Stamford Indoor Bowls Club round-up
Stamford's senior bowlers moved within a handful of points of leaders Boston A in the Lincolnshire Over 60s League (South) with a comprehensive defeat of their rivals' second string.
Boston B are currently bottom of the league and favourites to be relegated to the second division when a two-tier first and second division formula is proposed to be re-introduced next season for all Lincs IBA men's and mixed leagues in place of the current geographical north and south system.
The controversial plan could mean long winter journeys in difficult weather, particularly for teams in the northern and southern extremes of the county.
Stamford's latest 108-58 win earned them 12 valuable points, taking them within seven of Boston A who they entertain on March 3 in what could be a title-decider.
Two rinks were vying for the individual honours but it was the quartet of Jeff Bourne, Paul Shaw, Mick Linnell and Roger Martin who dominated their end rink, winning 36-9, landing 19 shots without reply.
Lincs Over 60s League (South): Boston B 58 (2pts) Stamford 108 (12). Stamford names only - T Barwell, A Hynes, D Oakey, T Collins won 21-16; D Heffernan, D King, P Burt, K Vinter won 33-11; P Linnell, D Henshaw, D Bruce, M Hewitt lost 18-20; J Bourne, P Shaw, M Linnell, R Martin won 36-9.
Stamford’s next match is on Wednesday (10am): John Holroyd. Peter Burt. Martin Hewitt, Kevin Vinter; Tony Barwell, Derek King, David Oakey, Trevor Collins; Pete Linnell, Don Bruce, Pete Smith, Bob Warters; Jeff Bourne, David Heffernan, Mick Linnell, Roger Martin.
A comprehensive defeat of Sleaford on Tuesday has earned Stamford seniors a place in the area final of the national Over 60s Double rink to be played on a neutral green on Tuesday January 7.
With two rinks, each of four players, competing simultaneously at home and away, Stamford never looked in trouble of earning a clash against Horncastle (43-23 winners over Louth) for place in the inter-area final.
Trevor Collins’ quartet at Sleaford raced into an early 9-2 lead and held on strongly while, at Stamford, the rink skipped by Roger Martin eventually got the upper hand with 10 shots without reply on the last four ends of the 18-end encounter.
EIBA Over 60s Double Rink: Stamford 46 Sleaford 23. Stamford names only. Home - Jeff Pitt, Bob Warters, Mick Linnell, Roger Martin won 24-12; away - Tony Barwell, John Holroyd, Tony Scarr, Trevor Collins won 22-11.
Stamford teams competing in the Lincs League (South) face tough opposition on Saturday.
While the title-chasing A team visit Spalding, the B team can do their colleagues a favour by taking points from Boston A at home. Both are 2pm starts.
Stamford A: J Bourne, T Barwell, D Oakey, T Collins; M A Derain,M Mitchell, N Wright, A Warrington; O Aspinall, K Vinter,M Linnell, R Martin; W Aspinall, A McNaughton, J Travis, C Ballard.
Stamford B: R Blake, G Clarke, M Dye, DHenshaw; P Linnell, S Christie, I Smith, M Hewitt; K Rawlins, A Patterson, D Wilkinson, A Hynes; J Suffling, P Shaw, B Orme, D King.
Stamford almost threw away a chance to reach the next round of Mason's Trophy - the women’s equivalent of the men’s Over 60 double rink - despite an 11-shot lead playing the last of 18 ends simultaneously against Grantham.
With the Stamford home side cruising at 17-12 and the away rink 16-10 in front, it looked odds on a chance for them to play Sleaford on January 3 who eventually beat Spalding 31-28.
But, in a nervy finish, Stamford’s away rink dropped a three count while the home rink conceded six, leaving the overall score narrower than it should have been.
Mason's Trophy: Stamford 33 Grantham 31. Stamford names only - home: E Wallace, G Oakey, S Moir, C Ford lost 17-18; away - R March, D Mackie, S Suffling, L Hulme won 16-13.
