Bears win in Middleton and White Rose

Warwickshire made the long trip down to Ilminster BC to play Somerset in the second Middleton Cup game of the season. A good display in a biting wind meant the focus was more on how many rinks the Bears would win rather than would they win. A 129-95 score was enough to earn the visitors 18 out of the available 22 points, leaving them 6 short of Cornwall who they face in the final game in a winner takes all clash.

Aiden Maries (Avenue Leamington), Josh Tiffin, Craig Carter (both Rugby) and Dan Box (Welford) made a good start to lead by three with ten ends gone and a treble and trio of singles took them nine up. Somerset took a single but were then shut out in the remaining six ends as Box and co raced away to a 27-7 victory. Mark Smith (Avenue Leamington), Jordan Ward (Rugby), Luke Horne and Adam Smith (both Avenue Leamington) limited their opponents to three shots in the opening ten ends while racking up fifteen shots themselves. The hosts took another single but the Bears hit back with eight shots to bring the lead to nineteen with five ends to go. Somerset had the better of the remaining ends but the couldn’t deny Smith’s rink their 25-13 win.

Andy Manning (Nuneaton), Neil Hancock (Whitnash), Scott Ashby and Graham Ashby (both Nuneaton) saw their eighth end ten shot lead reduced to three shots with fourteen ends played. With three ends to go the lead had doubled to six. Somerset scored two singles but a last end single took Ashby and co to a 20-16 win. Sam Shuttleworth (Whitnash), Harry Smith (Nuneaton), Adam Shuttleworth (Whitnash) and Steve Smith (Nuneaton) made a good start to lead by seven at the midway point. Somerset had a better second half but Smith’s rink was still six with four ends left, two singles and a treble reduced to lead to one heading into the last end but the Bears took that end to win 24-22.

Andy Prickett (Welford), Ian Billington (Whitnash), Dan Ellicott (Avenue Leamington) and Andy Walters (Welford) were all square after six ends and still level with five ends to go. A single, treble and single took Somerset five clear, Walters and co took a single to move four behind with one end left. It proved a bridge too far, the Bears took a treble but lost 17-18. Tom Wheeler (Rugby), Will Brundle (Welford), Keith Wooding and Mark Ireland (both Avenue Coventry) struggled to get going, with fifteen ends gone they trailed by nine. A strong display by Ireland’s rink saw them reduce the deficit to two heading into the final end but the hosts took a single to win 19-16.

* Warwickshire’s Juniors travelled to Chew Stoke BC to take part in the Regional Finals of the White Rose Trophy. The two rinks representing the Bears were Tom Wheeler, Jacob Mills (both Rugby), Harry Smith (Nuneaton) and Jordan Ward (Rugby) with the other rink consisting of Lewis Gardner (Three Spires), Sam Shuttleworth (Whitnash), Aiden Maries and Dan Ellicott (both Avenue Leamington).

Devon were their opponents in the semi final and a mixed start saw Ward and co four down after nine ends and Ellicott’s rink six up after eight. A good four end spell saw Ward’s rink clear the deficit and move eight in front, Ellicott and co six up at the same point. A strong finish saw Ward win 27-14 which allowed Ellicott finish after nineteen ends with a 20-12 score, overall score 47-26.

The opponents for the final were Somerset, Ellicott and co took an early five to reach five ends 11-1 up, Ward and co were three shots up but faced a strong fightback by Somerset, the score after thirteen ends 16-9 against, Ellicott’s foursome however now held a seventeen shot advantage. Ward’s rink saw the remaining ends shared with their opponents as both sides cancelled out each other, the Bears losing 16-23. Warwickshire’s place at the Nationals wasn’t in much danger as Ellicott’s rink took another five and a plethora of singles to win 31-9, again after nineteen ends, final combined score 47-32. The Bears progress to the White Rose national semi finals in August where they will face Nottinghamshire.

* County President Aubrey Brookhouse has previously both won and lost the Rose Bowl, the cup on the line for the annual clash with the Warwickshire Womens BA. Wellesbourne BC played host for his third time in charge and a good afternoon of bowls saw the Gents reclaim the Rose Bowl with a 111-83 victory.

Mike Davies (Lillington), Chris Howarth (Wellesbourne), Barry Connolly (Avenue Leamington) and John Henfrey (Lillington) took four singles, a treble and four with only two shots against to lead by nine after eight ends. Another good spell saw the lead build to fifteen with three ends to go, the Ladies hit back with a treble and double but a last end single completed the 20-9 win for Henfrey and co. Chris Dickens (Norgren), Michael Allsopp (Executive), Les Anscombe (Warwick Boat Club) and Immediate Past President David Wigman were nine shots adrift after six ends but a good spell including two fours to move two shots in front after eleven ends. A treble and double let the Ladies clear the deficit and move three up with five ends left, Wigman and co dominated the remaining ends, picking up a brace of fours and a five to win 26-16.

Past President Peter Vale Humphreys, Mark Neville (Avon), Colin Daly (Lillington) and Keith Hornsby (Three Spires) started strongly but with ten ends played were all square. A brace of doubles, a treble, a four and single took the Gents twelve ahead with three to play. The Ladies hit a four and single but Hornsby’s rink took a double to seal the 23-14 victory. David Burrows (Wellesbourne), Past President Mike Brayne, Steve Poole (Lillington) and Past President Nigel Hewitson dropped a single on the first end but went on an eight end scoring spree to lead by thirteen. Two ends later the scores remained the same but a double and trio of singles helped the Ladies cut the deficit to eight. Hewitson and co scored a four but that was wiped out by a brace of doubles, it meant the Gents won 19-11.

County President Aubrey Brookhouse, Patrick Keogh (Wellesbourne), David Vowels (Welford) and Past President Geoff Moran were eight up after nine ends though with four ends to go that had been reduced to four. Moran and co took a double to open the lead up to six but a strong finish by the Ladies saw them level the game 14-14. Past President Graham O’Donohue, Match Secretary Mike Hall, County Secretary Michael Jackson and Bruce Truman (Rugby Railway) failed to score in the opening seven ends to trail by twelve. A twelfth end treble by the Gents brought the deficit to ten, with three ends to go it was still ten. A double for the Ladies was countered by a pair of singles meant Truman and co lost 9-19.