OUTDOOR LAWN BOWLS 2006 SEASON

LEAGUES AND COMPETITIONS

MENS OUTDOOR BOWLS (EXTERNAL LEAGUES & COMPETITIONS) 2005

County E.B.A.League

Both teams were promoted last year, after very successful seasons. This year Connaught 'A' will be playing in South 1 and Connaught 'B' in Central 2. The higher levels will be very challenging, especially as illness, injury and unavailability have weakened the squads.

Connaught 'A' see Paddy Castle, one of last year's skips and a key player, recovering from serious illness and unlikely to play for at least two months or so. Russell Hales goes into hospital for a knee replacement on 19 May and will miss the entire season. Barry Ayton has not rejoined this year and Keith Beavers will miss 5 weeks of the season. Bob Oatway and Derek Liles have moved up from the 'B' squad and the 'A' team will rely on a smaller squad than usual. They will remain positive and competitive.

Connaught 'B are very sorry to lose Bob Oatway and Derek Liles. Gary Goode will miss most of the EBA matches, owing to fixture clashes with his primary club, the Mulberry Tree. Ken Lurcock is recovering well from his knee replacement operation (knees and Connaught are a bit of a problem at present!) but will not be available for some weeks. Against that they welcome back Ty Musk, playing outside again after devoting recent summers to short mat, and greet new members in Gordon Wilcox and Ray Sexton - both with EBA experience. Like the 'A' squad, Connaught 'B' must be positive and will see this season as one of consolidation.

Connaught A'

Mike Parsons

Connaught 'A' travelled to Gissing on Wednesday 3 May for their first match and were delighted to win by 60 shots to 58 and by 4 points to 1 at a venue where success has eluded them in past seasons in South 1. Bill Adcock (skip), Keith Banks, Russell Hales and Ray Wells won 26-13 in a match where they built up a good early lead only to see Gissing come back well to 11-15 at one point; 4 shots on end 20 and 5 on end 21 then saw Connaught pile on invaluable shots in the overall context. Denny Gardiner (skip), Keith Beavers, Lee Fallows and Bob Oatway also won well, by 22-14 in a match where 6 shots on end 12 gave them a margin useful enough to hold off the expected comeback from Gissing. Jim Ross (skip), Derek Liles, John Winup and Ivor Moore had a torrid time, going down 12-31 to what was by common consent Gissing's strongest rink. They contained quite adequately initially and at 7-13 after 11 ends, with the other rinks winning well, were seeing Connaught well ahead on overall shots (worth 2 points). Disaster then struck as 15 shots were conceded over the next 5 ends; 7-28 down after 16 ends, they then came back somewhat to reduce the margin. This late effort and notably that of Bill Adcock's rink on ends 20 and 21 gave Connaught the 2 points for overall shots after they had fallen behind. 4-1 on points was much better than the 2-3 which seemed likely.

Connaught 'A' had a disappointing defeat at home to Norfolk Bowling Club 'B' on Wednesday 10 May, losing by 54 shots to 65 and by 1 point to 4. Bill Adcock (skip), Keith Banks, Russell Hales and Ray Wells lost 11-17 in a very tight match. At 8-8 after 14 ends and 11-12 after 18 ends, it was anybody's match but Norfolk BC played well to win the last three ends and add 5 shots to their score. Jim Ross (skip), Derek Liles, John Winup and Mike Parsons won a high-scoring match by 27-24. Some loose play saw two 4s and a 5 to the home side and a 4, a 5 and a 6 to Norfolk BC! Jim Ross was the essential difference between the sides, saving Connaught on several occasions early on with brilliant draws and power play. Mike had a very steady first game, with several good saves at 3. Derek improved from his first game but John has yet to show last season's EBA form and did not really contribute. Denny Gardiner (skip), Keith Beavers, Lee Fallows and Bob Oatway lost 16-24 and could not recover sufficiently from a dreadful start which saw them 0-11 down after 5 ends. At 16-19 after 17 ends they seemed to be on a roll but Norfolk BC again showed resilience to win the last few ends and close out Connaught.

Connaught 'A' travelled to Diss on Wednesday 17 May and played Diss 'A' on a wet and gloomy evening. Connaught had a hard-fought win by 54 shots to 50 and by 3.5 points to 1.5. Bill Adcock, Keith Banks, Russell Hales and Ray Wells drew 20-20 in a most extraordinary match. Connaught were 1-10 down after 4 ends, recovered well to lead 19-12 after 16 ends and then collpased to 19-20 down after 20 ends. Bill Adcock drew the crucial last shot to tie the match. Denny Gardiner, Bim Wood, Lee Fallows and Bob Oatway had a solid win by 22-10, fending off a Diss comeback after leading 13-1 after 7 ends. Everybody played well with reserve player, Bim, having an excellent game at lead. Jim Ross, Derek Liles, John Winup and Mike Parsons lost 12-20 but recovered quite well from 4-16 down after 13 ends. Finishing late, 3 ends behind the other rinks, this match in effect became a crucial struggle for the overall shots victory; with 3 shots over the last two ends Connaught dug in well. Diss were always the better block, with Lennie Bull at skip playing well from mainly advantageous positions. For Connaught, John found form to have a good match, Derek and Mike were a bit patchy despite good individual ends and Jim usually had to bowl under pressure. A good result for Connaught, but with Russell now going into hospital and out for the season the demands on resources are severe. The team needs Ivor back from illness (Paddy seems more of a long shot at present) and Darren Thurston free from work commitments.

Connaught had a sound win at home to Harleston Rec on Wednesday 24 May, by 71 shots to 39 and by 4 points to 1. On Rink 1 Bill Adcock (skip), Darren Thurston, Keith Banks and Ray Wells went down 14-17 to A Pack's 4 in a match which was tight throughout. The score was 11-11 after 13 ends but Harleston just shaded the closing stages. On Rink 2 Jim Ross (skip), Derek Liles, John Winup and Mike Parsons played solidly against D Talbot's 4 to win 27-10; the longer jack paid dividends for Connaught. On Rink 3 Denny Gardiner (skip), Bim Wood, Lee Fallows and Bob Oatway won 30-12 in an extraordinary match. Only 12-10 ahead after 14 ends, Connaught scored 7 on end 15 and 6 on end 16 to change the picture totally; the block is settling down, with Bim playing more regularly, with Lee settling at 2, with Bob finding his feet well at 3 and with Denny, defying the years, still a very skilful player. In a very open league, Connaught have made a good start but must continue to dig in for every shot.

Connaught travelled to Pulham Kings Head on Wednesday 31 May and came away rather bloodied with defeat by 49 shots to 59 and by 1 point to 4. Connaught knew what to expect - a small and unpredictable green demanding a certain style of play. With the exception of one block they were not quite up to it. On Rink 1 Denny Gardiner, Bim Wood, Lee Fallows and Bob Oatway played really well to establish a 12-2 lead after 7 ends and then to resist the comeback quite comfortably, winning by 20 -11. The block has merged well. Bim is no longer an occasional reserve and is enjoying himself as an established player, Lee is happy and solid at 2 and Bob has made the transition from 'B' team skip to 'A' team 3; with reliable support Denny has maintained his form brilliantly. On Rink 3 Jim Ross, Mike Parson, John Winup and Ivor Moore made a bad start, 0-8 down after 3 ends, and never really came back as they went down 15-27. Everybody had good ends but the collective consistency was not there. Nobody really mastered length on the tricky green and as a result the heads were not built up. One or two shots in to the opposition's three or four and pressure on Jim once more. Welcome back to Ivor but his knee problem is still there and this affected him technically. On Rink 4 Bill Adcock, Keith Banks, Gary Goode and Ray Wells had a similar sort of match, going down 14-21 and never really in it; gaining 5 shots on the last three ends improved their score quite a bit. On several ends they were powered out of it by the Pulham skip. Defeat but not quite disaster is the verdict.

Connaught played new league leaders, Dickleburgh, at home on Wednesday 7 June knowing that they had beaten Dickleburgh narrowly in the Bales Cup and that South 1 has several teams of comparable ability. Connaught just won another desperately close match, drawing 55-55 on shots and winning 3-2 on points. On Rink 4 Denny Gardiner, Bim Wood, Lee Fallows and Bob Oatway now form a solid block and they soon established an ascendancy, winning ends 5 to 10 and going 12-4 up. 15-7 up after 14 ends they then wobbled to be only 15-14 ahead after end 17; they held their nerve to come through 20-15. On Rink 5 Jim Ross, Derek Liles, John Winup and Ivor Moore had a bad start against a block well-skipped by David Shimell and were 0-12 down after 7 ends. A recovery set in and they pulled up to 11-14 after 16 ends and were only 15-20 down at 19 ends; a bad finish saw them lose 15-26. This block is inconsistent at present although they have had some good wins. Derek is not quite there at lead, John and Ivor are having some technical problems with delivery, and Jim is under pressure and not happy at skipping. On Rink 6 Bill Adcock, Keith Banks, Mike Parsons and Ray Wells recovered from 0-4 down to pull ahead, eventually leading 20-11 after 18 ends and keeping things tight to finish 20-14. Bill Adcock had a superb match, publicly acknowledged by Dickleburgh in the post-match speeches, and his Bales Cup nightmare against Great Yarmouth seems a long time ago! There was an unfortunate incident for Connaught on Rink 5, when a communication failure led to an unnecessary last wood being bowled and as a result Dickleburgh gained a shot to tie on overall shots.

