January Report – 2009

Thanks Joe for the last couple of years for writing our bowling club reports containing all competition and general news snippets. I am back now and to date enjoying doing it and will try and keep you all in touch with the clubs activities.

The competition reports  will be published separately in local papers and on our web site, www. bowlingalmeria.com that David Jackson set up in 2006 and then kept it a secret (only joking Dave). However with his expert help I have now got things together and it is operating well. This will be useful for members especially those living up country and away in UK for a while. It gives you an up to date program in the ‘events calendar’ most competition reports and photographs of finalists together with our presentation photographs. To get an enlarged picture or find out more information in the calendar, click with mouse on the image or date.

We started the competition year with the ALBC Drawn Rinks knockout competition commencing on Monday the 12th January with semis and final taking place on Friday the 16th The weather was cold and miserable but players put this inconvenience to one side and played there hearts out. The Semi’s on Friday morning ending with a team led by Colin Wright and supported by Harry Dodds, Bob Marchant and Jean Laycock and a team led by Brian Lovett supported by Ken Sykes, Graham Patrick and Pat Beattie playing the final in the afternoon. Brian’s side showed their collective team experience by not letting Colin’s side score until the seventh end when they woke up. At this stage the score was 11-1.  On the fourteenth end Colin’s team scored four shots trailing 16-9. The story could have been so different if they were allowed to keep the four shots they were holding on the fifteenth end. A brilliant trailing jack from Graham Patrick giving Brian’s team the shot, spoilt this. The inevitable score with Brian’s team winning 17-13 was the case.

On the Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd January the season continued with our clubs first open competition of the year, Los Gallardos Trophy. Sixteen teams took part from all local bowling clubs. Although the weather again started cold everyone enjoyed the round robin format. This involved three games of ten ends on 22nd and two on 23rd teams divided into two groups. The winner of group one played runner up of group two and winner of group two played runner up of group one, making up the two semi-finals. A team from Indalo played a team from Cabrera in one semi and the   two teams from Almeria played the other.
The winners to play in the final were the Cabrera team of Trevor Robinson, Terry Hayward, Maureen Stakes and Gerald Douglas playing Colin Wright, Roy Tonkin, Patsy Tonkin and Pat Beattie. This was expected to be a close encounter with the way both teams had progressed through the competition. Unfortunately for Trevor’s team, Colin’s team never let up with the game won convincingly on the ninth end.
Christina Fitzgerald presented cash prizes sponsored by Anthony and Shirley Jackson, the clubs owners, to the all finalists

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The last of the club competitions for January, The ladies and men’s pairs, Jackson Cup and Parsons Trophy respectively commenced on Monday the 26th. There were ten ladies pairs and 15 men’s pairs taking part, which developed a preliminary round for the ladies and a first and second round for the men. Friday 30th a glorious sunny day started in the morning with the first round for the ladies and Semi-finals for the men. The first semi was between Ian Brierley and Chris Ewer against Norman Atkins and Vic Parsons. The latter started well not letting the former score any shots until the fifth end, however, after this the wheels seemed to fall off with Chris and Ian out bowling Norman and Vic to win on the seventeenth end. The second semi between the favourites on paper, Colin Wright and Roy Tonkin, resulted in an unexpected one way win for their opponents John Compton and Les Pratchet who were on fire. These results assured new names would be on the trophy.
Whilst these games were being played the ladies were taking part in their first round, giving the afternoon semi finals games of teams Pat Beattie, Patsy Tonkin taking on Viv Sykes, Pat Deacon and Maureen Atkins, Joan Parsons between Norma Pemberton and Sandra Bain. The former was a high scoring game including a ‘hot shot’   with the 2007 champions winning through comfortably. The latter game was very much closer although Norma and Sandra never let the more experienced side of Maureen and Joan get ahead. This could have gone the other way on the seventeenth end when Maureen’s team were holding the two shots required for a shoot out on an extra end, but Norma prevented this with a last shot creeping in for the winner.
On the afternoon of Saturday 31st both ladies and men’s finals were played. Both games were won convincingly. The men’s pairs won by Ian Brierly and Chris Ewer and the ladies by Pat Beattie and Patsy Tonkin.
Our Captain, Jim Pike expressed at the end of the competitions thanks to all players for taking part, Joe Pemberton for the managing of the competitions and all spectators for their staying power during the cold days in supporting their club with so much enthusiasm

Other bowls news during January is that the federation Division of Honour took place and all that needs to be said is that we could have done better. A lot of work needs to be done in the autumn when the second half of the competitions takes place.

We now look forward to February when the Federation Andalucian Championships takes place at Cabrera and Indalo bowling clubs, when many of or our members take part. The month continues with our club ladies and men’s singles championships, Appleby Vase and Dyer Cup. The Inaugural Cup mixed pairs round robin completes the month. It is hoped by all members that we would be playing on the refurbished green sometime during February. Thanks to Terry, Joe, Jim and all others who have helped and worked so hard during the past months to bring this to fruition.

Happy reading, see you next month.

Vic Parsons