Outdoor Season 2008 Results follows "NEWS DESK" >>Click Here  Or Scroll down to View

"NEWS DESK"

JULY 2008 CLUB NEWS

CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS - Sylvia Parsons' great run came to an end with defeat in the Norfolk semi-final of this national competition

Celebration Drive 25th Anniversary – takes place Saturday 19 July 10.30am to 4.30pm approximately (dependent on numbers). Free "spider", free drive, free buffet; big raffle (discretionary but not free!). List on internal noticeboard - names down quickly, please (closing date for names 7 July 08). UPDATE - over 70 names on final list; mainly players but a fair sprinkling of spectators. FURTHER UPDATE - the day went splendidly with a drive, organised superbly by Bill Adcock, attracting more than 40 players. Heather Winup won the drive with Sheila Bragg runner-up. In addition many spectators supported the day and joined the players for the tremendous Ploughman's Lunch laid on by Vera, Sylvia and the ladies of the club. Specially-inscribed anniversary pens were presented to everybody there on the day and all other members will be given a pen as and when they come to the club (Chairman, Ken Lurcock, to arrange). The day was free for members but everybody donated prizes to/bought tickets for a big raffle; the raffle raised £134

OUTDOOR SEASON 2008

Quick Links to External Tables > > E.B.A 'A'   E.B.A 'B'   Breckland Ladies League  

                                                                           Ashill 'A'     Ashill  'B'   Ashill 'C'    Ashill 'D' 

External Cups & Competitions > > Fermoy  Bales  Ladies & Mens Top Club   Double Rinks  Nowak Trophy Jermy Cup

External County Competitions > > Ladies & Mens 

Internal Cups & Competitions > >  Buckingham Cup  Pairs Day  Redmill Trophy  Invitation Shield

Internal Tables  > > > > > > > > > >   Barry Moore League  Club Championships

With playing numbers maintained the club looks forward with some optimism to its 25^th anniversary season. Commitment to the external league teams is good and entries for all internal competitions are excellent (except for the usual reluctance of lady members to enter their Singles Championship). The club probably is in a phase where  purely social bowls suit most members and the social side of the club certainly is strong. The hard competitive edge is missing a bit; new and younger blood is needed but does not grow on trees.

League Teams

Connaught again field two men’s teams in the county leagues.

Connaught ‘A’ escaped relegation very narrowly from South 1 last season. Indeed the escape owed more to an extraordinary collapse by Wymondham Dell ‘B’ in the closing stages than to the club’s own efforts. The squad is little changed from last year. Mike Parsons, optimist and masochist, takes on the captaincy once more. Thank you, Mike. Lee Fallows has given up bowls for a bit on business grounds and Keith Beavers has opted for reserve status only. Ken Ramsbottom has moved up from the ‘B’ squad and new members, David Wesley and young Ollie Allen, come into the squad. Russell Hales, recovered from illness, happily is restored to the squad. Realistically the main ambition of Connaught ‘A’ is to stay in South 1; the squad is capable of that but will have to battle hard, targeting home matches in particular and picking up just  a few more points away.

Connaught ‘B’ have a large squad, again under Stan Groom’s captaincy. The squad is in Central 3 and have no relegation fears as a result! Promotion must be the target but realism again comes into the picture and suggests that promotion is unlikely. The steadying hand of Ken Ramsbottom, with his knowledge of the game, will be missed by Stan. The key to performance is finding settled and balanced blocks quickly and not resorting to constant rotation and reshuffling.

Connaught Ladies, again under Sylvia Parsons’ captaincy, once more face a Breckland League season. The squad is little changed from last year. New members Val Sheridan and Gwen Wesley, both with some experience, are available and one hopes that Joanna Barnes, a younger player, will apply herself seriously. Carole Beavers’ decision to opt for other interests is disappointing because she could have been a useful skip. Holidays etc will take their usual toll but other clubs also will have their problems. Connaught Ladies still have some good players and a top three finish is forecast.

The club again fields four teams in the Ashill & District Mixed Triples League. Connaught 'A' (captain Sheila Bragg) and Connaught 'B' (captain Alan Sparrow) remain in Div 1. Connaught 'D' (captain Alan Marshall) celebrate two successive years of promotion by taking on the challenge of Div 2. Connaught 'C' (captain Alison Rush) remain in Div 4. Prospects for all teams are reasonable. Connaught have spread playing strength just a little between the 'A', 'B' and 'D' teams and this may affect any title challenge. The 'A' and 'B' should manage top half of Div 1 and the 'D' looks strong enough to survive in Div 2.  The 'C' team will just enjoy it! As ever the teams will try to be competitive, but essentially players like the social side of this league. There is pressure but not quite the pressure of the men's and ladies'  leagues.

