Lavant trio won't loosen their grip on West Sussex bowls title

After the round-robin stages, the quarter-finals matched Slinfold against Ashington, Lavant against Midhurst, Clapham & Patching against Bognor and Midhurst II versus The Martlets.

Lavant’s Ray Harding, John Heasman and Peter Whale, holders of the trophy, had a tight game against Midhurst’s Shirley Weeks, Ron Weeks and Terry Berry and needed a three on the final end to take the game 8-6.

The Bognor team of Freddie Kaucher, Eric Jones and Brenda Jones were always behind and went down 10-3 to Clapham & Patching.

The game between the Midhurst team of Brian Fallows, Ian Frost and Roger Brown and the Martlets team of Chris Rolph, Mel Lillywhite and Marc Lancaster was close, with Midhurst finally running out winners 8-7.

In the semi-finals Lavant met Slinfold and went into the last end one shot behind.

However Whale, with the last bowl of the game, managed to ditch the jack and score two shots for the Lavant trio to win 6-5 and progress to their fifth consecutive final.

In the other semi, Clapham & Patching dominated Midhurst to win 10-1.

After two close games the Lavant trio were in no mood to concede their title. They took the lead after a couple of ends and pulled steadily away for a 10-3 victory.

ARUN

Arun Indoor Bowling Club stage an open day this Saturday when they hope to attract some new players to the sport.

The club are starting coaching sessions on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, and courses will be followed by the option to join as a full playing member.

While having coaching, people will be welcome to play in mixed drives, mixed roll-ups and casual roll-ups.

Events at the club in Nyewood Lane include social evenings.

Saturday’s open day runs from 10am and 2pm and the joining fee will be waived on the day.

Arun 149 Preston 113

Preston IBC, visitors from the Brighton area, were no match for Arun in this six-rink fixture.

Arun won on four rinks and lost on two, with an overall advantage of 36 shots.

Top rink for Arun were J Swannell, D Sayers, A Bowler and skip T Sayers, who won by 16 shots.

Eastbourne 100 Arun Ladies 100

An excellent Arun Ladies League match at Eastbourne went to the last end of the last rink. Arun needed six to win but only managed to get five so ended in a draw.

Scores: Hobbs, Brooker, Wiedenheoft, Adams lost 18-9; Foster, Napper, Taffurelli, Richards lost 21-16; Mitchell, Phillips, Jones, Horsley won 20-17; Smith, Pickard, Stocker, Briault won 24-14; Rampton, Collins, Latter, Janman lost 18-16; Anderson, Tooley, Conley, Hart won 15-12.

Arun 56 Havant 30

Arun Ladies won when they played Havant in the Masons B Team Trophy.

With one rink home, one away, both teams won well. Havant just could not find the green and were outbowled by Arun Ladies.

Scores: Home: Stocker, Napper, Spicer, Janman won 30-17; Away: Hobbs, Brooker, Collins, Adams won 26-13.

CRABLANDS

In a friendly against West Wittering, Crablands won on all three rinks.

Scores: Stevie Brooks, Yvonne Clifton, Charlie Threlkeld & Mike Tucker won 22-12, Ted Lewis,

Lil Tuck, Ron Osborn, Mollie Back won 23-15, Brian Berry, Sylvia Compton, Ted Murrell &

Joyce Heritage won 38-11.

Crablands Cormorants played a league match against Ashington Swans with mixed results.

They gained only two points out of six, but with a win on the friendly rink. The overall score was 58-58.

Scores: Jan Obermayer, Derek Eggleton, Brian Berry & Joyce Heritage won 16-15, Joyce Abel,

Peter Latchford, Martin Hunt & Mollie Back lost 23-19, Doe Berry, Patricia Tucker, Wally Obermayer & Mike Tucker won 23-20.

An internal ‘spoons drive’ was held and the winning team comprised Joyce Heritage, Meg Pock, Arthur Gilling and Roy Tolhurst.

The wooden spoons were presented to Charlie Threlkeld, Jim Tyrrell, Joan Homewood and Yvonne Clifton.

DONNINGTON

In their first match of the new winter season, Donnington entertained Crablands and won 37-32, winning on one mat but losing on the other.

Scores: R Percival, B Taylor, J Roberts, V Mitchell won 23-16, S Bavestock, T Wilson, T Taws, Ron Beasley lost 16-14.

n Members gathered at Donnington Hall for their annual supper and entertainment. A cake made by member Anne Roberts celebrated 20 years of the club’s existence.

An evening three-course meal and a light-hearted quiz entertained members, who also tried to identify a gallery of early pictures of club bowlers compiled by Maggie Maggs.

This created a heated discussion and no one managed to identify all the ‘rogues’ in the gallery.

FITTLEWORTH

Fittleworth’s first league match of the new short-mat season resulted in a win for one mat but a loss for the other, which meant an overall 38-27 defeat to Midhurst.

Scores: A Hodgson, G Barnfield, B Williams, D Herbert won 18-17, S Judd, S Allen, A Jordan, C Martin lost 21-9, L White, J Adset, M Cook, B Adset lost 30-12.

n A friendly at Bury Bears resulted in a 59-46 defeat. Two mats were lost and one won for Fittleworth.

Scores: A Hodgson, J Adsett, S Jupp, B Williams won 20-19, M Cook, P Cook, B Adsett, D Herbert lost 18-16, L White, A Jordan, C Martin lost 22-10.

NYETIMBER

Nyetimber won a friendly against Fittleworth but needed the wide margins on two mats to overcome an even wider margin on the third.

Scores: S Syrett, J Robson, D Merrit, P Evans beat M Cook, J Adsett, G Barnfield, D Herbert 24-11; J Leake, T Algar, B Boiling, G King beat L White, Harold, C Martin, A Jordan 28-9; A Guppy, W Langston, G Rump, U Purcell lost 28-7 to A Hodgson, M Wood, B Williams, S Judd.

THE MARTLETS v BOGNOR GOOD-WOODS

The Martlets extended their lead at the top of the West Sussex League division one as they beat visitors Bognor Good-Woods 6-0.

The league match finished 46-24 and a friendly mat also went the way of the home team, 25-11 the score.

OUTDOOR SCENE

Midhurst Bowling Club’s annual dinner saw 52 members and friends attend Cowdray Park Golf Club.

Competition cups and trophies were presented by chairman Howard Seymour and captain Gerald Dixon.

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