Bowls: Bye, bye Bears - hello summer

SOUTHBOURNE

Southbourne v Polar Bears

For their opening match of the summer season, Southbourne bowlers played an enjoyable friendly against the winter bowlers, the Polar Bears, who ome from several local bowls clubs to use Southbourne’s all-weather green.

This year Southbourne managed to win on overall shots with each team winning on three rinks.

Southbourne are looking forward to a good summer season before Polar Bears bowling starts again on Monday, September 21.

Southbourne 28 Chichester 52

Following promotion last season, Southbourne lost at home to Chichester in the mixed triples BM League. Each team won on one rink but Chichester won on overall shots.

Southbourne did well to win on one rink as were 15 shots down at one stage. Southbourne earned two points, Chichester four.

Scores: Malcolm Keane, Irene Jennings & Pete Jasinski (s) beat Betty Spicer, Keith Burt & Brian Butler 21-20; Mary Thornton, Ted Dewing & Alan Williams (s) lost 32-7 to Chris Hobbs, Peter White & Mike Bayfield.

CHICHESTER

Chichester 35 Pulborough 28

At home to Pulborough in their second BM League game of the week, Chichester won on both rinks taking maximum points.

Scores: Steph Baverstock, Nick Anderson & Mike Bayfield won 16-15; Chris Hobbs, Peter Whale & Tony Sayers won 19-13.

BOGNOR

The opening game of Bognor’s summer season was between the captain’s and president’s team at Waterloo Square.

The captain’s team won 91-85.

The first bowl was delivered by Jack Paige, a 90-year-old former Bognor player. Because of the possibility of rain, the match was played over 18 ends instead of the normal 21.

PAGHAM

Pagham Bowling Club began the season on a fine day with an extremely successful turnout filling six full rinks.

Nick Gibb, parliamentary Conservative candidate for Bognor and Littlehampton, delivered the first bowl of the season and stayed to chat with members.

Players played 18 ends finishing with a nice tea and a raffle to begin the traditional bowling season.

Pagham will hold a recruitment morning from 10am to midday this Saturday at their Swansea Gardens HQ.

It will be a free morning of bowls with coaches giving tips and lessons for anybody wishing to have a go. Complimentary tea, coffee and biscuits will be served.

FISHBOURNE

The Fishbourne green opened with the usual spoon Ddrive, won by Maggie Faber, Martin Reed and Alan Banham. Brian Henham is back for his fifth year as president and Bernard Wallsgrove, after a year’s break, has returned for his sixth year as captain.

The club are holding a visitors’ open day on Saturday, May 2, and anyone with an interest in bowls is welcome.

The Green is open from 11am to 4pm, when visitors will have an opportunity to learn to bowl with help from members and take part in a target bowls competition, which is great fun.

Refreshments will be available and there is ample free parking. For those who wish to proceed further, there will be four follow-up coaching sessions – dates will be available on the day. For further information email [email protected]

CRABLANDS

The club’s inaugural Australian pairs and attracted a good number. Margaret Whittle and Alan Blyth received wine for winning while Mollie Back and Peter Farrow enjoyed chocolates as runners-up.

A bowls drive was enjoyed by a stalwart group of 15. Morning and evening roll-ups will keep the club going until the first inter-club match away to Middleton BC next Monday.

INDOOR SCENE

CHARITY FOURS

West Sussex held their annual Charity Fours tournament which this year was in aid of St Wilfrid’s Hospice.

Some 27 teams from around the county and from Hampshire and London competed.

With one round of games left to play, two teams were unbeaten. In their final game, the Oddfellows, from London could only manage a draw but the Crablands team of Marion and Reg Hatch with Celia and Alan Foote won to keep their 100 per cent record for the day and win the Charity Cup.

The day was very successful and St Wilfrid’s will net £606.

LAVANT

Lavant SMBC held the finals of their club singles and pairs competitions.

The ladies’ singles matched Jackie Lee against holder Clare Beardmore. After tight early ends, Lee won four ends in a row and established a lead which Beardmore could not close. Jackie took the title 15-7.

In the men’s singles Peter Whale faced Rob Peirce. Peirce pulled away to lead by three shots going into the last end. With tension overtaking him, Peirce lost his way and Whale took four shots to win 12-11.

In the pairs final, holders Jackie Lee and Peter Whale played Dominic May and Tony Bleach. May and Bleach took an early lead but Lee and Whale pulled back and led 11-6.

May and Bleach closed the gap but the game slipped away from them in the final ends and Lee and Whale won 14-9.

THE GRANGE

THE Grange Bowls League and knockout cups have concluded. They run from September to April featuring eight teams of six players.

Winners of the league were Midhurst Yellow with Haslemere Amazons runners-up, and the knockout was won by the Villagers with Midhurst Yellow runners-up.

The winning league team comprised Sue Ralph, Roy Ralph, Margaret Sole, Peter West, Stella Tait and Dave King, while the knockout winners were Dot Berry, Ron Weeks, Terry Berry, Lally Mercer, Jean Adams and Chris Hollingham.