25^th Anniversary 

Three main events are planned. On Sunday 18 May 3 x Men’s and 3 x Ladies Fours will play against opponents of long standing.
On Saturday 19 July, a major Club Members Anniversary Drive.  On Sunday 31 August Connaught Men will play an Eastern Region EBA side.

Internal Competitions

52 people have entered the Thursday/Friday Summer League, a very good response which will enable the league to run from end May to end August. Likewise entries for the club championships generally are very high, probably amongst the highest for some time. As usual the club’s ladies are reticent about entering the singles. The usual mixture of fear and of not risking reputation – all rather silly.

Roll Ups  

Monday evenings (6.30pm), Tuesday afternoons (2.00pm), Thursday afternoons (2.00pm for 2.30pm), Saturday evenings (6.30pm). The club has found volunteers to be on hand to run the roll ups – many thanks to those members. The evening sessions will provide more playing time for those members of working age.

Coaching

Sessions for new members and for members of the public will take place on Saturday 3 May, 10 May, 17 May and 24 May, 10.00am to 12.00pm. Further coaching can be arranged subject to demand.

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EBA 'A' Team

CONNAUGHT ‘A’ V GISSING AWAY

Connaught ‘A’ travelled to Gissing on Wednesday 7 May for the first match of the season in South 1. Connaught were very pleased to come away with victory by  68-57 and 4-1.

On Rink 2 Terry Makings (skip), Bob Oatway (3), Ken Ramsbottom (2) and Derek Liles (lead) had a tremendous win by 31-9 against N Daniels. Connaught lost only seven low-scoring ends while amassing shots steadily themselves. 4 on end 4, 6 on end 14 and 3 x 3s ensured a good winning margin. Derek and Bob both had superb matches and Ken made a steady debut; Terry, a totally natural player and a good competitor, took advantage throughout of his good support. Comments from the Gissing players afterwards suggested that they were a bit surprised by the aggressive, running game played by Connaught. Bob Oatway, bringing his short mat style to the green, probably was the main cause!

On Rink 3 Jim Ross (skip), Ivor Moore (3), John Winup (2) and Peter Hambling (lead) found themselves in the one close match of the evening and one key to the overall result. A 5 to Connaught on end 8 brought them a 9-7 lead after a slow start and up to end 18 there were never more than 2 shots in it. Connaught were 14-16 down at that point. End 19 proved fatal for Gissing and a trifle lucky for Connaught. Connaught were 3 down but the Gissing No 3, trying to consolidate, took the jack through to two Connaught back woods and Ivor and Jim built well on that. 5 shots to Connaught and a 19-16 lead. Connaught kept their heads to win two tense last ends and the match by 22-16. Peter Hambling was the most consistent Connaught player, drawing well throughout. John, Ivor and Jim all played very good pressure shots but will search for more consistent line and weight.

On Rink 6 Bill Adcock (skip), Ray Wells (3), Russell Hales (2) and Mike Parsons (lead) lost 15-32 to P Whymark. Connaught had a poorish start to be 3-11 down after seven ends but a good rally brought them 3, 1 and 3 and a deficit of 10-11 only after ten ends. However, Gissing took total control from that point on and won the next eight ends with some heavy scoring and Connaught were 10-32 down after eighteen ends. Heads did not drop and 3, 1 and 1 gave Connaught the last three ends. It is impossible for the reporter, playing two rinks away and concentrating hard, to offer any comment on individual/block performance. Mike was there and he will know. And good play by Gissing probably had something to do with it!

Gissing are South 1 champions and a tough nut to crack on their own green. One or two of their players seemed a little rusty and, with most Connaught players having practised quite hard, early in the season was a good time to play them. Their green, faster at present than Connaught’s, played true and in the main suited the away side. A heartening start which we all hope will boost confidence. Return to outdoor 2008

CONNAUGHT ‘A’ v NORFOLK BOWLING CLUB ‘B’

Connaught staged their first home match against Norfolk BC ‘B’ on Wednesday 14 May and just won a very close match, drawing 58-58 on shots but winning 3-2 on points.