Connaught played last year's league winners, Swardeston, at home on Wednesday 14 June and had a good win by 66 shots to 53 and by 4 points to 1. On Rink 4 Bill Adcock, Keith Banks, Mike Parsons and Ray Wells started well but fell from 7-2 after 6 ends to 7-10 after 10 ends. They then re-established control in the second half to win 20-16 in a sound team performance featuring another good display by the rejuvenated Bill Adcock. On Rink 5 Denny Gardiner, Bim Wood, Lee Fallows and Bob Oatway had a bad start at 0-6 after 4 ends but a 5 on end 5 and a 4 on end 10 helped them to a lead of 11-9. A dropped 5 by Connaught on end 11 put Swardeston ahead but in this see-saw match Connaught pulled up to lead 17-15 after 15 ends; a dropped 4 on end 18 saw Connaught down 17-21 and although winning the last three ends they finished losers by 20-21. On Rink 6 Jim Ross, Derek Liles, John Winup and Ivor Moore performed fitfully for much of the first half against a steady Swardeston block, for whom the young Jack Adcock at 3 was playing brilliantly, and after 14 ends were 10-15 down. It was the same old story of good individual ends but with little collective back-up. At that point Derek and John started to play very well indeed and the match changed dramatically as Connaught won 6 successive ends to lead 26-15 after 20 ends and finished 26-16 winners. Jim regained confidence with this support, was less on edge than of late and consolidated well; Ivor had some good ends but is not bending properly and is bouncing bowls and losing pace as a result.

Connaught played league leaders, Gissing, at home on Wednesday 21 June hoping for a repeat of their opening day win at Gissing. Any such hope was confounded. Perhaps still smarting at that loss, their only defeat of the season, Gissing came to Attleborough very much "up for it" and inflicted on the home side probably the heaviest EBA defeat in Connaught's history. 34-95 and 0-5 tell the dreadful story. On Rink 4 Ray Wells (skipping in place of the injured Bill Adcock), Keith Banks, Richard Harrison (making his debut for Connaught) and Mike Parsons lost 10-44. Gissing played brilliantly as a rink, with C Gaul at skip having a superb individual game; they won three ends by 6 shots each and another three by 4 shots each. Richard, new to bowls this season and shaping up promisingly, kept his head amidst the carnage and did not let anyone down. On Rink 5 Jim Ross, Derek Liles, John Winup and Ivor Moore met another Gissing rink on top form and won only 6 ends in going down 8-31. They did concede two 4s but generally kept things reasonably tight against players who still judged pace much better. Derek, a superb short mat lead, is less consistent outside and Ivor is out of sorts generally at present; John and Jim try hard but are showing the pressure. The only true contest came on Rink 6 where Denny Gardiner, Bim Wood, Lee Fallows and Bob Oatway lost 16-20. A bad spell from end 5 to end 10, where they went from 4-1 up to 4-13 down, gave them too much to do against good players. A 5 on end 12 pulled them up and after 13 ends the score was 11-13; however, Gissing did not let the match slide. Analysis of this defeat could get too negative and silly. Be positive and look to the next match has to be the message.

Some normality returned in a good, tight match at Norfolk BC 'B' on Wednesday 28 June. Unfortunately Connaught came second, losing by 46 shots to 54 and by 1 point to 4. On Rink 1 Bill Adcock, Keith Banks, Mike Parsons and Ray Wells lost 12-20. Connaught won the first end by one shot but were never in front from that point on, although the match was always close. Connaught pulled up to 11-14 with 3 shots on end 16 but the opposition had the edge over the last five ends. Conversely, on Rink 2, Jim Ross, Derek Liles, John Winup and Ivor Moore never went behind after winning the first end and the opposition drew level only once, on end 4. Connaught just held out in a low-scoring win by 15-12 and contained Norfolk BC to nine single shot wins and one 3 shot win. All the Connaught players had their moments and they played better as a block. Derek had better length but must conquer his backhand fixation, John had a series of good aggressive shots to destroy the opposition head, Ivor was happier with his new set of lighter bowls and Jim had several good draws under intense pressure. On Rink 3 Denny Gardiner, Darren Thurston, Lee Fallows and Bob Oatway went down 19-22 in another tight encounter. 7-3 up after 6 ends and 12-9 up after 11 ends, they then dropped 3 shots on two successive ends to lose an initiative which they never really regained. They did fight back to 17-18 after 19 ends but a dropped 4 on end 20 put paid to their chances. A good-quality match all-round played on a magnificent green, but Connaught now need a win.

Connaught did not get a win at home to Diss on Wednesday 5 July going down by the large margin of 51 shots to 76 and 0 points to 5. On Rink 4 Denny Gardiner, Bim Wood, Lee Fallows and Bob Oatway seemed to be coasting as they went 14-1 up after 8 ends. Diss had other ideas as they won back the head and set shorter jacks; the tide turned with a vengeance and Connaught were 14-18 down after 16 ends. A 2 on end 17 gave some hope but Diss piled it on again to lead 25-16 after 20 ends; Connaught achieved some respectability with a 3 on the last end to lose 19-25. On Rink 5 Jim Ross, Derek Liles, John Winup and Ivor Moore dropped 4 on the first end but pulled back to 5-5 after 4 ends; they then lost the plot to drop a 5 and then a 7 on successive ends and after 10 ends were 5-24 adrift. A 6 on end 11 and some good play thereafter pulled them up to 18-25 after 16 ends and a glimmer of hope. 20-27 after 19 ends was still a good recovery but a dropped 6 on end 20 helped them to a final score of 21-33. All players had their good moments, but equally all had moments of sheer carelessness and concentration lapses. The Diss four played extremely well and in particular read the green better than the home players. On Rink 6 the makeshift block of Bill Adcock, Darren Thurston, Keith Beavers and Mike Parsons were always just behind their opponents, in terms of score and ability, but played pluckily to contain the match. They pulled up to 11-14 after 17 ends but 4 successive single shot wins by Diss gave a final margin of 11-18. After a good start to the season Connaught may see themselves sucked into a relegation battle in a league where there are no easy matches. Diss played nothing like a bottom of the table side!

Connaught travelled to Harleston Rec on Wednesday 12 July knowing that three successive defeats had sent them closer to the home side at the foot of the table. To immense relief Connaught came through a tough match well, winning by 68 shots to 64 and by 3.5 points to 1.5. On Rink 1 Jim Ross, Darren Thurston, John Winup and Ivor Moore drew 19-19 in a match which fluctuated quite a bit. Connaught had slightly the worse of the first half, pulling back from an early deficit but dropping 5 on end 11 to go 10-14 down. From that point they recovered well to lead 21-16 after 19 ends seemingly on the way to victory. However, Harleston dug in well and 3 on end 20 and 2 on end 21 brought them level. Darren's introduction as lead, where he had a good game, gave the block more solidity and all players had their moments on a rink best described as "challenging". Rink 2 saw an extraordinary match in which Denny Gardiner, Bim Wood, Lee Fallows and Bob Oatway simply were not in it for 17 ends, at which point they were 10-23 down. They then staged a tremendous recovery over the next three ends; 2,2 and 6 p;ulled them up to 20-23; Harleston scored 1 on end 21 and their skip narrowly missed a drive to take out Connaught's only wood in the head and hold 5. On Rink 3 Bill Adcock, Keith Beavers, Derek Liles and Mike Parsons formed another makeshift block but belied this status to play really well in a win by 27-19. A 6 on end 5 saw them remove an early deficit to lead 8-7 and from then on they were well on top until end 14 when they led 21-11. A Harleston recovery set in and then Connaught lead narrowed to 21-17 after 18 ends and 23-19 after 20 ends. A 4 on end 21 was then priceless in the context of the match overall. Bill had a very good game indeed and everybody else played steadily. A word for Derek, having to change block and change position. He adapted very well and the 2 slot obviously suits him much better. The three Connaught rinks over the last four ends scored 18 shots to 8 and secured two vital points; Jim's rink were disappointed at only drawing from a winning position but they had played their part and Connaught overall were very happy.

Connaught played Pulham King's Head at home on Monday 17 July and took a step away from the relegation zone by winning 80-50 and 5-0. On Rink 1 Bill Adcock, Keith Beavers, Derek Liles and Mike Parsons again formed a sound unit in winning by 23-12. 13-7 up after 14 ends, they wobbled a little to be only 14-12 ahead after 17 ends but then pulled away well. On Rink 2 Denny Gardiner, Bim Wood, Lee Fallows and Ray Wells were opposed by three players only, and helped by a 6 on end 5 were 15-10 up after 11 ends. The match then changed sharply as Pulham scored 6 on end 12 and went further ahead as Connaught went 15-21 down after 15 ends. Some brilliant play from Denny then inspired a comeback as Connaujght won 24-21. On Rink 3 Jim Ross, Darren Thurston, John Winup and Ivor Moore found themselves in an extraordinary high-scoring match; they went 10-2 up after 4 ends and 13-6 up after 7 and holding a good four shots. The Pulham skip, A Harris, then played a brilliant drive with the last shot and Pulham held 3. Connaught still maintained the edge to lead 18-13 after 13 ends but slumped badly to fall 18-21 behind after 16 ends. A 4, a hot-shot 8 (Pulham's skip taking out their only holding wood!) took them well ahead and they finished 33-22 up. In truth nobody on either side played consistently well. For Connaught Darren was inaccurate at lead, John's forehand delivery problems returned, Ivor faded in the heat after a good first half and Jim wasn't with it all night; they have played much better and lost. On all rinks over the last five ends Connaught ambushed Pulham by scoring 33 shots to 4, an ending which had no logic to it. Not safe yet and much depends on other results; the best way forward is to get something at Dickleburgh and Swardeston.

