Royston Bowls Club round-up

First up this week for Royston was the National Top Club competition played away at Shire Park B.C. (Welwyn Garden City.)

Royston’s Roger Davies scored at a steady rate, but trailed early on in his Two Wood Singles match, he came good later on to win by 15 shots to 11.

In the Four Wood Singles, Matt Coppen eased away to a 12 – 5 lead, but then allowed his opponent to gather four shots to close the gap to 12 – 9. Pulling his socks up, Coppen then scored 9 shots over the lasts few ends to produce a 21 shots to 11 victory.

It was a good performance by Laurie Ramsay and Peter Adams in the Pairs.

They scored two 5’s and four 3’s in their comfortable win of 29 shots to 12, over Shire Park’s T Brown and R Gunn.

The Triples of Simon Lee, Roger Neville, and skip Mick O’Flanagan, had a hard game against M Howe, F Goodege, and A Wells. Royston claimed 10 single shots, but their opponents just managed to grab three extras to finish on 13.

Another tight game ensued in the Fours, with Stan Whitehouse, George Lewis, Don Sheriff, and skip Stewart Brown, having to fight all of the way to overcome Shire Park by just 19 shots to 17.

Having won four of the five disciplines, Royston move on to the next round.

Thursday May 26th was County Singles day, and Royston still had some bowlers going for glory.

It was a home match for Royston bowlers Colin Wilson and Laurie Ramsay.

It was ‘no luck’ Wilson who was unable to contain ‘on form’ Ramsay, as he waltzed away to a 22 shots to 5 win.

Another home game was that of Matt Coppen who took on Peter Belton from the St Ippolyts B.C. It took five ends before Coppen woke up to the fact that he was seven nil down. At this point Coppen engaged a gear, and over just nine ends reeled in 21 shots to his opponents 3 and passing the winning post with 21 shots to 10.

It was a tight game early on in Simon Lee’s encounter with T Graham from the Letchworth Whitethorn club. But in the second half, Lee pulled out a few stops to collect two 4’s and a 3 to edge home by 21 shots to 13.

It was Peter Adams who had a tough game against Peter Roseblade of the Roebuck club. Adams was 20 shots to 7 up, requiring just one shot for victory, when Roseblade upped his game and made a comeback, scoring 8 shots over 5 ends. It took a relieved Adams, six ends to get that illusive one shot, and he eventually rolled over the line to win 21 shots to 15.

Finally it was Mick O’Flanagan who flew the flag against Colin Coles from the Three Horse Shoes club, Stevenage. As is often the case this was a second half game, with O’Flanagan having a good start but losing his way in the mid section. However he did get his act together over the last six ends scoring an impressive 12 shots to ease over the line at 21 shots to 13.

In a National Mixed Pairs match on Thursday 26th May, Royston’s duo of Shirley Pawson and Laurie Ramsay, had no trouble in powering to an overwhelming success against Eileen and Ray Newman from the Whit Hern

B.C. Cheshunt. The Royston pair sprinted away to a 22 shots to 7 triumph.

In another National Mixed Pairs game on Saturday, Eileen Hyde and Stewart Brown, also had a comfortable win of 22 shots to 11, over B Knibb and D Richardson from the Herts B.C.

Royston’s George Lewis and Gillian Fisk, took on Sue Moody and Steve Wilson from Stevenage Town, in a Mixed Pairs match on Friday. After a slow start, Fisk and Lewis dominated the game from end seven eventually running out as the winners with 22 shots to 16 against.

In a National 55 and Over Singles contest, Royston’s Peter Adams had a good start against his opponent, Steve Caird of the Whit Hern B.C. After being 14 shots to 6 up, Adams was stunned by the sudden turnaround in Caird’s game as he piled on the shots to edge passed Adams and rolled over the line to a win of 21 shots to 17.

There were four Men’s County Pairs games on Wednesday 25th.

