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Short Mat Bowling News 2006 As Seen in Ross Gazette
For access to 2007 records click here |
On Monday evening December 4th, Tarrington Short Mat Bowling Club faced Aston Ingham at home, in a Division 1 league match. There was an air of expectation amongst the home side, having taken on the might of Ross ‘A’, last Wednesday the 30th of November, winning by 41 shots to 39. On Monday night the battle with Aston Ingham was another narrow victory for Tarrington a much smaller club than Aston.
The first session, on mat one saw a close fight, with tactics coming into play, as the jack was sent off the mat on two occasions. Aston crept home by two points. On the other mat Aston Ingham took a lead from end one, thwarting all Tarrington’s efforts to recover, finishing at a 13 to 6 score. This left the visitors holding a nine shot advantage.
Aston Ingham seemed to have it all sewn up as play started following a tea interval. However the home side had other ideas.
Mat 1 team led by Tim Horton Smith, took charge of the game, claiming seven out of ten ends, giving them a 10 to 5 winning score.
Led by Ruth Hodges, Mat 2 team needed a 4 shots win to take the match. It was a nerve wracking finish even though end eight saw them with a 12—2 advantage. In end nine Aston came back, winning three shots. They also won the last end, but by only one point allowing the Tarrington minnows to register another close victory by two points.
Good league victory for Llangarron
Thursday November 22nd
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Llangarron winning team |
Llangarron is a small village some six miles from Ross on Wye in Herefordshire U.K.
Llangarron Short Mat Bowling Club, are in their third year of Herefordshire League competition. Although they are a relative small club with only fifteen members, their ambition, drive and close friendship make up for low numbers. This season they have taken points in every league match played. On Thursday evening November 22nd, in a home game played in the village Hall at Llangarron, they set out to continue that record.
Their opponents, Bishopswood, from across the river Wye, are also quite a new side, keen to improve their standing in the league.
David Ball, Rita Marshall, Barbara Kilby and Brian Rossiter, formed one home side team with Eric Powel, Megan Powel (Captain) Reg Marshall and Jamie Harris another.
From Bishopswood, Barbara Morgan, Keith Jones, Bob Boughton, Dennis Brooks– Kibble, together with John Wilson, Maureen Tingle, Jenny Ray and Jim Tingle represented a determined opposition.
The match began with Bishopwood players appearing to start well
on mat two, taking the first two ends with a one and two point score, end three was tied with no recorded score, and by end six the sides were level pegging at five each, but from then on Llangarron took charge bringing a last end call at nine –six to the home side. In a tense final end Bishopwood fought back, but in a measure could only muster two points. The other mat showed a different story, with Bishopswood taking over from end five to win by twelve shots to five.
After a coffee and welsh cakes refreshment interval, both teams lined up knowing the game was there for taking. On mat one, Llangarron took the jack, and immediately began an exhibition of accurate bowling, holding shot from start to finish, claiming three shots. The second end gave a similar score. However in end three, each Llangarron player produced excellent bowling technique as they blanketed the jack, taking seven points with eight woods. Bishopswood players looked at a thirteen nil score line, wondering if it was a good omen. Taking end five with three points raised their hopes, but it didn’t last, soon it was sixteen three, then seventeen. End eight gave the visitors another three points, but with ruthless concentration their opponents kept up unrelenting pressure, taking the game twenty shots to six. On mat two the story was similar but not quite so dramatic as Llangarron swept away all opposition, winning eight ends out of ten, to gain a fine victory of eleven shots to three. Overall, the home side took a magnificent forty five to twenty eight shot victory, taking them into a comfortable thirty one points in the Herefordshire County League 2. Report by Don Dickenson
Out with the old - in with the new
Janet Harris & Tony Cale Recently the members of the Lea Short Mat bowling club were very grateful to receive a grant of £161.00 from the Herefordshire Council, Adult and Community Service, through the Ross Area Community Pride Grant Scheme, This award was used to replace damaged rubber delivery mats and Jacks, required to bring the club up to League Standard. At a club meeting Janet Harris and Tony Cale displayed the items contrasting them with the damaged, worn out mats that were due for discarding. Jack Smith, the club Secretary was thanked by the Chairman for his hard work in obtaining this grant, remarking on the high level of assistance received from the awarding body. The new mats were used for the first time when Lea beat the Larruperz Short Mat Bowling Club by seven to three league points, hopefully a good omen for the Lea!
Official launch of the Website
www.shortmatbowlingatlea.co.uk
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Lea and Bartestree players at the inaugaration of this Web Site |
On Friday evening, 17th November, at Lea Short Mat Bowling club, during a friendly game between Lea and Bartestree & Lugwardine Club, an important milestone in the local history of Short Mat Bowling was officially recognised. In an extended interval a mini ceremony was conducted, to launch the first web site for bowlers in Herefordshire. Specifically designed for Short Mat bowling enthusiasts and enquirers. - www.shortmatbowlingatlea.co.uk is now officially on line.
Initially set up to encourage interest in Lea club, and for its members, a wider vision has grown of serving all Short Mat Clubs in Herefordshire. To this end one page is devoted to a list of Herefordshire SMB clubs and contact numbers. Within its pages a history of bowling can be found, full of informative stories, gathered from many sources, including Shakespeare’s plays. Another page for committed bowlers is given over to an extensive glossary of terms applicable to short mat bowling. Other important Short Mat Bowling sites world - wide, are easily accessed from a page specifically nominated for this purpose. Don Dickenson the site manager stated that it was in a development process, with more pages in the pipeline. These would include the latest Short Mat news items from the local press, national and international Bowling news would also be featured. .
Cutting the cake
Christopher Oconnor-Thomson, Secretary of the Bartestree Club, initiated the launch by cutting a special cake, made and decorated by Pam Ambury, with the site name and motto, ‘log on today’ In his remarks Don mentioned that this venture was originally the brain child of Jack Smith Lea Club Secretary. Presenting a floral tribute to Joanne Smith, he expressed gratitude from Lea SMB Club, for her commitment to months of preparatory work, ensuring that the site was viable and attractive when it went on line. An acknowledgement was also made, of the charitable provision by BT of the site area, free of charge.
Following the ‘Launch’, play was resumed on the mats, with an eight end game. Although every end throughout the evening was contested keenly, the emphasis of play was enjoyment of taking part rather than winning. Overall the evening’s sport resulted in a very acceptable draw, with both sides winning two games each. Without exception, everyone felt that it had been a great evening.