After their good win at Gissing Jim Ross, Peter Hambling, John Winup and Ivor Moore disappointed in a bad defeat by 10-22 on Rink 4 against T Prior. 3-12 down after eleven ends, Connaught contained but in somewhat desperate fashion. The margin increased to 3-15 after thirteen ends but a mini comeback took them to 7-15 after sixteen. Even containment failed them after that as two 3s were dropped and the deficit was 8-22 after twenty ends. Their one consolation was to take two shots on the last end to force the draw on overall shots. Peter and John had very bad first half displays and these slow starts are dispiriting for the block. They did improve second half. Peter simply could not draw in close enough at this level – 2-3 yards behind is not good enough – and John could not compensate, trying so hard that he tightened up to lose his delivery. Ivor played coolly but was faced by an excellent 3 in D Sparks. On his own admission Jim had a shocker, either not reaching or bringing his arm across the body to go narrow. The block’s turn will come again but only if accuracy at lead and 2 takes some of the pressure off 3 and skip.

On Rink 5 Terry Makings, Derek Liles, Ken Ramsbottom and Bob Oatway won 27-20 against J Perryman. With 3, 4 and 3 on ends 4, 5 and 6 respectively, Connaught established early dominance and maintained it for the most part. Dropped 3s on ends 7 and 10 put Norfolk BC  well back into the match but Connaught then stormed on. A 5 on end 15 and 3s on ends 12 and 18 took them to an unbeatable lead of 27-14 after eighteen ends, but they then dropped six shots in the finishing straight. That is carping a bit – Jim Ross and Co would have loved that score – because this combination is settling down very well. Derek seems to be applying himself, although still prone to short notice unavailability, and Ken is proving a steady acquisition. Bob provides something different at 3; the aggression is the main thing but this season he is controlling the draw better. Terry is a natural and a calm player, albeit very competitive, and plays pressure shots well. Happily, he and Bob have slotted in well with each other as a new combination.  

On Rink 6 Bill Adcock, Mike Parsons, Russell Hales and Ray Wells won 21-16 against L Loveless. Connaught led 5-0 after two ends but the opposition gradually caught up and for the bulk of the match there were few shots in it. Connaught just led, 16-15 after eighteen ends, but broke the stranglehold with 4 on end 19 and the last two ends were shared. Not much emerged in aftermatch analysis, except for Bill Adcock commenting to the website reporter that he, Bill, had trouble “getting up” all night. We can ignore the double entendre here and assume that Bill was referring to his bowling. He also commented that Russell, despite early season fears, was bowling solidly and finding the long jack well; his knees have come through well and he is striding into the delivery. The further assumption has to be that the four did enough that was right to get this win. They perhaps lack a bit of firepower overall.

All in all Connaught can be pleased with their start, a win at Gissing and 7 points from two matches. Many matches to come yet, however. Return to Outdoor 2008

CONNAUGHT ‘A’ V SCOLE @ HOME   

Connaught ‘A’ lost 47-72 and 0-5 at home to newly-promoted Scole on Wednesday 28 May.

On Rink 1 Jim Ross, Ollie Allen, George Sheridan and Ivor Moore lost 16-20 to D Aldous. After early even exchanges Connaught dropped 6 on end 7 to go 4-11 down and this proved conclusive. Connaught did fight back, to the extent of leading 14-13 after fifteen ends, but could not sustain the charge against a determined Scole four. Young Ollie had his baptism of fire in the ‘A’ side and did reasonably well; currently he lacks consistency at this level (a charge which can be levelled at several, older, Connaught players!). George played some good saving shots but had a tendency to drop short. Ivor had trouble with length. Jim played well but too often was faced with a barrage of short woods.

On Rink 2 Terry Makings, Mike Parsons, Ken Ramsbottom and Bob Oatway lost 13-28 to S Bartram. The Scole players looked confident and competent but were allowed too much room by a Connaught four which simply was too inaccurate on the night and did not build up the head. The Connaught problems were evenly-spread but must be put down to “a bad day at the office (nightshift)”. Most of the four have played together all season and have done well. No need for the panic button.

