National finalists take next step with defeat of local rivals

Post date: Dec 3, 2013 11:56:41 AM

Mike Ramsden, Bob Warters, Peter Edwards and Martyn Dolby have taken the first steps to improve on their result in the National Over 60s Fours, the competition in which they narrowly lost in the English final at Melton earlier this year.

Against fellow Stamford bowlers Dave Hudson, Bruce Acock, Alan Barnes and Derek King, they trailed 8-13 early on and faced an uphill struggle to wrestle the tie away from their local challengers. But they fought back to lead 16-14 thanks chiefly to some end-saving draw shots by Dolby.

Turning point came on the 18th end when Dolby's rink picked up six shots and their deflated opposition finally conceded at 23 -14. They now face Paul Flatters' Boston rink at Stamford in the next couple of weeks.

A battling fight back by Hudson, King and Richard Allam almost pulled off a shock win against Martin Pullen's Over 50 Grantham triple. After trailing by more than a dozen shots early on they scrambled to a narrow lead, only to let it slip 18-21. Pullin - a former English indoor singles winner, now faces Stamford's Peter Cox, Romaine and Rippin a place in the area final.

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Almost unprecedented, one Stamford Monday night league team lived up to their team name by achieving two maximum eight counts in three ends.

Playing against the 'Reversibles' in the Open Fours league, the newly formed 'If-only' rink of John Holroyd, Steve Travis, Bob Warters and Cliff Watson drew eight shots within a metre of the pot on the 10th end on Rink Two then repeated the dose two ends later on their way to a 34-5 winning score.

Said Bob: "Obviously we felt sympathy for our opposition but it was just one of those things that can happen in bowls. As a former publisher of Bowls International back in the 1980s I was part responsible (with the late Chris Mills) for introducing the popular national scheme which rewards maximum scores on an end with a 'Hot Shot' badge. But it's the first time in 50 years playing that I've ever been involved in achieving the golf equivalent of a hole-in-one."

Results (Stamford names only)

Friendly: Melton 93, Stamford 86. S Bailey, N Corby, K Moss lost 11-22; H Fidom, J Lonslow, G Scothern, G Corby won 21-20; A Chapman, Alan Sherwin, M Jefferies, B Sims lost 16-19; Ann Sherwin, E Purvis, J Frith, T Freeman lost 16-18; R Roberts, C Scothern, A Lonslow, A Romaine won 22-14.