Connaught travelled to Dickleburgh on Wednesday 19 July to play a side in title contention and really "up for it". Connaught counted themselves a shade unlucky to gain only 1 point and not 2 as they went down in a tremendous match by 60 shots to 61 and by 1 point to 4 (in the match at Attleborough earlier in the season the sides had drawn 55-55 on shots with Connaught winning 3-2 on points). Bill Adcock, Keith Banks, Mike Parsons and Ray Wells lost 20-22 after leading by some margin in the first half but then becoming marooned on 11 shots for several ends and falling behind. With Bill having another good game, they came back once more and 4 shots on the last end gave reality to the final score. Denny Gardiner, Keith Beavers, Derek Liles and Bob Oatway pulled back from a sizeable deficit to go ahead at around the 16 ends stage but Dickleburgh played well as a unit to overtake Connaught, the final score being 16-19. Denny continued his recent magnificent form with some amazing saving shots on several ends. Jim Ross, Darren Thurston, John Winup and Ivor Moore scored 5 shots on the last end to win 24-20 after another fluctuating match, in which Connaught scored 6 shots on one end early on and maintained the advantage for some time. However, this rink had its usual wobbly spell and dropped two 4s on successive ends to lose the lead and hand the advantage to a resurgent Dickleborough four. Connaught played more aggressively towards the end, "got in" and exerted pressure on the Dickleburgh skip whose enforced driving play sometimes gave away shots. Darren had a superb game at lead and John consolidated well at 2; Ivor was not at his physical best, but Jim after struggling with length and line played some huge pressure shots in the latter stages. With Denny's match over, Bill and Jim scored 4 and 5 shots respectively on the last end to put Connaught within one shot of an overall shots draw and 2 vital points instead of 1. Any end of season inquest must ask why Bill was advised to go for safety and not attempt the draw for fifth wood; Jim had deliberately bowled into danger to get a fifth shot and set up the opportunity. Swardeston had lost 0.5 to 4.5 at Dickleburgh on the Monday and were playing at Pulham on the 19th. Much depends on this and other results but Connaught could still be in a relegation scrap at Swardeston next week.

Connaught travelled to Swardeston on Wednesday 26 July knowing that, six points ahead of the home side, they could not be caught and were safe in South 1 next season. In another very tight match Connaught won by 62 shots to 60 and by 3 points to 2. Bill Adcock, Bim Wood, Keith Banks and Ray Wells lost 19-24 in a match of amazing twists and turns. Falling well behind after a good start, the Connaught rink scored 7 on one end to pull themselves up and at 18-18 with three ends to go it was anybody's match. However, Swardeston came through with a good finish. Denny Gardiner, Keith Beavers, Derek Liles and Lee Fallows won 25-15 in a match where all played well and where Denny had another excellent game (player of the season?); they established a clear superiority during the middle part of the match and held on well at the finish to get a sizeable win and a sufficient margin to secure the two points for overall shots. Jim Ross, Darren Thurston, John Winup and Ivor Moore found themselves in another ding-dong match, recovering from an early deficit to draw ahead gradually and to lead 18-14 after 18 ends. Brilliant shots from Darren and John then gave them a seemingly impregnable 2 up, but an amazing draw from the Swardeston 2, half-inch perfect, gave his team 1 shot and they out-manoeuvred Connaught from then on to win the end by 2. Two further shots to Swardeston on end 20 and 18-18 with one end to go. Swardeston had the momentum, gaining three shots and winning well 21-18. Darren played excellently throughout, last end apart; John's forehand delivery problems resurfaced to miserable effect amidst some good shots. Ivor and Jim had moments of brilliance but also of mediocrity. A good end to the season for Connaught and a respectable mid-table finish for the depleted squad. (Next season is a long way off but, surmises the website reporter, it is not too soon to look at team-building. Darren and Lee apart, the squad is old in years and needs rejuvenating.)

Connaught "A" Team Results 2006 Season:			Shots		Points
Connaught "A" Team Results 2006 Season:			For	Against	For	Against
Connaught 'v'	Gissing	Away	60	58	4	1
Connaught 'v'	Norfolk BC 'B'	Home	54	65	1	4
Connaught 'v'	Diss 'A'	Away	54	50	3.5	1.5
Connaught 'v'	Harleston Rec	Home	71	39	4	1
Connaught 'v'	Pulham Kings Head	Away	49	59	1	4
Connaught 'v'	Dickleburgh	Home	55	55	3	2
Connaught 'v'	Swardeston	Home	66	53	4	1
Connaught 'v'	Gissing	Home	34	95	0	5
Connaught 'v'	Norfolk BC	Away	46	54	1	4
Connaught 'v'	Diss	Home	51	76	0	5
Connaught 'v'	Harleston Rec	Away	68	64	3.5	1.5
Connaught 'v'	Pulham King's Head	Home	80	50	5	0
Connaught 'v'	Dickleburgh	Away	60	61	1	4
Connaught 'v'	Swardeston	Away	62	60	3	2

League table Updated 8/8/06

Hansells Solicitors Norfolk E.B.A League Table South One	P	W	L	SD	PTS
Gissing	14	10	3	209	50
Dickleburgh	13	8	3	102	44
Norfolk B C "B"	14	8	5	6	40
Attleborough "A"	14	7	6	-29	34
Pulham K H	14	6	6	-63	33
Diss "A"	13	5	7	-3	30.5
Swardeston	14	4	10	-45	27
Harleston Rec	14	3	11	-177	16.5

Connaught B'

Stan Groom

At home to Dereham on Wednesday 3 May in their first match, Connaught 'B' had a sizeable defeat by 42 shots to 77 and by 1 point to 4. Terry Dennis (skip), Brian Cole, Ken Ramsbottom and Stan Groom won a close match 22-20. Alan Marshall (skip), Ralf Ramm, David Warne and John Askew lost 9-31 in match where they were stranded on 4 shots until the last three ends. Alan Sparrow (skip), Dick Newson, Tyrone Musk and Gordon Wilcox fared a little better but still went down quite heavily by 11-26. The alarm bells must not ring out yet - a long way to go.

Away to Thetford 'B' on Wednesday 10 May, Connaught 'B' lost by 44 shots to 77 and by 0 points to 5 in a defeat similar on scale to that in the opening match. Alan Sparrow (skip), Alan Evans, Barry Westwood and Ty Musk lost 14-22; all square after 6 ends, they then struggled. Terry Dennis (skip), Brian Cole, Stan Groom and Ken Ramsbottom lost 12-27; Stan reports that Brian had a good game at lead but that everybody else admitted to playing badly. Alan Marshall (skip), John Askew, Ralf Ramm and David Warne lost 18-28, going down on every end after leading at the 14 end point. The side is perhaps thinking back to last season, to the stronger squad in a lower division and to the disruption of that squad, but heads must be lifted!

Connaught 'B' suffered another defeat, losing at home, in wet and murky conditions, to Ashill 'B' by 57 shots to 70 and by 0.5 points to 4.5. Alan Sparrow, Dick Newson, Ray Sexton and Ty Musk lost 17-26, but were well in the match at 17-19 after 19 ends; a dropped 5 and a dropped 2 then demolished them. Alan Marshall, John Askew, Ralf Ramm and David Warne lost 15-19; at 15-15 after 20 ends they dropped 4 shots on the last end to lose the match. Terry Dennis, Brian Cole, Stan Groom and Ken Ramsbottom drew 25-25 after being 7-21 down at 11 ends; Stan reports "we play better in the dark"! The playing gloom also continues but analysis of the scoring patterns shows some improvement from the earlier matches. With the holiday season starting next week, with some people unavailable, Stan is now taking a philosophical line!

Connaught 'B' were whitewashed 43-73 and 0-5 at Bradenham 'B' on Wednesday 24 May. Alan Sparrow (skip), Dick Newson, Ty Musk and Barry Westwood lost 14-18. Alan Marshall (skip), John Askew, Ralf Ramm and Gordon Wilcox lost 20-21. Ken Ramsbottom (skip), Brian Cole, Ray Sexton and Stan Groom lost 9-34. Ken Ramsbottom's 4, except for Brian Cole at lead, had a dreadful game from all accounts and the margin of defeat magnified the overall shots difference. The two other blocks, if one judges from the scores, had quite reasonable and respectable matches. The picture is starting to look grim, but one good result can still turn the tide.

Connaught 'B' lost by 46 shots to 77 and by 1 point to 4 at home to Wicklewood. Promoted with Connaught last year, Wicklewood were stronger then and against a weaker Connaught squad this year won comfortably. Connaught lost by 46 shots to 77 and by 1 point to 4. There is a remarkable consistency about Connaught 'B's' scores this season, 40+ shots for and 70+ shots against and about 1-4 down on points. Alan Marshall, John Askew, Ralf Ramm and David Warne lost 11-33, Gordon Wilcox, Dick Newson, Ty Musk and Barry Westwood lost 17-31, Terry Dennis, Brian Cole, Stan Groom and Ken Ramsbottom won 18-13. The bright spot was the win by Terry Dennis's rink against a previously unbeaten rink from Wicklewood. Each week one of the blocks plays well but there is no consistency in the side against strong opposition. There are one or two younger players coming through, and after some internal league experience perhaps they should be played in readiness for next year.

Connaught 'B' travelled to Matishall on Wednesday 7 June to play a side also having a very poor season. Sadly there was no relief for Connaught, who went down by 49 shots to 63 and by 1 point to 4. On Rink 1 Terry Dennis, Len Thurston, Stan Groom and Ken Ramsbottom had a purple patch in the middle, pulling up from 3-9 after 8 ends to lead 14-9 after 14 ends. Things then became very tight and after 20 ends the lead was only 17-16; a 4 on end 21 brought relief and they came through for a deserved 21-16 victory. On Rink 2 Alan Sparrow, Ty Musk, Barry Westwood and Kevin Noble (Kevin playing EBA for the first time for Connaught) played well from the start and led 11-6 after 12 ends; Mattishall pulled back well to bring the scores level, 14-14, after 19 ends. Disaster then struck for Connaught as 5 shots were conceded on end 20 as the Mattishall skip used his last bowl to bring the jack through to waiting woods; the final margin was 15-19. On Rink 3 Alan Marshall, John Askew, Brian Cole and David Warne had a bad start but briefly threatened to be 6-6 after 7 ends and 10-7 ahead after 10 ends; from then on it was all downhill and a defeat by 13-28. Things look very gloomy now for Connaught 'B', but the club as a whole is suffering from illness and injury and results generally are indifferent. There are seasons when teams have to find a level and this is one of them. Stan and the team have no option but to try hard and carry on.

