2010 January Monthly Club Report

First of all a Happy New Year to everyone and trust all members are looking forward to our packed winter/spring period. As I was in UK until 18th January reports on activities taken place were reported on information from Brian Saunders and Jim Pike which I will relay to you. The Frank Sharpe and Wednesday Leagues continued and the first club competition took place.
ALBC Drawn Fours Monday 11th and Friday 15th January. Fourteen teams took part in this knockout competition reaching the Final on Friday afternoon. Winners were Brian Lovett, Mal Fritchley, John Mannal and Ray Herrity  against Brian Saunders, Graham Patrick, Par Beattie and Chris Summers
The new alliance Costa Almeria Lawn Bowls organisation (CALB) started on Tuesday 12th   with Almeria having an encouraging start in the fours home and away fixtures against Cabrera. The result was an overall win by winning three and losing one game at Cabrera with two draws, one win and losing one game at home. Jim Pike and Colin Wright are our representatives in this competition and assured all members who appended their names on the lists to play on fixture dates at the end of 2009 will at some time get a game. If new, or those members who weren’t able to append names, please talk to Jim or Colin.
The Parsons Trophy and Jackson Cup, the Men’s and Ladies club pairs respectively was played on Monday 25th and Friday 29th.  Nine ladies and eleven Men’s pairs took part, reaching the Semi-finals and Finals on the Friday. In the first ladies Semi-final Viv Sykes and Pat Deacon gave Thelma Gamble and Siobhan Herrity a good game but couldn’t contain the pressure that Thelma and Siobhan put on them. The second ladies semi –final  was between Eileen Pheonix and Sue Mannall against Catherine Patrick and Ann Mason. Eileen and Sue lead all the way but Cath and Ann took six shots   on the fifteenth end, bringing the score to 13-12, one shot behind, but couldn’t overall the superb play of Eileen and  Sue.
In the first of the men’s semi-finals Jim Pike and Terry Rodgers were expected to give Colin Wright and Roy Tonkin a hard battle. Unfortunately Roy and Colin were in no mood to let up and won comfortably.
The second men’s semi-final however was a much tighter affair with Norman Atkins and Vic Parsons against Wayne Roberts and Rod Digweed. Norman and yours truly lead until the ninth then it was nip and tuck ending with Wayne and Rod winning by two shots. .
 In the Ladies Final it was assured we would have fresh names on the Jackson Cup. Thelma Gamble and Siobhan Herrity lost the first three ends, but steadied themselves and continued to pile on the pressure. Unfortunately Eileen Pheonix and Sue Mannall had no answer, leaving Thelma and Siobhan to win easily.
The Men’s Final, Wayne Roberts and Rod Digweed who had played so well during the competition were expected to give Colin Wright and Roy Tonkin a good battle. Unfortunately for Wayne and Rod, Colin and Roy were in a destructive mood winning the game decisively. Colin was happy as it was the only club trophy he had not had his winning name on.
Well done to all those taking part and thanks to my wife Joan for presenting our   Parsons Trophy and in the absence of Shirley Jackson, the Jackson Cup to the winners.
 I would like to inform all members who have access to our website bowlingalmeria.com which gives you all the information I can, including full reports and photographs of above competitions, our fixture programme, telephone and email addresses, etc. Please use it
Jim and Les Pratchett would like to thank all those members who assisted in clearing the bowling greens after the huge storms and the general support you give him. I also thank Ken Sykes and Alan Deacon for the photos of the storms.

Vic Parsons
ALBC Press Officer