Stamford Bowlers Lose Cup Ties against Spalding

After 15 of the 21 scheduled ends with rinks playing at home and away simultaneously, both matches were too close to call. But it was the greater experience of the Spalding players, which eventually prevailed by 14 and 23 shots respectively.

In the men's match, by the time telephone messages had been exchanged with just six ends to play, Stamford held a one-shot advantage overall. Martyn Dolby's home rink were 21-6 ahead against England skip Dominic McVittie while on an adjoining rink, Chris Ballard - deputising for the injured Adam Warrington - was trailing Tristan Morton by a similar margin. Meanwhile, the away rinks of Roger Martin and Simon Law were coping well with the faster surface.

However, as the match reached a dramatic climax Spalding's players asserted their authority, with some late heavy scoring. At Stamford, McVittie and Morton picked up a combined 12 shots in the last three ends, while at Spalding, despite the outstanding efforts of Martin and Law, Graham Smith and Jordan Philpott respectively claimed a further seven between them to produce an 81-67 winning aggregate.

In the women's match it was a similar story with Stamford taking the early initiative both home and away before Spalding - despite missing some of the team that recently helped Lincolnshire retain the inter-county title - came to terms with the contrasting surfaces.

At Stamford, Carol Warters' rink of Janet Benns - making her Yetton debut with uncanny accuracy at lead - Peggy Birch and Pam Mumford, dominated the rink of Betty Deaton to run out 21-14 winners. Sadly her colleague Pat Jones lost by a similar score to Maisie Belding. It left the away rinks skipped by Denise Mackie and captain Christine Ford to tip the scales but they fell just short and Spalding ran out overall winners 84-61.

FOOTNOTE: Stamford Ladies now move to the Plate Competition where they will face Peterborough on Saturday (November 27) at home and away simultaneously (12.05pm). Winners of the four-rink clash will play Melton on December 11.

Results

Denny Cup : Stamford 67 Spalding 81: (Stamford names first) .Home - R Allam, D Miller, J Earl, M Dolby beat H Mycock,L Parnell, A Dunham, D McVittie 21-16; Mal Smith, O Aspinall, J Travis-Jenner, C Ballard lost to B Martin, M Robertson, E Morton, T Morton 16-27. Away - B Warters, M Linnell, T Scarr, R Martin lost to S Harris, M Simpson, S Lilley, G Smith 15-23; P Dalliday, A McNaughton, J Harford, S Law drew with K Ekins, S Hill, M Spencer, J Philpott 15-15.

Yetton Trophy: Stamford 61 Spalding 84. (Stamford names first): Home - R Roberts, V Shackleton, A Holmes, P Jones lost to F Lyon, T Sinclair, S Hammond, M Belding 13-25; J Benns, P Birch, P Mumford, C Warters beat A Newbury, M Billingsby, K Martin, B Deaton 21-14. Away - J Brennan, M Holroyd, S Suffling, C Ford lost to Julie Hicks' rink 16-20; R March, M King, E Wallace, D Mackie lost 11-25 to B Hirst's rink.

DERBY CLASH DELAYED

The scheduled Lincs Men's League (South) between Stamford A and Stamford B on Sunday, December 5 has been put back an hour to 2.10 pm to enable some players from both sides the opportunity to return from a county match at Huntingdon in the morning.