On Rink 3 Bill Adcock, Peter Hambling, Russell Hales and Ray Wells lost 18-24 to G Vernon. Connaught had a good and confident start to lead 12-6 after eight ends. Scole then responded with 2, 4 and 3 to change the match totally. Connaught came back with 1 and 3 to lead 16-15 but Scole won six of the last eight low-scoring ends to take the match. This was a disappointing result in a match where neither side really played to the level expected; there were quite a few ends of very inaccurate bowls and the head wide open. Scole, winners of fourteen of the twenty-one ends, seemed able to bowl the killer wood more often than Connaught.

CONNAUGHT ‘A’ v DISS ‘B’

Connaught ‘A’ entertained newly-promoted Diss ‘B’ on Wednesday 4 June. Connaught won by 72-44 and 5-0.

On Rink 4 Terry Makings, David Wesley, Mike Parsons and Ken Ramsbottom beat R Biggs 24-10. Connaught had a slow start and were 3-8 down after seven ends. Thereafter they dominated the match in a good team performance, conceding only two single-shot ends and amassing shots steadily. A solid platform at lead and 2 allowed Ken and Terry to bowl under less pressure and to consolidate.

On Rink 5 Bob Oatway, Peter Hambling, Russell Hales and Ray Wells beat C Manning 24-17. Connaught had a superb start in this match, scoring 3, 4, 6 and 3 in the first seven ends to take a 16-4 lead. Thereafter it was a case of Diss coming back steadily and of Connaught holding on. End 15 was key, with Diss holding a good 6 but with Bob taking shot with the last wood. What seemed like 18-16 became 19-10 and a good margin. Diss still came back to 19-15 but Connaught held on well.  

On Rink 6 Jim Ross, Ollie Allen, John Winup and Bill Adcock formed a new combination which won by 24-17 against H Bunton. Connaught had the shakiest of starts, conceding 7 on end 3 to go 1-9 down. The home block then asserted itself, winning nine successive ends to lead 15-9. The lead was reduced to 15-13 after fifteen ends but 2, 2 and 5 to Connaught effectively settled it although Diss took the last three ends. The match was a contrast in tactics, with Connaught casting the jack to maximum length and Diss casting it to shortest length; there was rarely anything in between! Ollie bowled effortlessly to the long jack and Bill provided the experience and variety of shot which Jim must have at 3. John and Jim both bowled good pressure shots throughout the match.

Diss ‘B’ was a potential banana skin for Connaught, particularly after last week’s disaster against Scole. It was a match the home side, under pressure, had to win and there was much relief in the ranks at getting maximum points. Return to outdoor 2008

CONNAUGHT ‘A’ v DISS ‘A’

Only one match can be described fully. The report will be updated when the cards are available

Connaught ‘A’ found Diss ‘A’ a tough proposition away from home on Wednesday 11 June and went down by 52 shots to 69 and by 1-4.

On Rink 1 Terry Makings, Mike Parsons, Derek Liles and Ken Ramsbottom went down heavily by 8 to 26 against a Diss four which played much the better on the night. Connaught contained the score to 6-11 after eleven ends but after Diss took complete control. Connaught generally could not find the length and weight to mount a sustained challenge and one or two of the Diss players, Tony Mark particularly, had inspired games

On Rink 4 Bill Adcock, Peter Hambling, Russell Hales and Bob Oatway had a much closer match when losing 21-26. Connaught had a storming start with 3 x 3s giving them an early 9-2 lead. A dropped 6 promptly changed the pattern and this was followed immediately by a dropped 2 and  a dropped 5. 13 shots had been conceded in three ends and 9-2 became 9-15. Connaught held their own after that but those fatal three ends proved their downfall. The talented K Baker, at skip for Diss, had an excellent match and his running woods proved especially effective. 

On Rink 5 Jim Ross, Ollie Allen, George Sheridan and John Winup won 23-17 in a strange sort of match in which the quality of play varied. Connaught gained an early edge and built on this to establish a lead of 20-7 after sixteen ends. A dropped 6 (!), 3 and 1 reduced the margin to 20-17 and on end 19 Diss held a good 2 with the skips to bowl. With his first wood Jim ditched the jack with a fantastic backhand drive and drew in his last wood for second shot. The Diss lead and 2 had very patchy games for most of the match but Connaught took only a partial advantage. Ollie had a very good game and usually had at least one wood on or very close to the jack. George had a bit of a nightmare (he is a much better player than this), not finding width and weight, and John generally was playing 2 and 3. He justified his move up to 3 with some good running woods and precise draws but faltered a bit in the closing ends. Jim had some superb woods throughout, drives and draws, in probably his best game at skip this season.