Connaught 'B' had a hammering at Shipdham on Wednesday 14 June, going down 34-77 and 0-5 in their biggest defeat of the season. Alan Marshall, Ralf Ramm David Warne and Kevin Noble lost 12-28, achieving some respectability by winning 8 of the last 10 ends after being 1-18 down at the 11 end point. Alan Sparrow, Dick Newson, Ken Lurcock (his first match after his knee operation) and Barry Westwood lost 10-29; in their case they were only 10-13 down after 11 ends but then capsized totally. Ken Ramsbottom, Len Thurston, Brian Cole and Stan Groom were 4-12 down after 11 ends but contained the defeat to 12-20. The Connaught players on return all commented on how well Shipdham played. The results week after week show these dramatic changes of fortune, all too often with Connaught losing a lead or failing to dig in when losing, or going down on the last end or two. "Collective malaise" is a bit strong but the side clearly is anxious under pressure and is not playing to ability. They are meeting much stronger sides this year when the squad is weaker and will need a miracle to stay up. However, damage limitation and fighting hard with total concentration remain reasonable objectives.

Away to Dereham on Wednesday 21 June, Connaught 'B' could not turn round their dismal season and went down 57-74 and 0-5. Terry Dennis, Len Thurston, Brian Cole and Ken Ramsbottom lost 20-27, Alan Marshall, John Askew, Ralf Ramm and Ken Lurcock lost 20-24, Alan Sparrow, Dick Newson, Ty Musk and Stan Groom lost 17-23. On the face of it these margins of defeat were not appalling (the 'A' team, playing Gissing, would have settled for them!) but Stan reports dissatisfaction with the technical level of his side's play. Things such as persistent short bowling are self-inflicted irrespective of the strength of the opposition.

Connaught 'B' had another torrid night at home to the strong Thetford 'B' side on Wednesday 28 June, going down by 41 shots to 75 and 0 points to 5. Alan Sparrow, Dick Newson, Barry Westwood and Brian Cole lost 12-27, Terry Dennis, Len Thurston, Ken Ramsbottom and Stan Groom lost 11-28, Alan Marshall, John Askew, Ralf Ramm and Ken Lurcock lost 18-20. The scores tell their own story and only Alan Marshall's rink made a close fight of it. Connaught 'B' are meeting opposition this season comprised quite simply of better players, better not only technically but also perhaps in concentration and attitude. On a losing run heads can go down, even if players are not fully aware of it. In a game such as bowls controlling what you do and playing to near your maximum will make life more difficult for the opposition, even if their greater ability will take them through in the end. Connaught must aim in the remaining matches to make things as tight as possible.

Connaught 'B' lost away at Ashill 'B' on Wednesday 5 July by 55 shots to 61 and by 1 point to 4. Alan Marshall, Ralf Ramm, Ty Musk and Gordon Wilcox lost 16-17, Stan Groom, Len Thurston, Ken Ramsbottom and Terry Dennis lost 17-26, Alan Sparrow, Dick Newson, Barry Westwood and Ken Lurcock won 22-18. Alan Sparrow's rink was 16-1 up after 11 ends and a 3-2 for Connaught was on the cards but Ashill pulled up considerably to secure the points for overall shots. This was a better performance from Connaught and they must continue in similar vein to regain confidence and pride

Connaught played third in the table Bradenham at home on Wednesday 12 July and amazed all the pundits by securing an emphatic win by 79 shots to 55 and 4.5 points to 0.5. Alan Marshall, David Warne, Ralf Ramm and Brian Cole won 27-14, Alan Sparrow, Dick Newson, Barry Westwood and Ken Lurcock won 26-15, Terry Dennis, Len Thurston, Ken Ramsbottom and sgtan Groom drew 26-26; incredibly the Connaught rink scored 7 on the last end to draw the match! Few details beyond the scores are available, but some positional changes were made and the scores do indicate that concentration was maintained and that heads never dropped. This win will make no difference to Connaught's fate at the end of the season but the side must try to carry on in this manner - play for pride

Connaught lost away to the strong Wicklewood side on Monday 17 July by 42 shots to 67 and by 0 points to 5. Terry Dennis, Len Thurston, Ken Ramsbottom and Stan Groom lost 13-16, Alan Marshall, Peter Hambling, Ralf Ramm and Brian Cole lost 14-17, Alan Sparrow, Dick Newson, Barry Westwood and Ken Lurcock lost 14-29. Alan Marshall's rink dropped 4 on the last end to lose by 1 shot as Alan's saving bowl was just blocked.

Connaught played fellow stragglers, Mattishall, at home on Wednesday 19 July and achieved their second win of the season by 61 shots to 59 and by 3 points to 2. Terry Dennis, Len Thurston, Ken Ramsbottom and Stan Groom had a huge win by 38 shots to 15, Alan Sparrow, Dick Newson, Barry Westwood and Ken Lurcock had a more orthodox match and lost 14-19, while Alan Marshall, David Warne, Ralf Ramm and Ty Musk had something of a hammering in going down 9-25. Details are not available to allow further analysis but a match which finished very close on shots and points overall had only one close game out of three.

At home to a strong Shipdham side on Wednesday 26 July, Connaught could not maintain recent improvement and went down by a massive 32 shots to 85 and by 0 points to 5. Terry Dennis, Len Thurston, Ken Ramsbottom and Stan Groom lost 11-25 and basically were outgunned. This was a disappointing finish for the team's steadiest rink during the season. John Meen, Dick Newson, David Warne and Barry Westwood lost 6-40. There is little one can say about this total humiliation except to express sympathy for John Meen, an occasional EBA player only nowadays but stepping in to help out! Ty Musk, Mick Utting, Peter Hambling and Brian Cole lost 15-20 in the evening's one ray of light. Mick Utting is in his first season, having started in the public coaching sessions, Peter Hambling is in his first season outdoors although a good carpet and short mat bowler, and Ty is back this year after three years' concentration on short mat; Brian provided the one experienced element in the block. But they played well, with the concession of 5 on end 5 proving crucial to the final margin; the makeshift rink on paper came up trumps (or almost!). Like the 'A' squad, Connaught 'B' must look for some new and younger blood next season

Connaught "B" Team Results 2006 Season:			Shots		Points
Connaught "B" Team Results 2006 Season:			For	Against	For	Against
Connaught 'v'	Dereham	Home	42	77	1	4
Connaught 'v'	Thetford 'B'	Away	44	77	0	5
Connaught 'v'	Ashill 'B'	Home	57	70	0.5	4.5
Connaught 'v'	Bradenham 'B'	Away	43	73	0	5
Connaught 'v'	Wicklewood	Home	46	77	1	4
Connaught 'v'	Mattishall	Away	49	63	1	4
Connaught 'v'	Shipdham	Away	34	77	0	5
Connaught 'v'	Dereham	Home	57	74	0	5
Connaught 'v'	Thetford 'B'	Home	41	75	0	5
Connaught 'v'	Ashill 'B'	Away	55	61	1	4
Connaught 'v'	Bradenham	Home	79	55	4.5	0.5
Connaught 'v'	Wicklewood	Away	42	67	0	5
Connaught 'v'	Mattishall	Home	61	59	3	2
Connaught 'v'	Shipdham	Home	32	85	0	5

League table Updated 8/8/06

Hansells Solicitors Norfolk E.B.A League Table Central Two	P	W	L	SD	PTS
Wicklewood	14	11	3	206	51.5
Thetford "B"	14	10	4	220	48
Dereham	13	9	4	96	41
Shipdham	14	7	7	85	40
Bradenham	13	7	6	-1	31.5
Ashill "B"	14	5	9	-119	29
Mattishall	14	4	10	-178	22
Attleborough "B"	14	2	12	-309	12

Redmill Trophy

National Top Club Competition

Match Report

Fermoy Cup

Connaught 'A' were due to play their first match on Friday 5 May against Diss 'B' (one rink at home and one away). Surprisingly for a club of their size, Diss are unable to field a side and Connaught have received a walkover.

Connaught 'A' played in the next round against St Mark's from Norwich on Friday 26 May. The home rink of Bill Adcock (skip), Keith Banks, Denny Gardiner and Ray Wells won by 5 shots over the 21 ends (although carelessly dropping 4 shots on the last end!) The away rink of Jim Ross (skip), Bim Wood, John Winup and Mike Parsons won by 4 shots, 20-16, after recovering from a 2-9 deficit early on; everybody contributed, with John and Jim having strong games. St Mark's, based in Lakenham, were one of the strongest clubs in Norfolk not so long ago and, in East 1, still play at a decent level. On their own admission, however, they are in decline with only 16-17 members. Connaught's visiting 4 were saddened to see the inner-city vandalism destroying the club; the St Mark's players were sweeping up broken glass after yet another window was shattered.

Connaught 'A' played their third round match against Fleggburgh on Friday 9 June, knowing they had beaten Fleggburgh home and away at the same point last year. However, Fleggburgh got their own back with a vengeance as Connaught went down 34-49 overall. The home rink of Denny Gardiner, Bim Wood, Lee Fallows and Bob Oatway, a regular EBA combination, continued their good form to win by 23-14 in a reportedly high quality match. However, the away rink of Jim Ross, Derek Liles, Mike Parsons and Ivor Moore were "stuffed out of sight", going down by a massive 11-35 to a good Fleggburgh four originally scheduled to play away. On the tricky Fleggburgh green, of more Federation than EBA dimensions, Connaught saw the mat placed way up the green and the jack cast near the ditch; they could not hack it against much better players on the night. Offered no hospitality at all, not even a cup of tea, the Connaught four consoled themselves in Attleborough by ridding Derek Liles of his whisky stocks!

