Mixed team off to a flying start among county league elite

Post date: Oct 27, 2014 12:33:40 PM

Newly promoted back to the First Division of the Lincolnshire Mixed League, Stamford IBC got off to a winning start at home to Lincoln A on Saturday, claiming 14 of the 18 points available in a seven shot victory overall.

At the halfway stage, the prospects looked bleak with the visitors holding a slender lead with Richard Martin's rink a dozen shots adrift and Martyn Dolby's quartet also trailing.

But showing the fighting spirit which established them back among the elite teams in the county, Stamford summoned up encouragement across all rinks and battled for every shot to finally prevail with three winning rinks and an 87-80 shots total, led by a 24-10 win by Dave Hudson, Sue Moir and Bob and Carol Warters on rink one, which continues to be a home fortress.

On Sunday, the mixed team visits Boston (12.30 start) where points have proved elusive in the past but with a first success under their belts, Margaret Bloxham's squad will be determined to turn the tables.

Continuing in their rich vein of form, Stamford IBC's team in the Lincolnshire Over 60s Division Two, claimed all but two of the 18 points available at home to Grantham, with four comfortable winning rinks.

And the 111-75 scoreline hardly flattered them either, with rinks skipped by Richard Martin and John Geary routing the opposition by 18 and 19 shots respectively, while Dennis Henshaw and Ray Harvey also had comfortable wins.

The team, which currently leads the league, were due to visit Dunholme this week, who also crushed Grantham in their first match.

Stamford's B team are determined to return to the second division after relegation plagued their previous season and made good strides with 16 home points against Louth B.

Only captain Dennis Henshaw failed to record a win going down by one shot, while three rinks stacked up 40-shot score lines in a 126-shot victory.

Results (Stamford names only):

Lincs Mixed League. Stamford 87 (14pts), Lincoln A 80 (4). D Hudson, C Warters, S Moir, B Warters won 24-10; J Travis-Jenner, M Bloxham, C Ford, K Rippin lost 16-17; A Martin, M Andrews, A Barnes, Richard Martin lost 15-23; C Barnes, D Mackie, T Mackie, M Dolby won 16-15; J Brennan, L Harris, D Ford, J Little won 15-14.

Lincs Over 60s Division Two. Stamford 111 (16), Grantham 75 (2). A Chapman, D Veasey, D Hefferan, D Henshaw won 24-18; T Barwell, T Mackie, A Romaine, J Geary won 27-8; D Howarth, B Acock, T Weaver, Ri Martin won 29-11; W Kettle, T Freeman, M Wallis, R Harvey won 18-14; A Lonslow, R Graham, P Banks, A Horton lost 14-29

Lincs League Division Three. Stamford B 175 (16) Louth B 49. D Howarth, D Veasey, B Acock, Richard Martin won 40-7; P Pheasant, M Owens, A Barnes, A Horton won 41-9; T Barwell, M Wallis, M Hewitt, J Geary won 42-5; K Germany, C Ballard, T Mackie, P Banks won 33-9; W Kettle, R Graham, T Christie, D Henshaw lost 19-20.

In national indoor competitions, Alan Romaine, Peter Cox and Keith Rippin, who reached the area finals of the Over 50 Triples last year, started well again with a 20-9 defeat of club-mate Tony Barwell's trio.

Barwell was also unsuccessful in the Mixed Pairs, drafting in Carol Warters but losing pluckily to Grantham's Caroline Davis and her partner 22-14.