WARWICKSHIRE ladies’ annual Middle England League contest against Nottinghamshire at Stoke Bowling Club was always going to be tough and so it proved as the visitors secured a six-shot victory.
The teams were level at 81-81 at 18 ends, but it was the away team who came out on top 100-94, leaving the Bears with seven points to the victors’ ten.
Highest winning rink went to Jenny Corn (Lillington) with Ann Webb (Welford), Lynn Houghton (Avenue Leamington) and Hilary Smith (Wellesbourne), who set off at a pace and were 10-3 up at ten ends and continued in this vein until the last two ends when their opponents retaliated, leaving the home team with a 21-11 win.
Janet Scott with Di Green (both Sherwood Park), Pat Dahlgren (Bilton) and Wendy Holloway (Welford) were fairly evenly matched throughout the game but just managed to hold on and win 17-15.
Sue Hornsby with Margaret Grosvenor (both Lillington), Ann Harwood (Wolvey) and Margaret Waterhouse (Wellesbourne) were also well matched with their opponents and were trailing 14-11 on 19 ends, but three shots on the 20th brought them level and they just pipped the Nottinghamshire team to the post on the last end to finish 15-14.
Maureen Tims (Whitnash) with Karen Rice (Entaco), Helen Harris (Stoke) and Di Thurlbeck (Lillington) held their opposition to a 16-16 draw.
Maureen Edwards with Sigrid Thomas (both Rugby Thornfield), Janet Greenwell (Wolvey) and Pat Bax (Rugby Ladies) started slowly and, although they rallied on the eighth end to level at 7-7, their opponents got away and the home team eventually lost 22-14.
Liz Chedgzoy (Stratford) with Di Wilkinson, Janet Pooler and Elaine Taylor (Stoke) started well but could not keep up the momentum and finished 22-11 down.
The highlight of the day for president Chris Richards (Lillington), apart from the excellent meal served by Stoke BC, was being able to present a blazer badge to Lynn Houghton (Avenue Leamington).
Gloucestershire Win the Day
WARWICKSHIRE set out ready for battle and determined to improve on their performance against Somerset in the previous round, but Gloucestershire obviously had similar ideas and, although the home team produced a solid performance, they were only able to win on three rinks and eventually lost the match 113-98, resulting in six points to their opponents’ 16.
Highest winning rink went to Maureen Edwards with Sigrid Thomas (Rugby Thornfield), Helen Harris (Stoke) and Pat Bax (Rugby Ladies) who were fairly evenly matched to start and just four shots ahead on the tenth end, but a surge in the second half of the game and six shots on the 17th ensured a winning score of 24-11.
Moira Parsons (Welford) with Margaret Grosvenor, Jacqui Cook and Sue Hornsby (all Lillington) stormed ahead and were 16-3 up at ten ends but their opponents were not going to lie down and pulled back to hold the home team to a five-shot win at 21-16.
Maureen Tims with Helen Slimm and Vicky Room (all Whitnash) and Di Thurlbeck (Lillington) also started well and managed to hold their lead throughout to finish 18-16.
Jenny Corn (Lillington) with Di Medhurst, Di Wilkinson and Elaine Taylor (all Stoke) started slowly but kept their cool, drawing level at eight ends and were 15-15 on the 18th end, but just could not maintain it and they eventually lost 18-16.
Jamie-Lea Winch (Rugby Thornfield) with Kirsty Richards (Bournville), Liz Chedgzoy (Stratford) and Pat Moore (Three Spires) struggled from the start and were 20-3 down at 15 ends, but a strong finish enabled them to pull back to 22-12, leaving them just ten shots adrift.
Janet Scott with Di Green (Sherwood Park), Brenda Carlton (Three Spires) and Wendy Holloway (Welford) were battered and bruised in a 30-7 defeat.
The only good news was that Welford put on a very nice meal to finish the day.
