Bowls: Triples triumph is from here to Infinity

After the round-robin games the quarter-finals matched Infinity A against The Martlets, Southbourne A against Midhurst B, Southbourne C against Midhurst A and Infinity B against Ashington.

In the semi-finals, the Infinity A team of Jon Clear, Ben Haulkham and Chris Page met Midhurst B (Shirley Weeks, Richard Carn and Ron Weeks) and in a very tight game, Infinity came through 9-8.

In the second semi-final, the Southbourne C team of Audrey Bull, John Hardy and Andy Smith met Infinity B (Alice Rackley, Steve Payne and Dan Blackman). Infinity took an early lead and held on to win 9-2 and set up an all-Infinity final.

The final was a high-quality game and with Blackman’s trio just pulling ahead to lead by two shots going into the final end, Chris Page was forced to try to kill the end but could not quite make it – and Blackman’s three won 10-4 to take the title.

ARUN

Arun hosted a mixed game against Banister Park and won 143-75.

Scores: R Philpott, V Greenaway, I Hart and C Bowles won 28-12; F Downing, I Nelson, J Whitfield and J Pickard won 19-15; E Keywood, W Bury, M Johnson and J Whitfield won 25-13; K Hellyer, S Simmonds, G Dunham and C Horsley won 27-13; J Smith, E Hall, C Burnard, J Whetstone won 25-12; P Corkett, S Wilson, E Lawrence and A Avery lost 21-12.

Arun travelled to the Isle of Wight BC with a mixed team. A great day out ended with Arun winning 97-94.

Scores: J Watson, J Dyke, P Jones and G Conley won 19-10; D Taffurelli, J Conners, S Simmonds and D Bowles lost 23-15; E Fitch, L Carthew, S Stocker and P Lichfield lost 18-17; D Jackson, V Greenaway, J Taffurelli and G Leaman won 15-11; C Dunham, S Leftwich, G Dunham and C Bowles lost 18-15; O Fidgeon, P Terry, R Sanford and R Gardner won 16-14.

Arun 147 AD Finem 80

This friendly was enjoyed by all and the game started well for Finem, but they struggled to gauge the weight of Arun’s rink.

Scores: M Hunt, P Easterbrook, K Burt, P White won 45-10; G Whittaker, J Gilpin, C Radford, L Corne drew 19-19; B Colvin, D Goodenough, J Greenfield, A Avery won 26-8; C Chester, BAG Smith, V May, J Davis won 18-12; N Waddock, L Hall, B Sanford, R Gardner lost 21-14; R Lincoln, D Spinks, B Sales, J Muffett won 25-10.

Arun 46 Worthing Pavilion 45

In the over-60s double rink, with home and away matches, the Arun home team played well throughout but their away team’s start was shaky. Arun’s away team won 22-17 while the home team lost 28-24, leaving a nail-biting five minutes before they learned the other team’s score.

Scores: At Arun – Bob Daley, David Parker, Angus Anderson, Brian Butler lost 28-24; At Worthing – Peter Miles, Vic May, Eric Pidgeon, Jim Davis won 22-17.

Arun IBC 81 Worthing Field Place 74

In the Denny Cup, a shaky start was overcome and Arun won.

Teams: At Arun: B Rebbeck, R Corkett, A Anderson, M Bonnar/T Arnold, N Bashford, M Johnson, B Butler; Away team: P Hamnett, P Miles, P Hannam, T Sayers/P Green, D Parker, L Corne, J Davis.

Arun 139 Denton Island 103

Arun skipper Derek Adams managed to get top-rink with his team. Both teams won three rinks but Arun came away with the points.

Scores: C Chester, J Gilpin, B Bonner, J Newell lost 25-20; P Green, V Rayner, C Burnard, A Avery won 24-13; J Watson, M Bacon, J Oliver, B Horsley won 29-11; D Jackson, B Lawson, T Dade, D Adams won 36-5; D Parker, P Jones, E Hall, D Ford lost 22-15; G Finch, A Latta, W Bury, G Herrington lost 27-15.

NYETIMBER

Both Nyetimber Green and Nyetimber Gold for their league season off to a splendid start in their opening matches.

The Greens earned six points against Fittleworth.

Scores: A Guppy, S Lyons, A Watson, S Syrett won 23-14; B Boiling, Peter Watters, Peta Watters, F Kaucher won 34-9; F Williams, U Purcell, A Booker, F Hollebone won 32-16.

The Golds also picked up six points, with a win over Midhurst.

Scores: A Crew, G Booker, C Sands, I Hathaway won 29-13; B Crew, A Booker, R Stevens, n Plummer won 21-17; J Smith, S Ridgewell, B Boiling, D Harding won 22-20.