Stamford’s mixed team suffered a further setback at Boston in their bid to challenge for honours in the Lincs League (South) but, with four of their last five fixtures at home, they still have time to recover.
They were on the back foot from the early stages but battled on to take two of the 14 points at stake.
Lincs Mixed League (South): Boston 98 (12) Stamford 57 (2): Stamford names only - J Hynes, J Suffling, S Moir, I Smith lost 17-21; J Lonslow, S Henshaw, M Ramsden, D Henshaw lost 12-28; R Roberts, C Jones, S Suffling, B Warters won 18-12; M Smith, C Warters, A Hynes, D Wilkinson lost 10-37.
The draw for the Stamford IBC Christmas Fours on December 28 is due to be made tonight (Friday).
There are still a few places left at £20 per team but must be received at the club today. Four games of seven ends are guaranteed in the tournament which has a £300 prize fund.
A record number of more than 50 bowlers have entered Stamford IBC’s club competitions due to start in January.
As well as the regular men’s, women’s and mixed events, two new competitions have been introduced - Australian and Novice pairs.
The men’s singles draw has thrown up some interesting contests including a first round clash in the men’s singles between the current holder Neil Wright and Martyn Dolby who has won it on 10 occasions.
Pip Warters, a former Northants junior, has returned to the game after nearly 40 years and meets 16-year-old international prospect Owen Aspinall.
All competition draws are listed in the noticeboard section of the club.
Men’s singles )first round by January 26, second round by February 23): W Morris v C Ballard or D King; J Pryor or D Johnson v J Travis or G King; J Holroyd or P Smith v J Suffling or N Crees; G Oliver or J Pitt v M Anderson; D Lightbody v T Barwell or A Speechley; M Porter or G Patrickson v W Aspinall or Dean Wilkinson; P Warters or O Aspinall v A Warrington or P Linnell; M Dolby or N Wright v K Tuck.
Women’s singles (first round by February 2, second round by March 3): R Downs v MHolroyd; K Porter v S Suffling; N Orme or L Tuck v C Ford; C Wilkin v E Wallace.
Open sets singles (Jan 26/Feb 23): N Wright v N Crees or S Suffling; A Speechley or S Suffling v D King; T Barwell or J Holroyd v M Porter or C Ford; C Ballard v L Tuck or C Richardson; W Aspinall v M Anderson or M Holroyd; J Pearson or P Smith v Dean Wilkinson or A Warrington; G King or J Travis v E Wallace or K Tuck; K Porter or G Patrickson v P Warters.
Over 60s Open singles (Jan 26/Feb 23): T Barwell v J Bourne or B Warters; C Ford v P Collins or J Suffling; D King v J Pearson or D Harris; B Orme v N Crees; D Johnson or J Pitt v P Linnell; K Vinter or A Speechley v D Edwards; C Richardson or S Suffling v G Patrickson; P Smith or E Wallace v M Dolby.
Spalding's hopes of increasing their stranglehold on the Lincs Women's Trudy Bates League southern section suffered a setback when Stamford claimed eight of the 14 points at stake on Wednesday.
The visitors won six points from three of the four rinks but couldn't contain a rampant Stamford quartet of Sue Moir, Julie Hynes, Gill Oakey and captain Chris Ford who took the rink honours by 29 shots which was enough to claim the overall points 87-76.
Lincs Trudy Bates League (South): Stamford 87 (8 pts) Spalding 76 (6): Stamford names first: Wallace, Birch, March, Mackie lost to S Chambers, C Nunney, M Parkins, J Hicks 16-22; S Gentry, J Allen, M Holroyd, S Henshaw lost to J Sinclair, A Phillips, C Morris, M Elding 21-26; J Lonslow, V Du’Kett, L Hulme, L Tuck lost to A Newbury, S Bilingsby, P Ault, B Beaton 15-22; S Moir, J Hynes, G Oakey, C Ford beat J Patterson, C Jackson, J Skayman, M Wheatley.
