Stamford Indoor Bowls Club round-up

Hopes of Stamford progressing beyond the first round of the national Denny Plate - they reached the last eight in 2015 - were crushed by local rivals Boston.

After little more than half of the scheduled ends played, with two rinks from each club playing each other at home and away simultaneously and scores being exchanged at regular intervals, Boston had raced into a 58-21 lead.

And, while one Stamford home rink pressed on to the bitter end in a bid to regain some kudos with the overall result already out of reach, the others gracefully conceded with eight of the scheduled 84 ends still technically at stake.

It was by no means an humiliation at 81-42 overall but certainly at the Boston venue, the home side were at the top of their form under father and son skips Martin and Alex Tomlin with veteran Les Feary outstanding in the unfamiliar role of number two on Tomlin junior's rink.

Both Stamford rinks - skipped by Roger Martin and Jonathan Earl - had picked up shots on the first end but that was just about the strength of it as Boston quickly got into their stride. When Stamford conceded on 18 ends at the away venue they trailed 15-55.

A new green carpet to be laid in the summer will no doubt set Boston back financially and possibly even competitively for a while but, as one of the favourites, don't be surprised if they add the plate to their previous honours before then.

As for Stamford, the club will be buoyed by new, less traditional club colours and the potential of an influx of new players to eventually rejuvenate the reliability of the old guard. And, hopefully, they will look back on this defeat as the start of a new era.

Denny Plate: Boston 81 Stamford 42. Stamford names only: Home - M Humphreys, W Morris, N Wright, A Warrington lost 11-20; J Pitt, A McNaughton, M Anderson,M Dolby won 22-12. Away - B Warters, M Linnell, T Collins, R Martin lost 6-21; T Smith, C Ballard, T Newman-Borret, J Earl lost 9-27.

While the scores tell the final tale of the outcome of a match in terms of shots and points, the story line is often only revealed in the momentum of the occasion.

And so it proved with Stamford B team's home encounter with top of the Lincs League (South) Spalding.

Blessed with home advantage, Stamford led by 10 shots at the 10-end halfway mark, feeling confident and inadvertently looking destined to do their A team colleagues a favour if they could hang on.

But Spalding, despite fielding only a sprinkling of their all-conquering Lightning squad, know how to battle as a team - and so it proved as they turned the tables to win 85-75 and claim 11 of the 14 points at stake.

It might have been different had Dennis Henshaw's and Martin Hewitt's rinks held on in the latter stages but Spalding showed their mettle and will be tough to beat when the Stamford A team visit on December 14.

Lincs Men’s League (South): Stamford B 75 (3pts) Spalding 85 (11). Stamford names only. J Suffling, B Orme, P Smith, D King won 25-22; R Blake, G Clarke, M Dye, D Henshaw drew 16-16; D Bruce, D Morgan, I Smith, D Wilkinson lost 16-27; C Jones, A Patterson, G Patrickson, M Hewitt lost 18-20.

Stamford's senior women's team face Grantham next Friday (December 6) in the Mason's Trophy, in which Lynn Hulme makes her debut as the away skip in this national double-rink contest.

Though as a child, she closely followed the fortunes of her parents, Ketton and Barnack bowlers Paul and Jill Andrew, she has only in the last couple of years returned to the game with husband Graham and shown great presence both on indoor and outdoor surfaces.

Hugely committed and competitive, she is now ready to step up to the next level.

Stamford v Grantham (10am): Home - E Wallace, R Downs, S Moir, C Ford. Away - R March, D Mackie, S Suffling, L Hulme.

Stamford’s Mixed team visit Sleaford in the Lincs League (South) on Saturday (12.30pm: J Lonslow, C Warters, A March, B Warters; J Allen, C Jones, R March,D Henshaw; L Cave, S Henshaw, D Wilkinson, D Cave; R Blake, V Du’Kett, S Moir, M Ramsden.

The mixed also visit Boston on December 8 (2pm): R Roberts, R Blake,S Suffling, B Warters; C Warters, M Smith, A Hynes, D Wilkinson; J Hynes, S Moir, N Crees; J Lonslow, S Henshaw, I Smith, D Henshaw.

In a thrilling finish to the women’s county league match at Lincoln, Stamford shared both shots and points.

It went down to the last end when Lincoln picked up five shots to Stamford’s two, leaving the scores level at 71-apiece and the points at 7-7.

Janet Lonslow, Rose March, Moira Holroyd and Denise Mackie took the rink honours with an outstanding 13-shot win, with Sue Moir’s four also picking up points.

The next match is at home to Spalding on December 11.

Lincs Women’s (Trudy Bates) League (South): Lincoln 71 (7pts), Stamford 71 (7pts). Stamford names only: V Du’Kett, L Tuck, R Downs lost 27-11; M King, G Oakey, A Northen, S Suffling lost 19-20; J Lonslow, R March, M Holroyd, D Mackie won 24-11; J Hynes, L Hulme, E Wallace, S Moir won 17-13.

Stamford seniors will play Sleaford in the area semi-final round of the national Over 60 Double Rink on December 10 after defeating former champions Boston.

It was a close match upto the midway stage of the scheduled 18 ends with the scores level overall after killed ends at each venue until Stamford’s Roger Martin drove the jack into the ditch for a five count at Boston on the 10th end.

And, while Tony Scarr’s home Stamford rink kept the visitors under control, the away quartet added four shots on the last to put the result beyond doubt.

EIBA Over 60 Double rink: Boston 22 Stamford 33. Stamford names only: Home - T Barwell, J Holroyd, T Collins, T Scarr won 13-10; away - D Heffernan, B Warters, M Linnell, R Martin won 22-12.