The Golds narrowly got the better of Walberton, one rink winning and one losing.

Scores: A Crew, G Booker, C Sands, I Hathaway won 18-14; J Smith, S Singleton, B Crew, R Stevens lost 25-23.

LAVANT

Lavant Green had a bad night away to Midhurst Eagles.

On mat one, Eagles took 14 of the 21 ends and won by 18 shots. Mat two saw Eagles take 17 ends to include scores of five (twice), and seven (twice) and win by 41 shots. Lavant won the friendly by 21 shots.

Scores: K Fancy (skip), C Beardmore, C Stubbs, W Cooper lost 27-9; B Cooper (skip), P Lee, Y Squires, C Martin lost 47-6; (friendly): P Winter (skip), T Boxall, P Beardmore, J Lee won 30-9.

Lavant Blue got a good result at home to Nyetimber Green. An excellent start on mat one had Blue ahead by 16 shots, and they won by 21 shots.

Scores were level on mat two at end 13 but Green pulled ahead over the last ends to win by nine shots. Blue took the bonus points and won the friendly.

Scores: J Sharrod (skip), L Kneale, M Winter, J Lee won 33-12; T Boxall (skip), B Wallsgrove, P Sharrod, J Conway lost 28-19; (friendly): P Winter (skip), P Beardmore, P Lee, S Lillywhite won 26-16.

Lavant went across the county to Ardingly for a friendly. Mat one saw a hard-fought game with Ardingly taking the last couple of ends to win by five shots. Mat two were soon up against it with the hosts scoring well to win by 16 shots.

Scores: D May (skip), P Beardmore, M Winter, J Simms lost 24-19; P Winter (skip), J Lee, P Lee, J Conway lost 26-10.

Lavant Red hosted Southbourne Rangers at home. Mat one saw a ragged game from Red, not helped by two seven-shot ends by Southbourne, and lost by 20 shots.

On mat two, Red were ahead all the way and won by five shots.

Southbourne won by 15 shots overall and earned four points.

Scores: P Winter (skip), D May, R Peirce, J Simms lost 33-13 to Karen Alner, John Hardy, Robin Armstrong & Rodney Bull (s); P Whale (skip), P Beardmore, T Bleach, R Harding beat Alan Shelley, Andy Smith, Dave Alner & Antony Bull (s) 20-15.

Lavant Red took the overall win at home to Upper Beeding. On mat one Red’s lead of 12 shots midway was only four shots with one end to go, which they took for a six-shot win.

Mat two saw a similar game, but with tighter scoring all the way before Beeding won by one shot. Four points were Lavant’s reward.

Scores: P Winter (skip), T Bleach, R Peirce, J Simms won 23-17; P Whale (skip), P Beardmore, J Sharrod, R Harding lost 18-17.

FITTLEWORTH

The Kingsley Cup was won by Audrey Hodgson, Tessa Clegg and Gina Barnfield. Second were Muriel Cook, Eileen Warrington and Bernard Adsett; third Arthur Ellcome, David Luxford and Tony Broughton.

Fittleworth 69 Sutton 27

Fittleworth won this friendly.

Scores: Muriel Cook, Tessa Clegg, Tony Broughton lost 13-12; Arthur Ellcome, Monica Enticknap, Gina Barnfield won 17-9; Pauline Gilpin, David Luxford, Bernard Adsett won 40-5.

HUNSTON

Hunston played Walberton for the first time at home and won 76-35.

Scores: T Wilson, C Butler, B Hodnett, T Hack won 24-11; D Greenfield, J Hodnett, S Mesure, A Hack won 20-16; M Streeter, P Guyatt, A Harle won 32-8.

MIDHURST

The Eagles played an away friendly against Arundel on two mats. On both mats, the Eagles were trailing quite heavily but fought back

well to only lose by seven shots.

Scores: L Mercer, I Frost, J Etheridge-Barns, R Weeks lost 26-20; L Stevens, D Berry, B Fallows, T Berry lost 20-19.

CRABLANDS

Cormorants played Fittleworth and gained five points.

Scores: Joyce Abel, Jan Obermayer, Alan Foot, and Martin Hunt beat Monica Enticknap, Gina Barnfield, Sue Judd, Charlie Martin 27-12; Denise Merritt, Rod Shambrook, Joyce Heritage and Mollie Back drew 16-16 with Audrey Hodgson, Alvar Etherington, David Luxford, Bernard Adsett; (friendly): Celia Foot, Tony Heritage, Don Jonas and Wally Obermayer won 37-4.