At one point, two-thirds into the match, Connaught were level on shots with Diss, well-up on one rink and with good prospects on another. However, there was a collective frailty about the side as Diss finished much the stronger. This Connaught side needs much tighter control at lead and 2; it is revealing that only young Ollie is providing this at present. Return to outdoor 2008

CONNAUGHT ‘A’ v SWARDESTON AWAY

Connaught won their match at Swardeston on Wednesday 18  June by 48-47 and 4-1.

On Rink 2 Jim Ross, Ollie Allen, Mike Parsons and John Winup beat B Warnes 17-11. This was a tough, low-scoring match with 16 of the 21 ends decided by a single shot. Connaught managed 2 x 3 and 1 x 2 against Swardeston’s 2 x 2, an essential difference. Connaught edged ahead to 9-7 after eleven ends and had the better of the last ten ends. Ollie and Mike came good in that second period after an inconsistent start. John mixed his shots quite well for the most part while Jim played some crucial pressure shots. Swardeston did not play well on their own track, although their skip  several times used his straight woods to good effect.

On Rink 3 Terry Makings, Derek Liles, Keith Beavers and Ken Ramsbottom beat G Martin 17-15 in a match with a strange scorecard. Connaught won only 9 of the 21 ends but contained Swardeston to 9 x1 and 3 x 2. However, Connaught scored 3 x 3 over ends 8 to 10 and built up a crucial lead of 13-4. Swardeston came back steadily and the last end was played with the other two matches finished. Swardeston needed 2 shots to tie on overall shots and 3 shots to win. After much toing and froing Connaught managed to lose only the one shot and 2 vital points were secured.

On Rink 4 Bill Adcock, David Wesley, Russell Hales and Ray Wells lost 14-21 to S Wells. Despite dropping 4 on end 7 Connaught held their own initially, winning 7 of the first 11 ends to be level at 9-9. Swardeston then got on top to win six successive ends and Connaught were 9-16 down. A dropped 4 on end 19 put them 10-21 behind, a deficit seemingly crucial to the overall shots outcome. However, Connaught rallied well with 1 and 3 on the last two ends.

This was one of those priceless wins for a Connaught side still thinking in survival mode despite a reasonable start. Swardeston are a difficult side to play on their green and Connaught might easily have lost 2-3 or even 1-4 so close was the match. The importance of everybody playing to the end was seen in the excitement of the closing stages. Connaught still need more accuracy at lead and 2 to win their matches on a regular basis – one or two blocks lack firepower to demolish the head when necessary. Return to outdoor 2008

CONNAUGHT ‘A’ v GISSING

Connaught ‘A’ lost at home to Gissing on Wednesday 25 June by 44-65 and 1-4.

On Rink 1 Jim Ross, Darren Thurston, Mike Parsons and John Winup won 18-15 against C Gaul. Connaught had a tremendous early spell to lead 12-3 after eight ends. Darren and Mike bowled well to a long jack and both Jim and John consolidated well. End 9 proved a turning point. With a good forehand drive John took the jack to two waiting Connaught woods and the home side held a solid three. However, with his last wood Chris Gaul played an amazing draw to take shot and a likely 15-3 became 12-4. The Gissing lead and 2 became very accurate, the match changed and Connaught were the side hanging on at 14-14 after sixteen ends. To their credit Connaught applied themselves well to win the last five ends 4-1.

On Rink 2 Bill Adcock, Peter Hambling, Russell Hales and Ray Wells lost 16-26 against P Whymark. At 8-9 down after ten ends Connaught were well in the match but started to flag and had a very disappointing second half. Ends 14 and 18 were both lost by 5 shots – subtract 10 shots from Gissing’s overall tally and you have a telling statistic. Gissing do not have a weak rink and their players here showed great accuracy throughout; they were also ruthless in exploiting Connaught’s inability  to get sufficient bowls in the head. A solitary Connaught wood would be taken out or nudged away. The Connaught rink lacks a bit of firepower and needs more accuracy to compensate.

On Rink 3 Terry Makings, Derek Liles, Keith Beavers and Ken Ramsbottom went down 10-24 to N Daniels. Each side scored 1 x 3 but otherwise the ends were decided on single shots and 2s. Unfortunately for Connaught Gissing won 16 of the 21 ends and were always in control no matter how much the home side contained. The battle at lead and 2 was lost and Connaught were in catch-up mode. Terry tends to be a cautious, head-building skip and this approach needs a solid start. Perhaps a bit of power, which Ken can provide, might have shaken things up a bit (but perhaps not!).

