Strain comes of age in final year as an under-25

Adam Smith, Andy Manning, Craig Carter and Tom Millership lost 19-14 while Liam Pearcey, Dan Ward, Andy Strain and Chris Chapman went down 26-17.

Earlier, Warwickshire had won their last-16 tie against Berkshire 47-26.

The final signalled the departure of Avenue Leamington’s Andy Strain from the under-25 ranks.

Next year he will be over the age limit but he can look back with pride on his contributions not only to the county’s junior team but also to their senior squad and to his club.

This season he was a member of the Avenue teams that won the county fours and are also through to the triples final.

Left-handed Strain was also an important member of the under-25 team that won the Midland Counties junior league for the Ron Barston Trophy and the Midland Counties senior league for the Francis Burton Trophy.

Meanwhile, Whitnash’s Bill Ward had two nailbiting wins before losing in the semi-finals of the national over-55s singles at Worthing.

In his first game, Ward beat City of Ely’s Dennis Lewis 21-20 and in the quarter-finals he got the better of Ilford’s Ian McConachie by 21-19.

Ward then went down 21-15 to Bolton’s Bob Wood in the last four. Wood went on to lose the final to Sussex’s Bill Crittle by the same scoreline

The rained-off county finals have been rearranged, with the triples between Rugby’s Martyn Murley, Adrian Johnston and Craig Cartet and Avenue Leamington’s John Strain, Andy Strain and Andy Smith and the under-25s singles between Whitnash’s Dan Ward and Bournville’s Luke Moore taking place on Sunday at Three Spires BC (10.30am).

The date for the two woods singles final between Whitnash’ Adam Shuttleworth and Royal Leamington’s Ray White has yet to be decided, but it will be played on an evening.

WCC Staff visited Warwick Boat Club for a four-rink, mixed triples match and suffered a comprehensive 27-shot defeat.

George Barber edged to an 18-17 success, but the three remaining rinks went the hosts’ way, with Sylvia Murray (18-14), Barbara Froggatt (21-12) and G Ambrist (29-14) the successful skips.

Rink wins for John Randerson (22-16) and Nigel Roach (13-12) could not prevent Lillington slipping to a 104-80 defeat at home to Bidford in a six-rink men’s triples friendly.

Meanwhile, Jane Crawley and Dave Goodman were the winners of the Golden Jubilee competition at Lillington BC.

Courier League: Division One: Avenue P Little Compton P; Wellesbourne P Norgren P; RLS 4ths P Homeguard P. Division Two: Whitnash 2nds 33 (6pts) Welford 31 (2pts); Welford 2nds 40 (6pts) Lillington 28 (2pts); Homeguard 2nds 17 (2pts) Southam 24 (6pts); Lillington 2nds P RLS 2nds P; RLS 3rds P WCC A P. Division Three: Snitterfield 2nds P Fenny Compton P; Snitterfield P Warwick Boat Club P; Avon P Lillington 3rds P; WCC B P FISSC P; Shipston Sports P Kineton P.