CALPE BOWLS CLUB

In our first match of the season this year we were up against the League champions from the last two years, Benitachell Lions and although we had home advantage they were too good for us on the day.The overall result was Calpe 57 shots – Lions 75 shots; only 18 shots difference but the Lions certainly got the lion´s share of the League points 8-2 .

With a bit of luck it could have been different. Kate Sayers,with Liz Griffiths and Martin Tucker were cruising,and deservedly so at 15 – 10 up after 12 ends when the wheels came off . After 17 ends they were 15 – 23 down. A minor recovery on the last end made it 17 – 23.

Stan Walmsley,with Alan Steed and Glenda Rowe took far too long to get into the game and lost the first four ends to trail 12 – 0. The latter stages ,however, were fairly even but the superb team bowling of Carole,Feli and Lynda from the Lions carried them to a deserved 22 – 9 win.

Captain Paul Brown with Eileen Whitmore and Tony Sayers got off to a better start and were level 8 – 8 at the half way mark but the Lions just got the advantage in the second half to run out winners 16 – 11.

Our only success story came from Alan Edwards playing with wife Alison and Enid Duxbury. They won four of the first five ends to establish a nice 9 – 2 lead then built on this to lead 19 – 9 after 16 ends. Dropping five shots on the penultimate end didn´t help but they rallied to take the last to finish 20 – 14 : very well done!

In our mid-week match against Harrow BC touring team we fared much better winning by 25 shots ( 78 – 53 )

Alan,Alison and Enid,playing with Robert Daplyn must have been thinking about their previous days win and they didn´t start playing properly until the seventh end. When they hit form however they took eight consecutive ends to lead 20 – 7 and ran out 24 – 10 winners.

Kate Sayers with Tony,Sheila Garnham and Betty Walmsley started off slowly and were only level 3 – 3 after 5 ends . In the next 13 ends however their class shone through and they only dropped four shots over three ends to won easily 21 – 7.

Martin Tucker skippered Barry and Glenda Rowe and Eileen Whitmore in a very tight game. They fought really hard and were never trailing in the match until they dropped four shots on the penultimate end to go behind 15 – 17. Showing true bulldog spirit they bowled really well to take three shots on the last end to win by one.

It would have been nice to win all four rinks and it certainly looked as though we would but it was not to be.Paul Brown with Yvonne Daplyn,Liz Griffiths and Alan Steed started off really well and were 11 – 5 up after ten ends.Then what happened ? They dropped seven shots on the eleventh end and then the next five ends to trail 11 – 18 before recovering to 15 – 19

Next week sees us playing another touring team from Wales and then a visit to Benitachell in the League. Thankfully its not the Lions again but it will still be a tough one.