Newark's Triumph thanks to Roger!

This week we’ve got that well known act back together again Serena and the two Goodes who, Reg proudly says “Haven’t lost since March.” Plus best of luck to our two newcomers Ray Everton, don’t mention Anfield, who is on Ron Blake’s rink and Grenville (not to be confused with Granville) Pearson on Ken Whites rink, hope he’s interested in trains. Anyway after two ends we are 8-4 up overall. Is it too early to get excited about a win?

After four we’re leading by 18-14. Their missing player still hasn’t arrived so Roger (the dodger) Graham, who didn’t want to go home in the rain, claiming his windscreen wipers were not working, is standing in for them, he could be here for some time! Ron Blake’s rink have just scored a five and gone into an early leading rink position 9-5. And crikey, we are up overall 25-19 with Jill Goode’s rink leading 5-3, Ron Blake’s 9-5 with newcomer Ray Everton, Ken White’s 6-2 with newcomer Grenville 6-2 and Dave Edwards leading 4-2.

But hold on, and quicker than one can type, after six ends we are crash bang wallop down overall 30-35. Maurice(the Uke’s) rink were obviously give the wrong song sheet and are 3-9 down, but as has been said many times “It’s a game of two halves”. Seven ends played and we are trailing 34-40 with guesting Roger (the dodger) Graham’s rink leading the Newark fight back 8-4. Their missing man still hasn’t turned up. Send out a search party, or was he really missing in the first place?

Oh, dear, to repeat that well known phrase or saying, “Have the wheels come of this early”. Jill’s rink is 5-16 down, Maurice's 3-11, Nigel’s (we’ve not mentioned him before) down 4-5, and Dave’s 4-10. Remember whose side you’re on Roger! Thank goodness Ron’s rink is leading 14-3 and Ken White’s narrowly by one shot.

We are now at the halfway stage and after typing that we are 37-62 down can only repeat that other well known phrase or saying, ”It’s a game of two halves”. The writer is going to find a darkened room to lie down in and upon his return hopes that things will have turned for the better. Twenty five minutes later we have played thirteen ends, why didn’t someone come and wake me! We are now 48-91 down, which means a deficit of forty three with five ends to play. Which means, our mathematician advises me, that we only need to pick up nine shots per rink per end. Can we do it, of course we can!

Fifteen ends played and 61-104 down, forty five behind. On rink one Reg is heard shouting something which can’t be identified to his wife at the other end, and Roger on rink six keeps repeatedly shouting well bowled. Remember which club you belong to Roger! Newark’s missing player still hasn’t turned up. Sounds a bit dodgy. Roger’s just walked off towards the gents saying he’s cream crackered, we’ll find out what that means later.

Two ends to go and 77-106 down. We are now only twenty nine behind, due mainly to Ron Blake’s rink leaping to 29-12 when we weren't looking. Maurice on rink three has just passed a message to the press box that the Newark lady on his rink is a former county champion and their skip a county player. That accounts for it then! They’ve finished on rink one and the rest are about to. Who said a game of two halves? It’s not the winning it’s the taking part that counts. Of course it is. Our best rink was Ken Rawlins, newcomer Ray Everton, and Ron Blake with an impressive 34-12 win.

If anyone’s interested in the final score it was 119-86 to them, and the rink scores are below. By the way, their missing player didn’t turn up because he thought it was tomorrow. He’ll be lucky!

Reg Goode, Serena Brunning, Jill Goode lost 8-26; Ken Rawlins, Ray Everton Ron Blake won 34-12; Janet Dye, Margaret Grainger, Maurice Dye lost 5-30; Ann Preston-Bambridge, Nigel Trigg, Jenny Desborough lost 11-16; Howard Neath, Grenville Pearson, Ken White lost 14-16; Val White, Maggie Holden, Dave Edwards lost 14-19.

Better luck team in the next match away at Huntingdon. D.S.