Connaught 'B' played well against a Great Yarmouth team, also on Friday 26 May, losing by only 3 shots overall. The home rink of Alan Marshall (skip), John Askew, Gary Goode and Barry Westwood won 23-20 and the away rink of Terry Dennis (skip), Dick Newson, Stan Groom and Ken Ramsbottom lost 16-22. The losing block in fact won 13 of the 21 ends but were always recovering from dropping 7 on end 9. This result proves, if proof were needed, that Connaught 'B' can mix it with competent sides

Bales Cup

Connaught played Dickleburgh at home in a first round match on Friday 12 May and won a hard-fought affair by 52 shots to 42. Bob Oatway (skip), Bim Wood, Ken Ramsbottom and Lee Fallows won 19-17, Jim Ross, Derek Liles, John Winup and Mike Parsons won 15-12, Bill Adcock, Keith Banks, Russell Hales and Ray Wells won 18-13. Bob Oatway's block, a new combination, came back well from 5-14 down after 10 ends to win their match.

Connaught travelled to Great Yarmouth for their second round match on Friday 2 June and crashed out of the competition by 43 shots to 74. Denny Gardiner, Mike Parsons, Lee Fallows and Bob Oatway lost 15-18 in match veering throughout first one way and then another. Connaught were 15-14 up after 19 ends but GY secured 2 shots on each of the last two ends. Jim Ross, Derek Liles, John Winup and Ivor Moore won an extraordinary match by 23-22. The Connaught four simply were outbowled for much of the match and were 6-18 down after 14 ends. They then turned the tables on the opposition by winning the next five ends and by scoring 17 shots in the process! The sequence included 6 shots on end 16 and 5 shots on end 19; GY came back on the last two ends but Connaught held on to win. This match defies analysis; perhaps GY relaxed a little and perhaps Connaught played more aggressively when well down. With the cup result dependent on overall shots Connaught knew they were out of it as Bill Adcock, Keith Banks, Gary Goode and Ray Wells were annihilated in losing 5-34. There is little to say other than that the opposition played very well and that Connaught could not respond. Bill Adcock confesses to a bad personal match and this must rank as one of the heavier defeats in Bill's illustrious bowling career. With Connaught in transition and survival in the league all important this year, it is as well to lose by this margin in a cup match!

County Championships

Jim Ross beat Len Robinson at Thetford by 21-12 in the Men's Over-55 Singles. A few days earlier at home Jim had beaten Norman Oliver from Hingham in a Champion of Champions match. This went to the wire under the 9 ends sets format. Each player won one set and Jim took the best of three ends decider with precision drawing on the last end. Jim was due to play his next Champion of Champions at home to a Mundford opponent on Saturday 27 May; without prior notification that opponent did not turn up. Pretty poor. Jim's involvement in the Over-55 Singles came to an end with defeat at home to Peter Scott from Thetford by 16-21. Peter is a useful player and performed well on the night. Jim was slightly under par in a match where he started as favourite; "he will be disappointed with this" is an old football cliché which can be applied here!

Jim Ross continued his seemingly never-ending pursuit of singles glory by beating Brian Guard at Wymondham Dell in a third round match by 21 shots to 14 (Jim had received a first round bye and had beaten Peter Jackman at Thetford in the second round). He won another Champion of Champions match by default when another opponent, this time from Fakenham Town, failed to turn up at Attleborough, again without prior notification. Jim really should report all this to the organisers; at this level of bowls, indeed any level, such ill-mannered behaviour is appalling. Jim now has to travel to Felixtowe to meet a current England international; Jim may have a small group of supporters for this one!

Jim bowed out of the County Championships with a defeat at Wymondham Dell to Gary Oakley, a talented player. Jim reports "outbowled"!

Jim also bowed out of the Champion of Champions at Felixtowe on Sunday 25 June. However, he did so in a blaze of glory by taking England international, John Rendell, to the wire. Jim won the first set of 9 ends by 5-4 but lost the second by 8-10. Each player won one of the first two deciding ends, but with the last shot on the third and final end John Rendell drew in to win. A tremendous performance by Jim against top-quality opposition will be some compensation for some disappointments in a patchy season for Connaught.

Bill Adcock skipped Jim Ross and Denny Gardiner in a Men's Triple at Wymondham Dell against John Ottaway, Stefan Adcock and Peter Harwell. They had their chances against strong opposition before losing by 9 shots.

Jim Ross skipped Keith Banks (lead), John Winup (2) and Mike Parsons (3) in a Men's Four at Thetford against a block skipped by David Betts. Connaught led 23-15 after 20 ends, when Thetford conceded. This was a good all round performance, with Keith and John both playing well to secure a vital advantage at lead and 2.

The same Connaught four played their next match at home on Tuesday 30 May against a Wymondham Dell four skipped by G Goodrum. The sides agreed to play the match in appalling conditions (heavy rain and wind) rather than go through the agonies of replaying it. Connaught were bitterly disappointed to lose the match 17-23 after leading from end 2 until end 16 and being 17-13 ahead at end 16. Dropping 10 shots over the last 5 ends was careless at best and disgraceful at worst, but Connaught could not really complain. The match for some time saw Keith Banks at lead and John Winup at 2 establish an advantage over very youthful opponents and the Dell 3 and skip could not turn things round. Mike Parsons and Jim Ross were having reasonable matches at 3 and skip for Connaught. Gradually, however, the Dell's younger players found the green and their grooved style of play saw them on top from about the halfway stage; the 3 and skip did not always consolidate but looked threatening. Mike and Jim, sometimes luckily, just about retrieved things for a bit but could not stem the tide. The Dell four got stronger as the Connaught four battled hard but fell apart a bit. Should Keith and John have played in the tourist game in the afternoon and did this weaken them late in the evening? Jim says "no" to the first question and "yes" to the second! But, Jim, they are Chairman and Treasurer of the Club respectively and think they have wider obligations! (They are doing the same on Friday 2 June, tourists in the afternoon and Bales Cup at Great Yarmouth in the evening!)

Mike Parsons (skip) and John Winup played a Men's Pairs at home on Monday 22 May against Len Robinson and Sammy Stones from Thetford, winning by 23-14 (match conceded after 20 ends). The match was played in heavy wind and rain, with only one brief stoppage, after the players agreed to carry on rather than rearrange. Some good bowls were played despite the conditions, and Mike and John dug in well to dominate the later stages. Their ability to set and bowl to the longer jack in wet weather was the key factor.

The next match for Mike and John was Thetford opposition once more, this time away and against convivial company in Peter Jackman and Alan Byford. Only Peter Jackman found the green well for the first four ends or so (the Thetford pair muttering about the unexpected mark for the match!) but with one end yielding 6 shots this was enough to give them a margin of some 10 shots. Thetford held on to win 23-14, but the Connaught pair took many positives from the match. After the shaky start all players did very well; the heads were tight but often disrupted by good power play. John is not a lead and Mike is not a skip but both can feel happy with their play against solid opposition.

Jim Ross and Ivor Moore, after receiving a first round bye, started their Pairs campaign with a match at home to the father and son Oakley combination from Wymondham Dell (the Oakleys had played in the winning four at Connaught the previous week). Jim and Ivor played well enough from all reports but went down 18-26 to better players on the night; the younger Oakley (Mark?), aged 13 and a regular member of the Norfolk U-25 squad, skipped very well against Ivor.

LADIES OUTDOOR BOWLS (EXTERNAL LEAGUES & COMPETITIONS) 2006

Breckland League

Sylvia Parsons again is captain of the Ladies team, which shows little change from last season. Vera Barber has retired from competitive bowls but talented new member, Margaret Goode, takes Vera's place. However, everybody is saddened by the news that Sylvia will soon be going into hospital for an operation and that she will miss the entire season. Naturally, Sylvia's health is the main concern but her absence is a huge playing loss for Connaught. Carol Tipton probably will skip in Sylvia's place. Christine Ross is available again after serious illness and long absence and we all hope she can refind her form of 2004. The side also welcomes back Diana Adcock, a talented lead in both forms of the game. The team will not lack for numbers but has a predominance of leads and without Sylvia will be missing some firepower. The side is still good enough to finish top half at least.

Connaught had a good start on Monday 15 May with a convincing win at home to Ashill by 69 shots to 29 and by 8 points to 0. Sheila Bragg, Margaret Goode (making her debut for the Ladies) and Heather Winup won 22-11, Carol Tipton, Diana Adcock and Hazel Banks won 18-13, Christiana Taylor, Mary Fallows and Vera Moore won 29-5. Frustratingly for Sylvia Parsons, her admission to hospital was delayed by two weeks; despite offers to stand down for her, Sylvia did not change the selected side and watched the match. She reports that everybody played well and that all leads had particularly good games. Carol Tipton's match was the best, in terms of being a close contest.

Connaught's match at home to Swaffham on Monday 22 May was abandoned after 5 ends due to heavy rain and will be replayed/resumed on another date.

Connaught played Wymondham Dell at home on Monday 5 June and lost by 38 shots to 52 and by 2 points to 6. Alison Rush (skip), Diana Adcock and Hazel Banks won 20-15, Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Vera Moore lost 12-18, Sheila Bragg, Margaret Goode and Heather Winup lost 6-19. The bright spot for Connaught was the introduction of Alison as a skip, in Sylvia's enforced absence, and she did very well with good support from Diana and Hazel. Still learning to play outside, Alison has a good opportunity to cement her place in the team as holiday etc absences start to take their toll. Sheila's block has a solid look to it and the size of defeat, against admittedly top form opposition, was surprising and disappointing.

