THE FIRST Middle England League game of the season again Northamptonshire was always going to be a challenge, but Warwickshire women were well up for it and managed to scrape home with a 121-120 success to give them 11 points to their opponents’ six.
Highest winning rink went to Maureen Tims (Whitnash) with Di Medhurst (Stoke), Di Thurlbeck (Lillington) and Liz Wooding (Avenue Coventry), who were slow to start but soon showed their mettle with four shots on the fifth end to draw them level, from which they never looked back and eventually won 26-11.
Debbie Bloxham with Linda Linney (both Stratford), Joy Cooke (Blossomfield) and Sue Hornsby (Lillington) started well and were 11-3 up at six ends, but their opponents did not give up and pulled back to within two shots by the 11th end. However, a six-shot win on the 12th end made all the difference and the home team went on to win 27-18.
Maureen Edwards (Rugby Thornfield) with Brenda Carlton (Three Spires), Heather Tredgold (Southam) and Pat Bax (Rugby Ladies) also started strongly and were leading 10-3 by the eighth end when their opponents pulled back to go 13-12 ahead by the 12th end.
Undaunted, Warwickshire picked up 11 shots over the next three ends to put them ten shots ahead from which they never looked back, finishing 26-19 up.
Jenny Corn with Chris Ward (both Lillington), Heather Mills (Grange Ladies) and Elaine Taylor (Stoke) were level pegging by the fifth end at 6-6, when they started to pull away to lead 16-9 by the 12th end. However, a strong finish by their opposition made it 19-19 at 19 ends and Warwickshire eventually lost 21-20.
Moira Parsons with Wendy Holloway (both Welford), Lynne Innes (Stratford) and Helen Harris (Stoke) were constantly striving to catch up and, although the number of ends won were virtually equal, their opponents proved the stronger to win 21-13.
Pat Moore (Three Spires) with Margaret Grosvenor (Lillington), Chris Cooke (Southam) and Jean Petty (Norgren) started well and were only one shot down at five ends, but that was the end as their opponents raced away to eventually leave the home team 30-9 down.
