Warwickshire Women march on after winning Johns Trophy regional final
Warwickshire Women book Devon date in next round
Victory in the Johns Trophy regional final against Gloucestershire has booked Warwickshire Women’s Bowling Association’s ladies a place in the national quarter-finals against Devon.
The winners of that then play the semi-finals and final at the Nationals in Leamington on Sunday, 30th August.
With a good league win against Oxfordshire under their belt, Warwickshire’s next challenge was Gloucestershire and hopes were high that, playing on their home ground, Royal Leamington Spa (RLS), they could win and ensure themselves a place in the National quarter-finals.
The game was very close for the first half with Warwickshire three shots down at 10 ends before they started to turn the tables to win on three of the six rinks 116-89 giving them 16 points to Gloucestershire’s six.
Rink one, skipped by Debbie Bloxham (Stratford) with Joy Cooke (Sherwood Park), Wendy Wilson and Jane Chedgzoy (both Welford), started strongly, picking up six shots on the fourth end.
But their opponents were determined and after a hard-fought game the home team had to concede a shot on the last end to finish 18-17.
Rink two, skipped by Kirsty Richards with Amy Williams, Michelle Meadowcroft (RLS) and Ros Taylor (Avenue Coventry), were 6-2 up at three ends before their opponents came back to lead 18-7 at 11 ends.
A hard-fought second half by the home team brought them back to 20 all on the 17th end, but they lost one shot on the last to finish 21-20.
Rink three, skipped by Moira Parsons (Welford) with Ginny Burns (Warwick Boat Club), Becky Lever and Maureen Edwards (both Rugby Thornfield), started well and they were 15-4 up at 10 ends before their opponents started to retaliate, but not enough, and they went on to win 24-11.
Rink four, skipped by Emily Kernick with Caroline Halliwell (both RLS), Gill Maund (Sherwood Park) and Tracy Wheeler (Welford), struggled to start and they were trailing by nine shots on the fourth end before they were able to turn the tables and pull back to lose by just one shot, 15-14.
Rink five, skipped by Lis Wooding with Gillian Greenbank (both Avenue Coventry), Anna Molony and Tracey Turner-Smith (both RLS), were fairly well matched and just one shot down,6-5, at 10 ends when they put their foot on the pedal and went ahead to eventually win 15-10.
Rink six, skipped by Janice White with Dawn Horne, Anita Cowdrill and Jenny Wickens (all RLS), were also fairly evenly matched to start with but trailing 11-8 at the 11th end before four shots on the 12th and five on the 13th put them in the driving seat and they went on to win 26-14.
County president, Vanessa Brazier (Rugby Railway) was delighted to award a Johns Flash to Ginny Burns (Warwick Boat Club), signifying her three years as a Johns player.