Connaught put the Dell match behind them with an excellent win at Mundford on Monday 12 June by 57 shots to 40 and by 8 points to 0. Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Vera Moore won 19-12, Sheila Bragg, Margaret Goode and Carol Tipton won 17-11, and Alison Rush, Diana Adcock and Hazel Banks won 21-17. Mundford often prove awkward opponents for Connaught, who were very pleased with this performance. Alison again showed good form at skip and everybody is hoping that she can continue this on a regular basis. Just slightly younger than most of her colleagues, Alison is in the "up and coming" category!

Connaught continued their inconsistent season with a defeat at home to Thetford on Monday 19 June by 47 shots to 58 and by 2 points to 6. Sheila Bragg, Margaret Goode and Carol Tipton had a good win by 22-14, Alison Rush, Diana Adcock and Hazel Banks fought hard in a tight match before losing 17-21, and Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Vera Moore lost heavily 8-23. The team obviously is suffering from Sylvia's absence; a lady skip of that calibre is not easily replaced. Alison is a bonus and seems to be sticking with it. However, Chris Taylor is not in the best of health and her form is suffering.

Connaught turned in a good performance at Watton on Monday 26 June, winning by 66 shots to 40 and by 6 points to 2. Sheila Bragg, Margaret Goode and Carol Tipton won 24-14, Alison Rush, Diana Adscock and Hazel Banks lost 12-17, Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Vera Moore won 30-9. Watton has not proved a happy hunting ground for Connaught in the past and this was a welcome win which may act as a spur for the rest of the season.

Connaught's inconsistency returned on Monday 10 July when they lost at Ashill by 48 shots to 53 and by 2 points to 6. Alison Rush, Diana Adcock and Carol Tipton lost 16-17, having recovered very well from a bad start but then heartbreakingly dropping 3 on the last end. Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Vera Moore played well to win 19-15. Sheila Bragg, Margaret Goode and Heather Winup had a bad night to lose 13-21

Connaught's indifferent from continued with a defeat at Swaffham Town on Monday 17 July by 47 shots to 50 and by 2 points to 6. On Rink 1 Alison Rush, Diana Adcock and Carol Tipton lost 17-19. 8-1 up after 4 ends and 14-6 up after 11 ends, the Connaught triple lost the plot entirely, losing six successive ends including a dropped 6 on end 15. A 3 on the last end showed what might have been. Sheila Bragg, Margaret Goode and Heather Winup played well to win 17-13 as a dropped 4 on the last end made the match seem more even than it was. Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Vera Moore lost 13-18 after scoring 5 on end 11 to go 10-7 ahead. From reports Vera had a good game but Chris had an off night at skip. Frustrating for Sylvia watching these matches from the sidelines - undoubtedly she would make a significant difference. The blocks, if one judges from the wide fluctuations in the scores, sometimes seem to lose concentration.

Connaught suffered a third successive defeat, this time a particularly unwelcome one by 43 shots to 62 and 0 points to 8 at Wymondham Dell on Monday 24 July. Sheila Bragg, Margaret Goode and Heather Winup lost 16-21; from reports, Heather played very badly and Margaret was not at her best. Vera Moore, Mary Fallows and Hazel Banks lost 14-23. Forced up to skip in Chris Taylor's absence through illness, Vera admitted to being out of her depth; brought in at the last minute, Carole had a reasonable game at 2. Alison Rush, Diana Adcock and Hazel Banks lost 13-18. Reports say that this triple played very well for much of the match and were in the lead for the bulk of it; they have developed the habit of not digging in, however, and once again lost several ends on the trot as the opposition came back to win.

At home to Mundford on Monday 31 July Connaught won by 54 shots to 47 but drew 4-4 on points by dint of losing two triples to one. On Rink 4 Alison Rush, Diana Adcock and Hazel Banks lost 15-18 in another of those strange matches they seem to play every week. 10-5 up after 12 ends and seemingly in control, they conceded 13 shots over the next four ends to go 10-18 down. The recovery to 15-18 does not disguise their current inability to close out a match. On Rink 5 Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Heather Winup played solidly as a unit to win 25-12 and secure the two points for overall shots; Heather responded well to being moved on from her previously regular triple. Sheila Bragg, Margaret Goode and Vera Moore lost 14-17 after securing an early 6-0 lead; they effectively lost the match in dropping nine shots from ends 8-11.

Away to Thetford on Monday 7 August Connaught lost by 44 shots to 55 and by 2 points to 6 as a disappointing season entered its closing stages. On Rink 4 Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Heather Winup again gave Connaught their only win, by 23 shots to 15 after being 9-12 down at the 10 end stage. On Rink 5 Alison Rush, Diana Adcock and Hazel Banks were allowed only seven single shot ends as they went down 7-22 to a stronger triple. Sheila Bragg, Margaret Goode and Vera Moore were going well to lead 11-5 after 10 ends but dropped 6 shots on end 11 and Thetford had the edge after that as Connaught lost 14-18. (After dropping that 6, Sheila dropped 8 on one end at Thetford the next night in the Ashill League and will not recall the week with much pleasure!).

Connaught beat Watton at home on Monday 14 August by 63 shots to 38 and by 8 points to 0. On Rink 3 Sheila Bragg, Margaret Goode and Vera Moore won 23-10. The scorecard shows Connaught just ahead at 9-7 after 9 ends but after that pulling ahead well and scoring 5 on end 16 to enlarge the margin of victory. On Rink 4 Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Heather Winup confirmed recent good form with a 21-16 victory but only after a struggle. They were 8-13 down at the half-way stage but a good run saw them 17-13 up after 14 ends and 21-14 up after 16 ends. On Rink 5 Carol Tipton returned from holiday and other absence to skip instead of Alison Rush, who moved down to 2 in lieu of Hazel Banks; Diana Adcock remained at lead. The changes worked as Connaught played solidly from the outset to build up a 14-5 lead after 12 ends, but the wobbles affecting this triple appeared once more as they dropped 7 shots over three ends and the lead was reduced to 14-12. A happy ending ensued this time, however, as they came back to win 19-12. The rain-abandoned match against Swaffham is to be resumed and that will bring the season to a close.

Connaught finished their programme at home on Wednesday 16 August by resuming the rain-abandoned match with Swaffham from the 6th end. Connaught won by 56 shots to 44 and by 6 points to 2. On Rink 3 Mary Fallows, Vera Moore and Chris Taylor extended their 6-2 lead into a comfortable 18-6 victory. On Rink 5 Carol Tipton, Diana Adcock and Hazel Banks had a tougher battle in going from 4-5 down to a 22-16 win. Things looked bleak after 12 ends when Connaught were 6-16 down but a concerted surge, including a 6 on end 14, saw them dominate ends 13-18. Leading 8-5 Sheila Bragg, Margaret Goode and Heather Winup dropped 5 shots on end 6 and 3 shots on end 7 to go 8-13 down. They could not get back and lost 16-22. Heather had a bad match, but was in some pain and has since had to cancel matches. An insect bite on the bowling hand swelled fingers and wrist and since then rings have been cut off and anti-biotics prescribed!

The ladies have ended up with a mixed season of 5 wins, 1 draw and 6 losses. A dreadful spell in the second half of the season was responsible after a reasonable start. Sylvia is best placed to analyse it all, but the observer would point to her absence for all the season and Carol Tipton's absence for about half of it. Losing two very good players out of nine was a hard call.

Breckland League Connaught Match Results 2006 Season:			Shots		Points
			For	Against	For	Against
Connaught 'v'	Ashill	Home	69	29	8	0
Connaught 'v'	Swaffham	Home	56 44		6	2
Connaught 'v'	Wymondham Dell	Home	38	52	2	6
Connaught 'v'	Mundford	Away	57	40	8	0
Connaught 'v'	Thetford	Home	47	58	2	6
Connaught 'v'	Watton	Away	66	40	6	2
Connaught 'v'	Ashill	Away	48	53	2	6
Connaught 'v'	Swaffham	Away	47	50	2	6
Connaught 'v'	Wymondham Dell	Away	43	62	0	8
Connaught 'v'	Mundford	Home	54	47	4	4
Connaught 'v'	Thetford	Away	44	55	2	6
Connaught 'v'	Watton	Home	63	38	8	0

Breckland Ladies League Division (1) Table 2005 Season Updated 16/8/06	P	W	D	L	F	A	SD	PTS
Thetford	12	11	1	0	772	471	301	77
Wymondham	12	11	1	3	693	527	166	61
Swaffham	12	7	0	5	642	601	41	51
Attleborough	12	6	0	6	635	568	67	50
Mundford	12	3	0	9	511	657	146	38
Watton	12	3	0	8	489	632	-143	30
Ashill	12	3	0	8	469	737	-268	29

National Top Club Competition

Connaught lost their first match this year, away to R G Carter on Saturday 10 June, by 67 shots to 71 and will not repeat previous years' glories. In the Singles Elaine Oatway lost 6-21, in the Pairs Carol Tipton and Hazel Banks lost 12-20, in the Triples Sheila Bragg, Margaret Goode and Alison Rush won 21-11, ands in the Fours Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows, Diana Adcock and Vera Moore won 28-19. With Sylvia Parsons out for the season and Heather Winup on holiday, Connaught were pushed to find 10 players in the right combinations. Although she lost quite heavily, Elaine Oatway deserves the Club's thanks for having the guts to tackle the Singles; one or two others, more experienced than Elaine outside, might have accepted the responsibility

Coronation Triples

Chris Taylor (skip), Lyn Makings and Vera Moore won a first-round match on Saturday 27 May by 20-8 at home to a Shotford triple skipped by Pearl Wilson

Friendly Matches

County Championships

Sheila Bragg (skip), Diana Adcock (lead), Vera Moore (2) and Sylvia Parsons (3) played a first round Rinks match at Great Yarmouth and won well by 19 shots to 8. Chris Taylor will replace Sylvia in future matches given Sylvia's impending operation.

