Stamford Bowls League annual meeting
Stamford and District Bowls League president Rita Downs will serve a further term for the 2024 season, it was agreed at the annual meeting.
Indisposed earlier in the 2023 season, the Blackstones bowler was unanimously invited to extend her term of office through 2024.
Rita aims to raise more than the £690, she has already brought in for her chosen charity, Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital.
Other officers re-elected, included Charlie Underwood (chairman), Nina Rawlins (secretary), Dick Ford (treasurer) and Pete Linnell (fixture secretary). There is a vacancy for a vice-president and anyone interested should contact the league secretary.
Mr Linnell reported that, although all fixtures were completed, some club captains were still failing to submit their scores promptly and accurately to him on scorecards and, simultaneously, directly to the league website and hoped that this would improve in the future.
The treasurer reported that, though the vast majority of clubs complied, there were still issues with some not totally fulfilling their obligations. Team registration would take place at Stamford IBC on April 18, 2024 (7pm).
A proposal that two substitutes from another registered team within a club would be allowed to take part in the Boor and Wainwright competition as long as they were not already ‘cup-tied’ (having played for another team), was carried.
The Duncomb Shield would continue to be played on a round-robin qualifying basis with the league endeavouring to clarify the offering of 'play-by' dates.
The inaugural pairs competition, which has become known as Secretary’s Pairs, was well supported with 18 teams entering and league secretary Nina Rawlins presented to the winners the trophy she has donated.
With the success of the pairs, it is hoped to introduce a triples competition to enable those who don't play in Federation events to enjoy more games, subject to enough interest.
Competition winners included: Division One - Blackstones C, Division Two - Market Overton Tornadoes, Division Three - Barnack Vikings; Rosebowl - Blackstones, Boor & Wainwright - Bourne Woods, Duncomb Shield - Market Overton C, Secretary’s Pairs - R Lambert & J Abbott (Market Overton).
Provisional dates for next season's finals are: President’s gala - August 31, Boor & Wainwright - August 31, Duncomb Shield - September 1, Rosebowl - September 7, Secretary’s pairs - September 8.
St Neots and Cambridge Chesterton will be new destinations for Stamford bowlers in the next rounds of their respective English inter-club Denny Plate and Yetton Plate competitions on December 9.
The men earned their visit to the potentially fast-paced St Neots carpet thanks chiefly to an outstanding performance by their two away rinks at Louth, while the women scored an overall 89-70 success against Skegness.
The foundations of the win against Louth were formed in the away leg where rinks skipped by Simon Law and Adam Warrington took only a few ends to get to grips with the unpredictable playing surface.
Supported by Ally McNaughton, Michael Jeapes and the return of lead Paul Dalliday, Law’s rink won 10 of the last 13 ends to win 24-11, while the Warrington quartet of Mick Humphreys, Wayne Morris and Neil Wright recovered with 11 shots in six ends to win by eight.
Meanwhile there was tension at Stamford, where Louth were making a stand with only one shot separating the teams at 15 ends before Roger Martin’s four made a late comeback from 6-18 behind.
On the adjoining rink, Jon Earl’s four were always in control, leading 10-10 and 14-3 before eventually winning by six.
At least Stamford belied other club teams’ recent form by coming stronger at the end and they will look forward to the next round with anticipation.
The seeds of Stamford women’s 19-shot defeat of Skegness were sown at the seaside venue where, on the club’s difficult two-rinker, the quartet of Julie Allen, Val Du’Kett, Denise Mackie and Sue Moir took a few ends to settle before chalking up 20 shots almost without reply.
Alongside, the rink of team captain Chris Ford only conceded shots with the game already beyond their opponents’ reach.
At home, the quartet of Rosemary Roberts, Marilyn Christie, Moira Holroyd and Pat Jones, helped build up a strong aggregate lead, taking a 14-shot advantage at half way and maintaining it throughout.
Denny Plate: Stamford 84 Louth 60. Stamford names only: home - T. Barwell, D Miller, C Ballard, R Martin lost 15-18; W Aspinall, M Linnell, O Aspinall, J Earl won 22-16. Away - P Dalliday, A McNaughton, M Jeapes, S Law won 24-11; M Humphreys, W Morris, N Wright, A Warrington won 23-15.
Yetton Plate: Stamford 89 Skegness 78. Names only. Home - N Andrew, P Birch, E Wallace, S Henshaw lost 16-23; R Roberts, M Christie, M Holroyd, P Jones won 25-11. Away - J Allen, V Du’Kett, D Mackie, S Moir won 24-14; J Lonslow, A Northen, R Downs, C Ford lost 19-30.
Stamford’s mixed team salvaged four points from their visit to Boston, despite a 31-shot defeat.
While the rinks skipped by Henry Gordon and Neil Crees hung on for vital points, Boston inflicted some heavy late scoring against the quartets of Geordie King and John Hare.
Lincs Mixed league (South): Boston 91 (10 pts) Stamford 60 (4). Stamford names only. V Du’Kett, L Tuck, K Tuck, G King lost 9-39; M Ramsden, P Jones, S Suffling, N Crees won 19-18; R Roberts, J Suffling, D Mackie, H Gordon won17-13; J Allen, R March, A March, J Hare lost 15-21.
It was a similar story for the women’s team competing at Spalding in the Lincs (Trudy Bates) League where they claimed only two points in a 91-75 defeat.
Lincs Women’s League (South): Spalding 91 (12) Stamford 75 (2).Stamford names only. J Allen, A Northen, S Suffling, R March lost 14-20; R Roberts, J Lonslow, V Du’Kett, S Henshaw lost 19-21; A White, P Birch, D Mackie, S Moir lost 19-30; T Handley, M Christie, E Wallace, C Ford won 23-20.