After a shaky early season, with losses to Connaught and Scole, Gissing are now in full flow and a class above all other sides in South 1. In this context a 1-4 is not disastrous and move on is the order of the day! Return to outdoor 2008

CONNAUGHT ‘A’ v NORFOLK BOWLING CLUB ‘B’

Connaught travelled to Unthank Road, Norwich, on Wednesday 2 July and emerged all-square from a very  exciting match. The teams drew, both on shots at 60-60 and on points at 2.5-2.5.

On Rink 1 Connaught fielded a four not new in personnel terms but very different in playing order terms. Mike Parsons (skip), Bill Adcock (lead), Ray Wells (2) and Bob Oatway (3) was a major shake-up, with only Bob having recent EBA experience in his playing position. Connaught drew 20-20 against J Perryman, a very good result for the new formation. The match was close throughout. Connaught led 9-7 after eight ends but then had a sticky spell to go 9-14 down after eleven ends. They pulled back very well and a 3 on end 17 gave them a 19-16 lead. Norfolk BC then clawed back shots and on the last end held 1 with the skips to bowl. The home side needed one more shot to win both the particular match and on shots overall, but neither skip managed to change anything. For Connaught Bill and Ray provided the accuracy and steadying influence needed at lead and 2 and Bob and Mike managed to sustain things with both bowling some excellent woods. Understandably Mike was a bit nervous but soon settled into the match; he now needs time in a settled four to grow into the skipping position.

On Rink 2 Terry Makings, David Wesley, Keith Beavers and Ken Ramsbottom lost 12-25 against T Prior. At 4-8 down after nine low-scoring ends Connaught were in the match but then dropped 5 and 2 to be in catch-up mode. Things continued to go badly and the deficit was 7-25 after nineteen ends. To their credit the four made a huge effort to score 2 and 3 on the last two ends. These shots were absolutely essential to the overall team effort in drawing the match. There is clearly some frailty in this combination, although variations of it have been successful this season, and Ivor may well shuffle things round a bit.

On Rink 3 Jim Ross, Ollie Allen, Peter Hambling and John Winup won 28-15 against B Beevor. Connaught adjusted quickly to the very fast green and went 11-1 up after seven ends. Norfolk BC came back a little but Connaught stayed on top to lead 20-7 after fourteen ends. On end 15 all the Connaught players, for the only time in the match, had bad woods and a dropped 5 was the outcome. A 4 to Connaught on end 18 and a 2 on end 19 boosted the margin to 27-13. On the last end Connaught were 1 down to a wood five inches in front of the jack, with several seconds and with Jim to bowl last wood. His backhand draw to take shot was amazing, the shot of this or any other season, and helped give Connaught the tie on overall shots. For Connaught Ollie had a good scrap with his opposite number, took shot on 50% of the ends and usually got a good second on the others. Peter bowled at least six killer woods in the match, shots very close to the jack and putting pressure on the other side. John, settling well into the 3 slot, had another good game; he mainly was required to draw. He and Peter beat their opposite numbers and Jim did not waste the advantage. As ever Jim bowled those priceless pressure woods.

EBA 'B' Team

CONNAUGHT ‘B’ V WEETING AWAY

Connaught ‘B’ travelled to Weeting on Wednesday 7 May for their first match of the season in Central 3 and came away with a win by 59-55 and 4-1. Stan Groom describes it as “very close and hard-fought”. Bare details only are available of the individual matches.

Alan Marshall (skip), Stan Groom (3), Ken Lurcock (2) and Eric Sopp (lead) won 22-17.

Alan Sparrow (skip), Terry Dennis (3), John Askew (2) and John Mitchell (lead) lost 17-19.

Kevin Noble (skip), Gary Goode (3), Rick Gilmore (2) and Brian Cole (lead) won 20-19. Stan reports “Kevin Noble’s rink went to the last shot. They were 2 down on the last end and Kevin drew the jack to score three!” Well done, Kevin, and we are all happy to hear you describe that shot for the rest of the season!

A brilliant start and proof that Connaught ‘B’ can dig in and win close matches. Return to outdoor 2008

CONNAUGHT ‘B’ V WATTON ‘B’

Connaught ‘B’ played their second match at Watton on Wednesday 21 May and just lost a thriller by 49-50 and 2-3. Details are limited.