Connaught's rink of Sheila Bragg (skip), Diana Adcock, Vera Moore and Chris Taylor then had a big win at home on 19 May to a Wymondham Dell rink skipped by Eunice Guy. However, on 26 May, they went down 16-24 at Norfolk Bowling Club to a rink skipped by Brenda Whitehead and in Vera's words "played like wallies".

Sheila Bragg (skip), Hazel Banks (lead) and Heather Winup (2) travelled to Browston Hall, near Yarmouth, for a county triples on Wednesday 17 May. They went down by 7 shots, reportedly bowling too short on a tricky and heavy green (unusual for Heather to bowl short!).

Chris Taylor (skip) and Vera Moore won a first-round Unbadged Pairs match on 24 May by 21-18 at home to a Wymondham Dell pair skipped by Edie Tye (congratulations to Edie, also a Connaught member, on being the Dell Captain this year. The club will miss Edie in its Ashill squad, but the job at Wymondham Dell is full time). They lost threir next match, at Gorleston on Tuesday 20 June, by 2-23.

Chris Taylor (skip), Lyn Makings and Vera Moore won a Coronation Triples 20 shots to 8 against a Shotford triple skipped by Pearl Wilson.

Sheila Bragg played a first-round Champion of Champions match on Sunday 28 May, beating a Tilney St Lawrence opponent by 21-10. The match was trasnferred to Connaught because the St Lawrence green was waterlogged

Sheila Bragg and Heather Winup won a first round Unbadged Pairs match 22-13 at home to opposition from Norfolk BC. In Heather's absence on holiday, Margaret Goode teamed up with Sheila for the next match, at home to a Watton pair on Saturday 25 June; Sheila and Margaret won 17-12 in a tight match. Despite Heather's return and availability, Sheila rather controversially opted to retain Margaret for the next match at Aylsham and they duly won to reach the semi-finals to be played at R G Carter. Sheila and Margaret lost to Thetford opposition in the semi-final (more details will be posted when they become available).

MIXED OUTDOOR BOWLS (EXTERNAL LEAGUES & COMPETITIONS) 2006

Connaught are again fielding four sides in this popular competition. Sheila Bragg captains the 'A' team and Alan Sparrow the 'B' team in Division1. In Division 4 Alison Rush captains the 'C' and Alan Marshall the 'D'. The illness and injury affecting the Mens' and Ladies' teams read across to the Ashill but the Club has found no real difficulty in getting squads together and attendances at practice nights have been excellent. Possibly the comparative informality of the mixed league appeals to the average club member (no blazers, no meals, no speeches). The club should again do quite well, but Thetford in Division 1 will surely not repeat last year's selection policy and will field their strongest players in one outfit. Connaught 'B', promoted to Division 1, will find it hard; losing Paddy Castle to illness and Lee Fallows to the 'A' team has weakened the squad from last season. Connaught 'C' and 'D' have found their level in Division 4 and will enjoy the season irrespective of results; Connaught 'D', however, might just be a dark horse.

Connaught 'A' started their season at home to Bradenham 'A' on Tuesday 16 May and recorded a sound win by 59 shots to 47 and by 6 points to 2. Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and Russell Hales lost 17-21 after leading 15-8 at end 8! No further analysis of this collapse is available. Ray Wells, Mike Parsons and Carol Tipton had a converse experience, winning 26-13 after being 7-13 down at 9 ends! Denny Gardiner, Hazel Banks and Lee Fallows were in a more conventional game, with the scores fairly close throughout; at 13-13 after 16 ends it was anybody's match but Connaught came through on the last two ends to win 16-13.

Connaught 'A' lost at home to Ashill 'A' on Tuesday 6 June by 41 shots to 50 and by 2 points to 6. On Rink 4 Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and Keith Banks played well to win 17-13, with Bill having a particularly good game to recover from his travails at Great Yarmouth the previous Friday. On Rink 5 Ray wells, Derek Liles and Carol Tipton had a good start and were still 11-10 ahead after 13 ends; they then faltered on the home stretch to go down 12-17. On Rink 6 Sheila Bragg, Hazel Banks and Mike Parsons (a late replacement for the stricken Lee Fallows) also had a good start and were only 10-11 down after 11 ends; they too struggled over the closing ends and lost 12-20. Ashill are a good side but usually beatable by Connaught at home; it is a sign of weakened squad strength this season that such matches may well be lost.

Connaught 'A' annihilated Connaught 'B' 58-20 and 8-0 on Tuesday 13 June in a match played throughout in heavy rain and shortened to 14 ends. On Rink 1 Sheila Bragg, Derek Liles and Lee Fallows hammered Ivor Moore, Alan Sparrow and Vera Moore 20-5 and were simply much better in the rain. On Rink 2 Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and Keith Banks beat Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and John Winup by the same score, 20-5. Mary and John actually had good matches against Diana and Keith, both of whom were also in very good form, and with the skips reversed might well have won. Chris was extremely nervous in the rain, after last year's heavy fall and broken arm, and apologised afterwards for being unable to contribute; Bill maintained his recent excellent form and did what he had to do. The only semblance of an even contest came on Rink 3, where Denny Gardiner, Hazel Banks and Mike Parsons beat Jim Ross, Vera Barber and Darren Thurston 18-10; after being 0-7 down after 5 ends, Jim's triple scored a 6 and pulled up to 9-9 after 9 ends. However, Denny and Co pulled away again. The 'B' team players lay themselves open to accusations of sour grapes, but most feel this match should not have been played out of simple courtesy to people such as Chris Taylor, Vera Barber and Vera Moore. A domestic derby could easily have been rearranged, perhaps on a Saturday evening, and become a pleasant social occasion. The 'B' team realise that this year's weaker squad almost certainly will be relegated and postponement would not have altered the result in any material way.

Connaught 'A' suffered an emphatic defeat at home to Thetford 'B' on Tuesday 18 June by 48 shots to 65 and by 0 points to 8. On Rink 1 Ray Wells, Derek Liles and Carol Tipton lost 15-23 after being 15-15 with three ends to go. On Rink 2 Sheila Bragg, Mike Parsons and Lee Fallows lost 19-25 to Malcolm Struthers' triple. Two 5s to Connaught and a 6 and a 4 to Thetford tell a bizarre story! On Rink 3 Denny Gardiner, Diana Adcock and Keith Banks lost 14-17 after being 14-13 ahead with two ends to go. The Jermy Cup loss on Saturday, the Ladies' defeat on Monday and now this are hard crosses to bear against close rivals Thetford!

Connaught 'A' got back on track with a win at home to Thetford 'A' on Tuesday 27 June by 53 shots to 45 and by 6 points to 2. Sheila Bragg, Hazel Banks and Keith Banks won 16-12 against Peter Scott's triple; Connaught always had the edge from the start and a 5 on end 13 gave them a 13-7 margin. 16-8 after 16 ends was comfortable although Thetford came back a little. Ray Wells, Mike Parsons and Carol Tipton had a good start against David Betts' triple and were well in the lead at 14-9 after 10 ends. As so often happens in the Ashill, however, a dramatic change took place and Connaught were 14-22 down after 16 ends; they pulled up a little to lose 18-22. Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and Denny Gardiner formed a strong-looking block and duly won 19-11 against D Peaks' triple in a match in which Connaught kept things tight and allowed Thetford limited scoring opportunity.

Connaught 'A' continued their better form with a good win at Bradenham 'A' on Tuesday 4 July by 67 shots to 45 and 8 points to 0. Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Lee Fallows won 19-16, Denny Gardiner, Carole Beavers and Carol Tipton won 25-19, Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and Derek Liles won 23-10.

Connaught 'A' continued in winning form with victory away to Swaffham 'A' on Thursday 13 July by 47 shots to 39 and by 6 points to 2. Denny Gardiner, Mike Parsons and Carol Tipton lost 15-18 after being 3-11 down at 8 ends and after pulling up to 13-14 at 15 ends. They in fact won 11 of the 18 ends but managed to concede a 4 and a 5 amongst the losing ends. Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and Derek Liles never lost the lead to gain a sound victory by 18-9. Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Lee Fallows were slightly behind for most of their match but stayed in touch to 9-11 at 12 ends; five single shot wins against one over the last six ends gave them a hard-fought win by 14-12.

Connaught 'A' played Swaffham Town 'A' again in their next match, this time at home on Tuesday 18 July. The result was similar to the previous week's, Connaught winning by 54 shots to 42 and by 6 points to 2. Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and Mike Parsons lost 11-17, with the scorecard showing them behind for much of the match but pulling up to 7-7 after 10 ends and hanging on to 9-10 after 12. After that Swaffham scored a 4 and generally took control. Ray Wells, Hazel Banks and Keith Banks never lost the lead in winning 22-8 and allowing Swaffham only four winning ends; a good performance. Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Derek Liles won 21-17 in a match they had dominated and in which they led 17-4 after 11 ends. The wobbles then set in as they dropped 4 shots on end 12, 5 on end 15 and 3 on end 16 at which point the lead was reduced to 18-17. Nerves held and they won the last two ends by 2 and 1 respectively.