Royston’s Mick O’Flanagan and Laurie Ramsay, had an interesting game against C Thurstance and D D’Cruze from Riverain B.C Hitchin. It was a pleasing win for the Royston pair who, after a brief rally by D’Cruze, reached the line first with 18 shots to their opponents 10.

Next up was Royston’s Peter Graves and Will Martin, who were in top form. They scored two 5’s and two 4’s in their pulverising 32 shots to 9 win over their opponents, T Upchurch and T Pay from St Ippolyts.

Playing away at the Whitethorn B.C., Royston’s Don Sheriff and Roger Neville, were out-bowled by D Marr and P Garfield to go down to a 22 shots to 13 defeat.

Last, but certainly not the least, were Simon Lee and Matt Coppen. Their opponents from the Three Horshoes B.C., threw in the towel after just 14 of the 21 ends had been played, due to the fact that Lee and Coppen were 27 shots ahead with the score at 29 – 2.

The Royston Ladies were in action on Tuesday 24th, in the North Herts League, which consists of two rinks of triples. Playing at home, Royston’s Beryl Huckle, Eileen Sheriff, and Eileen Hyde, had a comfortable win of

22 shots to 11.

Royston’s other rink of Brenda Hollands, Gillian Fisk, and Pat Smith, had an even more comfortable win with a scoreline of 26 shots to 11.

So Royston were the first past the post with an overall majority against the Letchworth Conservatives.

It was a disappointing outing to Knebworth B.C. for Royston’s Margaret Ward, Anne Martin, Pam Keating, and skip Eileen Hyde, in the Ladies County Fours. They were up against a good team in the guise of S Hughes,

P Veale, S Varney, and S Smith, plus a tricky green, which didn’t help. After a good fight, the home four claimed the prize by 26 shots to Royston’s 15.

Royston players were involved in two National 55 and Over Pairs games during the week.

Don Sheriff and Peter Adams suffered a painfully slow start in their game against W Johns and J Sutton from Kings Langley. Being 20 shots to 8 down on end 16, they tried to rally, but the 6 shots they gathered were not enough and they crashed out at 20 shots to 14.

In the County Unbadged Singles, Royston’s Colin Wilson had a great hand to hand battle with opponent R Dempster from Baldock. It was nip-n-tuck for most of the game with the score on end 25 being 18 shots apiece. It was the 3 shots which Dempster managed to grab over the last three ends which sealed Wilson’s fate, and after an epic contest, it was Dempster who triumphed with a score of 21 shots to Wilson’s 18.

Royston’s Will Martin also had a tight game against Colin Coles of the Three Horseshoes B.C., in the same competition. With Martin trailing for most of the game, he had to dig deep to gradually claw back some 15 shots to just reach the post first by a minute two shots at 21 – 18.

Will Martin was again in action during the week, this time with partner Peter Fisk, in the Letchworth & District Pairs. Their opponents were Maurice Lusty and Roy Murden from Willian. Apart from dropping a four at the mid point of the game, they cruised home to a comfortable 25 shots to 13 victory.

It was a disappointing visit to Baldock for Royston’s Laurie Ramsay and Peter Adams in their L & D Pairs match against D Davies and D Turner. Ramsay and Adams never really got up to speed and the Baldock duo crossed the line with a comfortable 21 shots to 11 conclusion.

There was a very satisfied Stan Whitehouse and Terry Hollands, when they overcame the talented pair from the Roebuck B.C. in an L & D Pairs fixture.

The Royston duo played a cool game to oust Steve Kilford and Stewart Cook, by rolling over the line with a 21 shots to 16 triumph.

Finally it was an away Meldreth & District League match against Coton on Monday 23rd in which Royston gained a few more points. It was a close game on three rinks, but Royston had a 25 shots to 7 win on one rink which clinched the match. Royston won on three rinks and acquired 73 shots which gave them six points. Coton won on one rink and collected 50 shots and one point.