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After weeks of preparation and hard work by the members to bring the club and green back to peak condition, Pulborough Bowls Club finally opened to members for the first time on Saturday.

The Opening Drive moved from Sunday to Saturday due to the forecast of wet weather earlier in the week and it proved to be a good move, not to avoid rain but the chilly winds that whipped through on Sunday afternoon.

After the customary first bowl up the green by the President, Malcolm Gray, play began at 2pm in sunny conditions, vastly different to last year, when wet weather mats had to be used at the start of play to protect the green.

Three rinks saw use with six teams attempting to find early form on a lightning fast green.

Mike Ryan at Pulborough BC's Opening Drive

The closest result was between skips Malcolm Gray and Melvin Green, with just six shots separating the teams after 18 ends.

After a slow start Malcolm's team of Christian Bushell, Mike Ryan, Mick Ayling and Steve Meadowcroft (who played half a match each) took the lead with a 4 on the 6th end and after pulling out a healthy lead, dropped a 5 on the 13th end giving Melvin hope, but it wasn't to be, with the final result of 22 shots to 14 going to Malcolm and his team.

The other two winning teams were skip Dave Fuller, with Linda Meadowcroft as Lead, Brian Maughan as 2 and Alfie Knight as 3 who won by 19-10 and Terry Chriss, with Ray Knight as Lead, Nicola Pells as 2 and Ivan Salmon as 3 who won by a very convincing 26-8.

With Sunday's weather also showing promise, those who were unable to make Saturday, or wanted some extra green time, played another 18 end match from 2pm.

Brian Maughan in Pulborough BC's Opening Drive

Three teams of triples and one team of four played on a damper green, with skip Dave Cobbold, Lead Christian Bushell and number 2 Jenny Patterson winning by 25 shots to 12 and Jacob Pells, Poppy Pells, Dave Soutar and Nicola Pells, winning by 16 shots to 12.

Congratulations must go to greenkeeper Malcolm Gray for producing such a good green so early in the season and to everyone who turned out to take part in the Opening Drives.

Thoughts now turn to the first away friendly against Ewhurst on Thursday afternoon and Pulborough's first Open Day of 2025 from 2pm on Saturday (April 19) - everyone is welcome to come along and give bowls a try.

Pulborough bowlers back on the green for 2025