Alan Sparrow’s rink had a good win by 21-15, Kevin Noble’s won by 15-14, Alan Marshall’s lost by 13-21. Stan reports (and Alan later confirmed!) “unusually Alan had a poor game”. Kevin Noble’s rink was winning comfortably, 15-10, but then dropped 4 on the last end and this proved crucial to the final result. C’est la vie!

News that Thetford ‘C’ and Mundford have withdrawn from the league is both a sign of the times and a great pity. Connaught ‘B’ will have only five opponents now in a limited competition. Apparently people are preferring to play indoors at the new centres, which are encouraging internal leagues etc in the summer to help with running costs. Only a short step to external leagues and a real threat to the traditional game. Return to Outdoor 2008

CONNAUGHT ‘B’ v ASHILL ‘B’

Connaught ‘B’ made the trek to Ashill on Wednesday 4 June and came home chastened after losing 60-71 and 1-4.

Alan Marshall, Eric Sopp, Colin Lambourne and Ken Lurcock lost 21-28. Ken reports that he and Alan could not adjust to the green and had bad matches.

Alan Sparrow, Dick Newson, Ralf Ramm and Terry Dennis won 24-21. Alan has been skipping well this season, but this was his last match before his knee replacement operation next week. We all send him our best wishes.

Kevin Noble, Jim Belsey, Mick Utting and Gary Goode lost 15-22.

CONNAUGHT ‘B v HINGHAM ‘B’

In their first home match of the season Connaught ‘B’ had a resounding win against Hingham ‘B’ by 72-37 and 5-0. Only bare details are available, but all three rinks won well and congratulations are due to everybody.

Alan Marshall, Eric Sopp, Ken Lurcock and Stan Groom won 28-13.

Terry Dennis, John Mitchell, Colin Lambourne and Ralf Ramm won 24-14.

Kevin Noble, Richard Harrison, Brian Cole and Gary Goode won 20-10. Return to outdoor 2008

CONNAUGHT ‘B V WEETING

Connaught ‘B’ lost 59-60 and 2-3 at home to Weeting on Wednesday 25 June in what turned out to be the most disappointing of defeats.

On Rink 4 Stan Groom, Eric Sopp, Barry Westwood and Ken Lurcock went down 12-24 to B Brown. Connaught never recovered from being 0-6 down after two ends and the scorecard essentially shows Weeting on top throughout. Howver, Connaught managed to dig in, to the extent of containing to 12-17 after nineteen ends. A dropped 6 on end 20 then ruined all that effort and proved fatal in the overall context.

On Rink 5 Terry Dennis, John Mitchell, Colin Lambourne and Ralf Ramm combined well to win 23-16 against R Johnson. Connaught always held the lead and accumulated steadily. A 5 on end 14 seemingly put them out of sight although Weeting came back immediately with a 4. Connaught continued with steady play to secure a deserved win.

On Rink 6 Kevin Noble, Richard Harrison, Rick Gilmore and Gary Goode won 24-20 against D Harris. The scorecard shows Connaught usually in the lead but only once or twice threatening to get right away. 16-7 after twelve ends looked good and 24-15 after end 20 looked splendid. 16-7 then became 16-13 after fourteen ends and then, at the last, Weeting scored 5 on end 21. This was the last rink to finish and Connaught went into end 21 ahead by 4 on overall shots. The 5 to Weeting gave them a 3-2 win against a seemingly certain 1-4 defeat. None of the four Connaught players had a good last end but we must remember that they did win their match and had played very well to achieve a winning position.

Disappointing for Connaught but promotion hopes remain alive. Their division is now very small, with two teams having withdrawn, and they must pick up points in every match. One problem for Stan is the size of his squad. 22 players available for just a few matches is far too many and there will be some slightly disgruntled people around. Return to outdoor 2008

CONNAUGHT ‘B’ v WATTON ‘B’

Connaught ‘B’ lost at home to league leaders, Watton ‘B’, by 51-73 and 0-5 on Wednesday 9 July.

On Rink 1 Kevin Noble, Richard Harrison, Mick Utting and Gary Goode lost 17-23 to I Hunter. Connaught were 12-8 up after ten ends but lost the second half conclusively as Watton played better in the heavy rain.