Connaught 'A' lost at Ashill 'A' on Tuesday 25 July by the huge margin of 42 shots to 70 and 0 points to 8. Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and Denny Gardiner lost 15-27, a convincing margin, and the scorecard shows them behind for the entire match. Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Derek Liles lost 15-19 after being on top for most of the match; at 15-11 up after 16 ends they seemed en route for victory but a dropped 6 on end 17 followed by 2 down on end 18 saw them capsize to 15-19. Ray Wells, Hazel Banks and Keith Banks dropped 6 on the first end and 4 on the second end and were playing catch-up from that point on; they established somew stability thereafter but went down 12-24. A bad day at the office. (But something else happened. People at Connaught were bemused to get a 'phone call from Ashill complaining that the entire Connaught 'A' side left after the match without going into the bar. A Thetford side previously had commented that Connaught 'A' had shown them no hospitality when they played at Attleborough. No further comment here)

Connaught 'A' beat Connaught 'B' "at home" on Monday 1 August by 52 shots to 41 and 6 points to 2. On Rink 4 Ray Wells, Hazel Banks and Denny Gardiner beat Jim Ross, Mary Fallows and Chris Taylor in a very tight match by 15-13. Recovering from 8-13 down after 13 ends the 'B' triple recovered to 13-13 after 16 ends but two single shots gave victory to the 'A'. Overall the 'A' triple played better as a unit, but with Mary and Chris slightly off-key Jim had too much to do as an individual. On Rink 5 Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and Keith Banks beat John Winup, Vera Barber and Heather Winup 26-11 in a good-humoured and good-quality match. The first half was very tight with Bill leading 8-6 after 9 ends. Thereafter the 'A' triple took control; Diana and Vera cancelled each other out, but Keith had a devastating match, much as Heather tried, and Bill consolidated well as John found ways through increasingly rare. On Rink 6 Ivor Moore, Alan Sparrow and Vera Moore beat Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Lee Fallows 17-11 in a convincing display. Establishing an 11-0 lead after 7 ends the 'B' triple wobbled for a bit as Alan inexplicably "lost it" at lead on a rink demanding the wide draw; the lead was cut to 14-11 after 16 ends but Ivor, who personally had a splendid game, held his nerve to pull ahead.

Connaught 'A' travelled to Thetford on Tuesday 8 August to beat Thetford 'B' 55-46 on shots although only drawing the match 4-4 on points. On Rink 1 Ray Wells, Keith Beavers and Carole Beavers lost narrowly 13-14, losing the first half 5-9 but winning the second 8-5. On Rink 2 Sheila Bragg, Hazel Banks and Derek Liles lost an extraordinary match. A close tussle saw Connaught 10-12 down after 14 ends but then scolrimng 5 and 1 to lead 16-12 after 16 ends. Disaster then struck as Thetford scored 8 shots on end 17 and Connaught lost 16-21. On Rink 3 Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and Russell Hales (welcome back, Russell) won convincingly by 26-11, never losing the lead after scoring 5 on the first end (another 5 followed on end 8); this match gave Connaught the 2 points for overall shots.

Connaught 'A' finished their season with a trip to Thetford 'A' on Tuesday 15 August and showed what might have been with a convincing win by 65 shots to 40 and by 8 points to 0. On Rink 1 Sheila Bragg, Mike Parsons and Lee Fallows won by 20-9 in an evenly solid display in which they were 10-4 up after 9 ends. On Rink 2 Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and Russell Hales had a more uneven game. 5-0 up after two ends, they dropped 6 on end 4 and were 5-10 down after 6 ends. Balance was restored and the match was poised at 17-17 after 15 ends; Connaught then scored 6 on end 16 and this gave them the margin for a final win by 23-20. On Rink 3 Denny Gardiner, Hazel Banks and Keith Banks were in a tight struggle for the first half and were just leading, 9-7, after 11 ends. 4 shots on end 12 and another 4 on end 15 contributed well to the final score of 22-11

Connaught 'B' played their first match in Division 1 away to Thetford 'B' on 16 May. They lost by 41 shots to 72 and by 2 points to 6. Jim Ross (skip), Ann Castle and Heather Winup won 21-9 in a tremendous performance in which the two women players gave Jim excellent support. Ann was very steady at lead and made sure she was "up"! Heather was always "up" and played some running woods as powerfully as most men! Jim consolidated well. The other triples could not master two very good combinations from Thetford, who on this evidence have split their playing strength once more. Alan Sparrow (skip), Vera Barber and Vera Moore were outplayed by Pat Struthers' triple and went down 8-33. Christiana Taylor (skip), Mary Fallows and John Winup went down 12-30 to Malcom Struthers' triple, conceding 4 ends each by 4 shots and 1 end by 5 shots. Mary had a good game at lead, John had some good ends, and Chris battled well against a good player in very good form. Thetford were not given the match and had to play skilfully to secure their shots margin. With no Paddy Castle (illness) no Lee Fallows ('A' team) and no Ivor Moore (illness), the 'B' team has a thin look to it at present.

Connaught 'B' played Swaffham 'A' at home on Tuesday 23 May and went down heavily by 34 shots to 73 and by 0 points to 8. Alan Sparrow (skip), Vera Barber and Vera Moore were outbowled in a 6-30 defeat, Jim Ross (skip), Ann Castle and Heather Winup could not repeat last week's heroics and lost 10-21, Chris Taylor (skip), Darren Thurston and Mary Fallows were well in their match and leading 12-11 after 12 ends, but then dropped a 4 and a 5 on successive ends; the final margin of defeat was 18-22. In two matches Connaught 'B' have fielded 6 women players and only 3 men and have patently lacked power in key positions.

Connaught 'B' resumed action with yet another trip to Thetford, on Thursday 8 June to play Thetford 'A'. The outcome was defeat on shots by 48-56 but a 4-4 draw on points by dint of winning two triples to one. On Rink 1 Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and John Winup beat Peter Scott's triple 19-15 in a very tight match throughout. On a very fast but very true green the Connaught players adapted well; Mary and John usually had a few in the head against accurate opponents and Chris, opposed by the canny Peter Scott, had her best game for some time. On Rink 2 Ivor Moore skipped Alan Sparrow and Vera Moore to a win by 18-16, picking up two shots on the last end to clinch victory. Ivor's return and Alan's move to lead gave the triple a more balanced look and they played well. A 5 on end 13 gave them a 14-9 margin, which was just as well given a good comeback from David Betts' triple. On Rink 3 Jim Ross, Ann Castle and Darren Thurston were swamped by D Peaks' triple, losing 11-25; after end 13 Connaught were 2-24 down but recovered to put more respectability on the score. With Ann playing no bowls at all apart from Ashill matches and with Darren just returned from holiday, Jim had no real support against a triple in very good form. However, in a difficult season, this was a better result for Connaught 'B'

Connaught 'B' lost 20-58 and 0-8 to Connaught 'A' on Tuesday 13 June, in a match shortened to 14 ends as a result of being played in heavy rain. See report and comments in 'A' team section

With county championship and holiday commitments, Connaught 'B' cannot raise a side to play at Bradenham 'A' on Tuesday 20 June and have had to concede the match. This is not good news and fortunately untypical of Connaught. The cancellation is a genuine one and nothing to do with people watching World Cup football matches.

Connaught 'B' resumed action away to Ashill 'A' on Tuesday 27 June and the bad season continued with defeat by 43 shots to 59 and by 2 points to 6. On Rink 2, Ivor Moore, Alan Sparrow and Vera Moore had an excellent win by 24 shots to 9 against C Breeze's block. Alan has settled well into the lead position and Vera had her usual competitive game; Ivor consolidated well, using his new and lighter size 3 heavy bowls. On Rink 3 Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and John Winup went down heavily by 7-29 against a strong triple in which B Taylor at skip had a superb game. Mary and John had reasonable games and were always in contention with bowls in the head. However, Chris confessed that she could not read the green and had a bad night against a player on top form. Jim Ross, Ann Castle and Heather Winup also went down but by a narrower margin of 11-22. Indeed, they were well in the game at 11-15 after 13 ends but then fell apart a bit as Ashill exerted pressure. Ann, who plays no bowls apart from Ashill matches, and Heather, back from two weeks' holiday, were light on practice but did quite well without having the consistency needed at this level; Jim had a good game in a competition which he sees as mainly social but giving practice opportunity. With enforced absences the team has a lightweight look to it and will surely be relegated.

Connaught 'B' revived with a good but rather unexpected win at home to Thetford 'B' on Tuesday 4 July. On Rink 4 John Winup (skip), Vera Barber and Heather Winup formed a new combination, admittedly as the sacrificial block, and their first aim was to keep things tight. At 0-6 down after 2 ends signs were ominous, but Connaught steadied themselves and played very well against a triple skipped by John Gardner in good form. They pulled back to 8-8 after 9 ends and at 8-9 on end 10 held a seemingly good 6; however, John Gardner played an immaculate last shot through a narrow gap to take the jack and hold 2. Thetford then pulled away a little and Connaught lost 9-18. Vera drew very well, Heather played aggressively to good effect and John was steady at skip. On Rink 5 Jim Ross, Mary Fallows and Chris Taylor faced Malcolm Struthers' triple and won 14-7 in a good match. Mary led well and Chris played more confidently relieved from skipping responsibilities at this level; with good support, Jim had one of his best games of the season against talented opposition. On Rink 6 Ivor Moore, Alan Sparrow and Vera Moore played Pat Struthers' triple and took control as a 6 on end 7 and a 4 on end 9 gave them a 17-3 lead. At 19-7 after 13 ends they were still in control but then let things slip as Thetford came back very well; Connaught won 19-16. Ivor drew in a crucial second bowls with the last shot of the evening. This gave Connaught a 42-41 win on overall shots and 6-2 on points. Over the three matches Thetford scored 18-8 on shots from end 12 onwards!

Connaught 'B' maintained their revival with a hard-fought win at Swaffham 'A' on Tuesday 11 July by 42 shots to 38 and by 6 points to 2 (with the 'A' team&nb