the 18 points available to take them 13 points clear of Scunthorpe and still with a game in hand.

The Dunholme green, featuring four end rinks, held a few tricks that had to be overcome in the early stages. But eventually Stamford bowlers wore down their plucky opponents to score a convincing overall victory which took them out of reach of their rivals with still a visit to bottom of the table Louth to come.

Leading the charge was the rink of Elizabeth Wallace, making her Mixed team debut, Carol Warters, Dave Hudson and Bob Warters with a run of 14 shots from mid-way to take them into an unassailable 24-7 lead which they finally extended to 31-8.

On the adjoining rink Cliff Watson's quartet of Joan Robinson, captain Margaret Bloxham and Alan Barnes raced into a 25-4 lead after 14 ends (including six on the 5th end). A late rally pegged them back but by then the match was in the bag.

John Little's four added seven shots in the last four ends to claim their rink points but for remaining skips Martyn Dolby and Mike Humphreys there was little joy in their bid to come to terms with an unforgiving surface.

Result (Stamford names only):

Lincs Mixed League Division Two. Dunholme 74 (4pts) Stamford 111 (14). Christine Barnes, Shirley Suffling, Paul Bailey, Martyn ?Dolby lost 15-20; June Brennan, Jean Dupree, Mike Ramsden, John Little won 18-10; Denise Mackie, Dick Ford, Christine Ford, Mike Humphreys lost 19-20; Joan Robinson, Margaret Bloxham, Alan Barnes, Cliff Watson won 28-16; Elizabeth Wallace, Carol Warters, David Hudson, Bob Warters won 31-8.

Stamford's women bowlers completed their fixtures in the Lincolnshire A League with a 96-74 defeat at Spalding, their mid-table position reflecting another season where away form couldn't mirror that achieved at home.

Apart from a nine-point defeat against national Mason's Cup champions Boston, they won three successive home matches, including a rare defeat of Spalding but away they lost every one.

At Spalding, Stamford gave a debut to former badminton player Judy Barwell but returned with just three points from a possible 16, thanks to a last ditch win by Joan Robinson's rink and a draw by Sue Moir's quartet.

Result (Stamford names only):

Lincs Women's (Trudy Bates) A League. Spalding 96 (13) Stamford 74 (3). M MacKellar, A Northen, M Holroyd, J Robinson won 17-16; A Martin, J Barwell, P Dixon, A Cullingworth lost 24-10; B Sims, M Andrews, R March, S Moir drew 17-17; J Brennan, J Dupree, S Suffling, C Ford lost 17-19; R Roberts, F Rogers, P Birch, G Edwards lost 20-13.

The hopes of Margaret Andrews and Sue Moir of making a rare county final appearance for the Stamford club in the women's pairs were dashed when they were beaten 17-13 by Skegness at Horncastle.

Seven-year-old Owen Aspinall became the youngest bowler to represent his club when he joined his father Wayne in the Stamford Presidents team which beat visiting Essex IBA Tourists 170-90.

Result (Stamford names only):

Friendly. Stamford 170 Essex IBA Tourists 90. M Andrews, M Bloxham, A Cullingworth, D Henshaw won 20-18; B Sims, J Gamble, C Warters, J Robinson lost 19-25; D Stapleton, B Romaine, S Travis, A Romaine drew 20-20; O Aspinall, W Aspinall, C Jones, B Warters won 34-10; D Hudson, M Holden, R March, A March won 37-9; J Dye, V Du'Kett, M Dye, S Moir won 35-8.

Martyn Dolby's bid to retain the Lincs Over 65 singles will be put to the test on Friday when he hosts Spalding's Maurice Elding in a re-arranged semi-final (6.30pm).

Simultaneously, Stamford's Under 18 team - James Hebden, Louise Harris, Jay Travis-Jenner and Stephen Harris - entertain Boston with the chance to win the Lincs Junior League for the second time. BW