Royston Bowls Club headed to Lincolnshire earlier this month to start their 2009 tour. It didn t get off to a very good start as they were let down by two clubs who failed to raise teams. However, a game between Royston bowlers provided themselves with a

Royston Bowls Club headed to Lincolnshire earlier this month to start their 2009 tour.

It didn't get off to a very good start as they were let down by two clubs who failed to raise teams. However, a game between Royston bowlers provided themselves with a 'President v Vice President' match, played on the Burton House B.C green, which the Vice President won by 72 shots to 63.

On Saturday, July 18, Washingborough Bowls Club welcomed the touring side to engage in a six rink mixed friendly match. Royston were now on new territory, with the greens proving to be a lot heavier than in Hertfordshire. However, for their first game they did quite well losing by only 21 shots. Final score: Royston 91 Washingborough112.

On the same day, Royston fielded another team to visit the Claytons BC for another six rink mixed friendly. At this game Royston held their own on most rinks, but one rink in particular suffered a 41 shots to 12 defeat, after being in the lead at one stage. Final score: Royston 98 Claytons 140.

Sunday saw Royston present themselves at the Scotter BC, but looking at the state of the score cards one can assume that it was raining, thus making the green very heavy.

Two rinks drew at 20 shots each, and one rink lost by one shot at 19 - 20. Rinks one and three lost by eight and 11, but rink two crashed out to lose by five shots to 39. Final score: Royston 91 Scotter 143.

Sunday also saw Royston's other team playing a six rink friendly at the Rose Leisure BC. This game turned out to be a much closer contest with Royston losing on three rinks and winning on three. Unfortunately, with rain again affecting play, Royston were just pipped to the post by two shots only. Final score Royston 87 Rose Leisure 89.

On Monday it was the Grantham BC who welcomed one of Royston's teams. By now Royston were adjusting to the heavier greens, and had started to put in better performances. That was the case with this game, with Royston winning on four rinks and only losing on two. At this venue Royston chalked up their first win of the tour by easing home by 10 shots. They also successfully breached the 100 shot barrier. Royston 132 Grantham 122.

The last game was played at the Bottesford BC on Monday afternoon. Yet another good performance by Royston, winning on three rinks and narrowly losing on the other three.

The game ended with a satisfying draw at 117 shots apiece. Final score: Royston 117 Bottesford 117.

In the Meldreth and District League, Royston played Bassingbourn at home on Tuesday for a four rink mixed triples match. Royston only won on one rink, Don Sheriff coaxing his team to a 24 shots to eight victory. Unfortunately, one of Royston's rinks suffered a very heavy defeat, thus setting up Bassingbourn for a 23-shot victory. Final score: Royston 58 Bassingbourn 81.

On Wednesday the Three Horseshoes BC visited Royston for a Vets mixed triples game. Royston won on two rinks by a few shots, and drew on another, but they didn't gain enough shots overall to carry the day, and lost by 11 shots. Final score: Royston 83 Three Horseshoes 92.

There was success for Royston's Letchworth and District triples team of Laurie Ramsay, Mick O'Flanagan, and Peter Adams on Wednesday evening. Their opponents from the Letchworth Garden City BC, were 14-4 down on end 10, before they started to creep back into the game. Over the remaining eight ends they scored 14 shots against the Royston score of only seven shots. It ended with a narrow win for the Royston trio at 21 shots to 18. Also on Wednesday, two Royston ladies triples teams were involved in the North Herts League played at Baldock. This was another disappointing event for Royston as both teams lost. Final score: Royston 24 Baldock 37.

On Thursday, Royston welcomed two men's fours teams to compete in the North Herts Inter-Club League. Their opponents were from the Letchworth Garden City B.C.

Roger Neville's team of Len Payne, Will Martin and Keith Dockree were just pipped at the post to lose 15 shots to 18. Over on rink two, Laurie Ramsay, ably supported by Don Sheriff, Keith Frostick, and Simon Lee, triumphed with a decisive 30 shots to 13 win. Final score: Royston 45 Letchworth GC 31.

It was Meldreth and District League day on Friday, and Royston welcomed the Comberton BC.

As of late, Royston have not been very successful, but this game was a badly needed boost. Royston won on all four rinks with scores of 20 plus shots recorded, with the opposition scoring no more than 12. At the end of the game it was Royston who not only won by 96 shots to 31, but they also gathered seven valued points. Final score: Royston 96 Comberton BC 31.

A cramped green at Royston on Saturday was due to there being seven rinks set out to accommodate a friendly game with the G W Staniforth BC. Royston didn't quite manage a clean sweep by winning on all seven rinks, as skip Derek Goodwin, was unable to inspire his team to gather no more than 10 shots. Final score: Royston 164 Staniforth 108.

On Sunday it was the Shire Park BC which visited Royston for a four rink mixed friendly game. Although the Royston team dropped a six on rink four in the third end, this was shortly retrieved by Peter Fisk's rink when they scooped up a seven. Final score: Royston 88 Shire Park 72.

Anne Martin was left disappointed playing in the Hedgehog competition on a wet Sunday evening, after she lost her length over the last few ends, which enabled her opponent Hannah Liddle from Willian, to claim a 21-13 victory.