New areas and zones revealed for national competitions

Post date: Mar 15, 2016 12:01:08 PM

STAMFORD INDOOR bowlers will be heading west instead of east and north when the game's governing body, the English Indoor Bowling Association introduces new competition areas for season 2016-17.

Instead of initially competing against old foes at Spalding, Lincoln, Sleaford and Boston,

from next season clubs including Charnwood, Carlton, Leicester Melton, Harborough, Desborough and Kettering Lodge will provide the opposition for bowlers from Stamford in early rounds of national competitions.

Only Grantham remain in the re-shaped Area 5 among those previously in the schedule.

Clubs like Spalding will in future initially take on Peterborough, March and Wisbech, while Lincoln travel as far as Doncaster and Boston's zone includes Skegness and Horncastle.

The EIBA (www.eiba.co.uk) is introducing the new areas and zones to combat reduced entries in some areas, complaints about peak-time traffic hold-ups, too much travel for those playing early rounds and to freshen up its competition network.

For local players, the sat-nav will no doubt be working overtime!

The governing body, based in Melton, is also introducing amended formats for matches. In future previous 21-end games (including Denny, Yetton and Double rink) will be reduced to 18 and 18-end triples to 16.

Stamford Men's B were unable to avoid the inevitable relegation from the second division of the Lincolnshire League.

They have finished bottom of the table after a 120-67 defeat at Spalding B, claiming only one of the 18 points available.

Results (Stamford names only):

Lincs Men's League Division Two. Spalding B 120 (17 pts) Stamford B 67 (1). A Lonslow, R Graham, J Geary, M Hewitt lost 14-31; K Rawlins, S Downs, C Ballard, D Henshaw lost 11-30; P Pheasant, W Kettle, N Graham, Richard Martin lost 14-16; D Howarth, M De Camps, D Heffernan, P Banks lost 9-24; T Barwell, D Veasey, P Linnell, T Christie drew 19-19.