Worcestershire Short Mat Bowls Association

Worcs. won this away fixture – the first of the season’s ESMBA inter county matches – by 26 points to 14. The county won 10 of the 16 individual games played, with one game being drawn. They scored 212 shots, with 164 being scored by Shopshire. Within the 26 points win was a total of 5 bonus points from the 8 points available.

Session  1.  Cayman was marginally behind his opponent for much of his opening Singles match. With a strong performance in ends 11 and 12 he took the lead to run out winning 14-12. Johnathon in his opening match performed consistently to maintain a lead until the 13th end. A strong performance by his opponent in the 13th and 14th ends resulted in a drawn game 12-12.. Richard and Jim met strong resistance from their opponents in the opening Pairs match. The result could have gone either way but Shropshire managed to to win with a final score of 10 shots to Worcs. and 14 shots to Shropshire. In their Pairs match Leah and Sean were behind up to the 10th end. Their very strong fightback, which started in the 9th end, resulted in them scoring 12 shots in ends 9 – 15, during which time their opponents scored 1 shot.  –  Leah and Sean had a well deserved 16-10 win.

Session  2.  Alan’s Triples team were 5-10 down after the 8th end. They went on to win the next five ends and deservedly won their  match 12-10. Richard ‘s Triples lost their opening match 9-12. In the Fours, Malcolm’s team had a very close and hard fought match, but they maintained their nerve and ran out winning by 11 shots to 10. Terry’s Fours team had a different sort of match  –  with a score not often seen in an inter county competition. They won all their ends to run up a massive 23 shots. Not much more you can say about this match except to congratulate the team on a unique and wonderful performance.

Session  3.  Cayman lost his afternoon Singles match. In his Singles match, Johnathon took control after the 7th end when scores were level at 6-6. Johnathon then piled on the pressure to eventually have a comfortable win 17-8. In the Pairs, Richard and Jim were struggling up to the 5th end when the score was 0-10. Not sure what happened after that but a change between lead/skip may have helped. From the 6th end onwards Richard and Jim scored 14 shots with their opponents scoring only 3 shots with the result that Richard and Jim ran out winning by 14 shots to 13. Leah and Sean narrowly lost 14-17 in their Pairs match.

Session  4.  Richard’s Triples team led throughout their match and romped home winning by 24 shots to 6. This included winning 6 shots off end 5 and 4 shots off end 10.  Alan’s Triples team played consistently throughout winning ten of their 13 end match. They won comfortably 14-3 to complete a very successful day having won both their matches. Malcolm’s Fours team also won their second match of the day. They led throughout the match, and in what was a relatively low scoring competition ran out winning 10-5, having won 7 ends of their 11 end match. Terry’s Fours team lost 7-12.

This home fixture against Gloucestershire was the first leg of this year’s “Two Shires Tophy” competition.  – the second leg will take place on Sunday 8th December. Worcestershire won this opening match of the season by 22 shots to 18,  scoring 227 shots with Gloucestershire scoring 195 –  Worcestershire won nine out of the sixteen individual games played.

Session  1.  There were narow defeats for both Singles players with Cayman losing 12-13 and Johnathon losing 12-14. In the pairs, Richard and Jim went into the lead in the fifth end, maintained this lead thereafter to run out winning by 15 shots to 11. In the other Pairs match, Terry and Malcolm went into the lead in the 8th end and in a hard fought contest went on to win by 15 shots to 13.

Session  2.  Both Triples teams lost. In the Fours keith’s team led throughout to run out winning by 11 shots to 6. Terry’s team were behind for the first 7 ends, level after the 8th end, and with 10 shots off three of the last four ends of the match, won by 16 shots to 12.

Session  3.  Cayman lost his afternoon Singles match but Johnathon in a strong performance won his .  Johnathon made four shots from each of the ends 3, 8, and 9 which was a major contribution to his 20-14 win. In a game of two parts Richard and Jim made an incedible start to their afternoon Pairs match.They dashed forward into an incredible 15-0 lead after the 5th end. The next 10 ends saw them score only an additional 5 shots, during which time their Gloucestershire opponents scored 15. This was not sufficient, however, to prevent Richard and Jim  winning by 20 shots to 15.  Although Jenny and and Malcolm, in their afternoon Pairs match, won 8 of the 15 ends played, including 5 of the last 7 ends, they were narrowly beaten 12 shots to 13.

Session  4.  A great win for Robin’s Triples team. Their opponents won only two ends ( a total of 2 shots), with Robin’s team rampant to clock up 26 shots for a 26-2 win. In a similar performance, Keith’s Triples team accumulated a very handsome 23 shots with their opponents scoring 3 shots off two ends. Terry’s Fours team had a strong and consistent performance scoring 16 shots off 10 of the 11 end match. This restricted Gloucestershire to scoring one shot off the sole end that they won.

Some very interesting results today but well done to Worcestershire in winning what was a closely run contest.

Summary of the results below ;