On Rink 2 Ralf Ramm, John Mitchell, Colin Lambourne and Brian Cole lost 15-25 to R Mikulick (?). The scorecards shows no real evidence of Connaught ever being in the match. 0-6 after two ends became 4-14 after seven and 9-20 after twelve ends. Connaught managed to win ten of the ends and gained some respectability – but that was all.

On Rink 3 Alan Marshall, Eric Sopp, Ken Lurcock and Stan Groom lost 19-25 to H Moult. Connaught were 13-6 up after nine ends and playing well, but like other Connaught rinks (‘A’ and ‘B’ sides!) then subsided to opponents who could bowl better in the rain.

There is little to be said but “well-played” to Watton. Like Connaught ‘A’ on the adjoining rinks Connaught ‘B’s’ performance was as wet as the weather. Return to outdoor 2008

CONNAUGHT ‘B v ASHILL ‘B’

Connaught entertained Ashill ‘B’ on Wednesday 16 July but came second with defeat by 55-68 and 1-4. Only brief details currently are available.

Alan Marshall’s rink lost 17-23

Ralf Ramm won 24-17

Kevin Noble lost 14-28.

Stan Groom reports that he felt disappointed at losing his last home match as captain of Connaught ‘B. He will be stepping down next season after eight years in charge and the club owes him a big vote of thanks. Return to outdoor 2008

Ladies Breckland League

CONNAUGHT LADIES V WATTON AWAY

Connaught Ladies travelled to Watton on Monday 12 May  for their first Breckland league match of the season. Connaught won 56-42 and 6-2 on a green which both sides found heavy and difficult.

On Rink 2 Sheila Bragg (skip), Carol Tipton (2) and Margaret Goode (lead) lost 15-23. All three Connaught players never really got to grips with the playing conditions and were 3-16 down after nine ends. A 6 on end 12 pulled them up to 11-16 but that was only a temporary spark as decline set in once more! A match best forgotten.

On Rink 3 Carole Beavers, Vera Moore and Chris Taylor combined very well to win 24-8 against Watton’s best triple on paper. A 4 on end 1 gave Connaught a good start and the lead was extended to 12-4 after nine ends. A 5 on end 12 and a 4 on end 14 boosted the shots margin in an excellent performance.

CONNAUGHT LADIES v ASHILL

Connaught Ladies launched their league season with an emphatic win at Ashill on Monday 19 May by 71-33 and 8-0.

On Rink 4 Sylvia Parsons, Diana Adcock and Hazel Banks won 21-15 against P Davison. A good spell after even exchanges early on brought Connaught a lead of 13-6 after eleven ends, but the margin was reduced to 14-13 after fourteen ends. A 2 and a 4 then saved Connaught from one of those nail-biting finishes,

On Rink 5 Carol Tipton, Vera Moore and Chris Taylor won 27-10 against J Taylor in a match where Connaught scored quite heavily and consistently throughout.

On rink 6 Sheila Bragg, Margaret Goode and Heather Winup had a similarly convincing win against I Healey; the score was 23-8. Connaught won end after end to lead 22-3 after thirteen ends before Ashill won four of the last five ends.

Reports suggest that the green did not play well and that Ashill have had some problems with preparation. Their own players were more affected by it on the night. Return to Outdoor 2008

CONNAUGHT LADIES V SWAFFHAM @ HOME

Connaught Ladies entertained Swaffham at home on Monday 2 June and had a convincing win by 68-37 and 8-0.

On Rink 3 Sylvia Parsons, Diana Adcock and Hazel Banks beat M Garrod 24-14. Connaught established a lead of 9-1 after six ends but then dropped 3, 2 and 6 to go 9-12 down. They recovered well to dominate the rest of the match.

On Rink 4 Chris Taylor, Vera Moore and Heather Winup lost only five ends in winning 25-8 against J Dearman. The scorecard shows a steady accumulation by Connaught and a good 3 and 5 finish. The triple maintained their good form in the Top Club match the previous Saturday.

On Rink 5 Sheila Bragg, Margaret Goode and Gwen Wesley won 19-15 against J Frohawk. Connaught were 1-9 down after five ends but recovered to lead 10-9 after nine ends. The match remained even, with Connaught clinging on at 16-15 after seventeen ends. A 3 to Connaught on the last end secured the match.

CONNAUGHT LADIES v WYMONDHAM DELL

Ashill League 'A' Team