Honiton ladies keep on impressing

Seaton won a four-rink mixed match against Tiverton Bowls Club 84-60. Top rink was Sheila Pike, Frank Brown, Bob Scull and Angie Mayhew.

Three ladies’ triples beat Budleigh Salterton Ladies 67-37. Top triples rink was Maria Johnson, Nancy Collins and Rhonda Follenfant.

On the same day, Seaton men won a four rink game against Sidmouth 84-69. Top rink was John Bellamy, Keith Harris, George Mabon and Gerry Barry. Three ladies’ triples beat Axminster Ladies on July 9 on the artificial surface by 67-37.

Top triples rink was Alice Carter, Shirley Fewtrell and Barbara Harden. Seaton entertained a team from the City and Port of Bristol on July 10 and won by 117-112. Top rink was Alan Cook, Roy Young, Marian Vessey and Barbara Harden.

Seaton men beat Phear Park in all five games played in the recent Top Club match.

In the Over-60s Triples League match against Uffculme B, Seaton continued their winning streak by 55-20.

Top triples rink was: David Ford, Roy Carnell and Roger Woolland. Seaton are top of their league by a handsome margin.

? The Honiton ladies continue to impress with another win in the Double Rink Inter Club competition.

Yvonne Rayner, Carole Binmore, Brenda Harris and Sue Evans, accompanied by Rosemary Hirons, Rita Barwick, Ann Hillyear and Shirley Hiscocks, won on both rinks against a tough Hemyock side played at Cullompton on what is rare this year, a wet evening. They will play Feniton in the next round.

All three sides played in the Over-60s’ league this week.

The A side were home to Pinces Gardens B and won one and lost one. John Bryan, Dick Summers and Mike Saunders seem to be the main stay of this side with regular wins.

The B side were away at Dunkeswell and lost both rinks, again by the smallest margins. Tony Broughton’s trio, after being 2-15 down, fought back to go into the last end 16-16, only to drop one shot. Ken Morfey, Brian Long and Peter Baker lost by seven.

The C side played second-place Pinces Gardens A at home and needed to win. Unfortunately, the wheels fell off and they lost on both rinks, one by three, the other by four.

The eight points gained by Pinces, who were only six behind Honiton in the league table, will now put them top and Honiton second.

With seven matches still to play this season it looks to be a nail-biting run to the end.

On Friday, four rinks travelled up to Bridgwater and were beaten by 10 shots. Highest winning rink was Roger Willcocks, Anne Newman, Ken Clarke and Brenda Harris at 25-12.

On Sunday morning the ladies played Sidmouth at Honiton in the Grace Mathews Top Club. This is a five discipline competition and the first to finish was Rosemary Hirons in the two wood singles with a 15-9 win with two ends to play.

Next Carole Binmore won the four wood 21-11. Yvonne Rayner and Shirley Hiscocks were 33-5 up in the Pairs with two ends to play when Sidmouth conceded.

The same happened in the Triples where Chris Nex, Brenda Harris and Ann Hillyear were 21-8 with two to play.

The fours, Hannah Morfey, Jean Mitchell, Dulcie Broughton and Joan Heard, seemed to take their eye off the ball for a second and, on the 18th end, dropped a seven to go 15-20. At this point Sidmouth again conceded. Hannah was quick to point out to me that it was her bowl that stopped Sidmouth getting eight.

In the afternoon, Honiton entertained a seven-rink side from Southall, West London, winning 151-139.

Sue Evans just lost out in the South West Champion of Champions at Topsham. At 16-16 it looked to be anybody’s, but Amy Stanton just got the upper hand to win 21-16.

? LYME - THERE were mixed results in the league this week again, with the ladies coming out in front. Lyme A managed a very creditable 10 points against Bridport A and the B team six points against Sherborne A despite losing on two rinks.

The championship side are beginning to lose their way with only three points away to bottom-placed West Moors. They need to secure better than half the remaining points if they wish to stay clear of relegation.

The men fared better in the Dorset Cup when beating Wimborne by 77-66. Both home teams won, whilst the two teams playing away just went down by the odd point over the two rinks.

The ladies took control over their opposition from Gillingham in Div 2 with a very fine 10 point haul. This now leaves them with a buffer at the top of the league and I am sure, with a concerted effort, they deserve to be in Div 1 next season.

This Sunday, Lyme Regis played host to the Dorset Men’s Pairs quarter and semi finals. Anyone who found the time to go and watch this event was treated to some exceptional bowling, with last year’s National Pairs champions, Martin Pavey and Jamie Lockwood, being dumped out in the quarter finals.

Dorset Men’s Championship: Lyme 53, West Moors 57: J Eaton, S Pomeroy, P Eagles, P Pomeroy 17-17; B Gillett, C Barber, K Hickman, P Moffitt 24-12; D Meylan, R Richardson, G Stockley, M Preston 12-28. West Dorset Men Div 1: Lyme A 70, Bridport A 49: M Clark, J Beadsley, T Allman, J Wells 25-12; M Knight, P Stephens, D Pomeroy, B Parsons 22-21; M Thorner, L Street, G Clode, J Irwin 23-16.

West Dorset Men Div 2: Lyme B 57, Sherborne A 56: R Turpin, B Stephens, H Keep, J Belger 21-24; B Downes, D Wood, R Winterborne, E Skeemer 18-12; T Payne, J Moseley, R Moody, G Cozens 18-20. Dorset County Cup: Lyme 77, Wimborne 66. Home teams: M Knight, B Parsons, D Perry, M Preston 18-16; J Eaton, S Pomeroy, B Rattenbury, P Pomeroy 21-11.

Away teams: B Gillett, C Barber, K Hickman, P Moffitt 23-17; R Richardson, G Stockley, P Eagles, D Meylan 15-22.

Dorset Ladies’ Div 2: Lyme 55, Gillingham 41: J Wells, J Perry, J Kesterton, A Allman 16-14; P Cole, M Bartlett, L Broom, S Rowe 20-11; J Moffitt, M Gillett, J Parsons, K Clissold 19-16. Edna Paisley: Lyme 39, Bridport Blue 28: Y Moody, K Smith, K Clissold 16-17; J Beavis, J York, T Poyner 23-11.

Finally, Tournament Secretary Pat Cole has told me that she is down on numbers for next year.

Anyone who feels they would like to take part in next year’s Lyme tournament, during the week beginning June 18, 2011, please ring Pat on (01297) 445462. This invitation is open to members of any bowls club.

? Following A CHARDSTOCK win and a defeat for the men against Donyatt and Bridport respectively, a mixed game at home to Ottery St Mary ended in a 62-64 defeat.

Although Chardstock Mixed won only one rink of four away to Merriott, they won the match overall 78-75: A Callaghan, G Bodily, M Davenport, B Sluman (skip) lost 20-22; J Marks, C Bradford, M Rogers, M Toms (skip) lost 19-22; R Wines, B Howard, J Rolph, S Jeffery (skip) lost 17-22; T Bird, Mrs M Davenport, K Warren, K Wakelin (skip) won 22-9.