Short Mat - 2004 / 2005

As the Club History shows, Short Mat bowls were bolted on to a Club with outdoor/lawn bowls foundations; the purpose was to provide social continuity for Club Members and to find an additional source of revenue. Since those early days Short Mat has flourished and has become an essential part of the Club. There is only one membership subscription and the Club has not divided into two groups; most members play both forms of the game.

The 2003-2004 season was a successful one. The Club played in a wide variety of external competitions and had a very busy internal programme. All in all the Club maintained its reputation as one of the leading Short Mat clubs in Norfolk . With about 80 out of 120 members playing regularly, it may well be the strongest club numerically speaking; it would not claim to be the strongest at the top playing level. The Club is now looking forward to the 2004-2005 season under Ken Lurcock's chairmanship and with Russell Hales as overall Short Mat Captain. Another major Committee change saw the retirement of Dennis Reeder as Fixture and Competitions Secretary after 10 years service; Dennis was presented with a silver tankard at the AGM as a small 'thank you'. As a measure of how this task has mushroomed since the early days, the job has now been split into two. Sheila Bragg is looking after all external competitions and George Barber is organiser of the internal competitions.   

SHORT MAT EXTERNAL LEAGUES

Breckland League

The Club is again fielding two teams as usual in what is its local league. The ‘A' team won the league very narrowly last year from the Yaxham club and by dint of a tense last match at Wayland. This was the third successive league title and Russell Hales, who will captain the 'A' team, will be looking to continue the run. However, there will be no complacency as the 'A' team operates with quite a small squad. The threatened retirement of Denny Gardiner and Vera Barber will be offset by the anticipated return of Diana and Bill Adcock. Lee Fallows has returned to the area from university but has committed to reserve status only as he and partner go househunting etc; obviously the Club is hoping that somebody of Lee's youth and ability will become more regularly available. The 'B' team, captained this year by Stan Groom, will have as its immediate target moving up from bottom slot and will be hoping for better than that. Stan has a quite sizeable but inexperienced squad,  with some new members trying their hand. With one or two stalwarts moved up to the 'A' team squad,  he will be trying to find the right blocks as quickly as possible. 

POSTSCRIPT - as the details show, Connaught 'A' just managed to win the league again but Connaught 'B' had a poor season, losing all matches and finishing bottom.

BRECKLAND 'A' 

The first match of the season, at home to Forncett on Wednesday 6th October, produced a  73 shots to 52, 8 points to 2, victory. Bill Adcock skipped his block to a convincing 22-9 win and Sheila Bragg's block, after a close struggle for two thirds of the match, drew away to win 21-12. Andrew Stratton skipped Mary Fallows and John Winup against a strong Forncett block led by Denis Rumsby. A 16-8 lead quickly became 16-10 and then 16-15 after a Forncett 5 on end 17 but  Connaught won 17-15 after Forncett missed a good opportunity to take the match on the last end. Ray Wells' block built up a convincing 9-0 lead but were marooned on 11 shots for 8 ends as Forncett battled away to take the lead and then the match by 16-13. Brilliant leading by Forncett's Tony Ottewell was a key factor in the victory.  

The second match, away to Hingham on Thursday 14th October, produced a 94 shots to 49, 10 points to 0 victory. The result was less clear cut than that with Hingham playing very well for most of the time in matches of very tight heads. Bill Adcock, with Elaine and Bob Oatway, had a convincing 32-14 win. Andrew Stratton, with Derek Liles and John Winup, dropped a 5 on the first end to recover well; the Hingham block played very well only to fade a little on the last four ends. Sheila Bragg, with Keith Banks and Russell Hales, got out of jail with a 5 on the last end to win 19-17. Ray Wells, with Mike and Sylvia Parsons, played very steadily to win 21-8. All in all a good and determined team performance.     

The team went to Watton on Sunday 17th October knowing that a hard match was in prospect against a very good side on their day. Thus it proved in a 58 shots to 69, 3 points to 7, defeat. Andrew Stratton (skip),  Elaine Oatway and John Winup, had a torrid time against a Watton block skipped by Terry Crockett in tremendous form. Even the Connaught trio saw the funny side as a seemingly winning position on many ends was destroyed by a 'fire' or an impossible draw; a 6-27 defeat was the result and left the other blocks with much to do. Ray Wells skipped Bob Oatway and Sylvia Parsons to a hard-fought 11-11 draw on the adjoining mat. After the break, Bill Adcock continued his good form by skipping Derek Liles and Chris Taylor  to a 24-12 win; Derek (responding well to his first full season at this level) and Chris supported well. Sheila Bragg, with Keith Banks and Russell Hales, played doggedly on the neighbouring mat and at 17-13 up after 15 ends seemed on the way to a win and the side to a 5-5 draw. It was not to be as the Watton block fought back to win 19-17. Disappointing but not a total disaster.

Winning ways returned on Wednesday 3rd November with an 84 shots to 48, 10 points to 0,  win at home against near neighbours Wymondham. Andrew Stratton, with Derek Liles and John Winup providing solid support, was 14-0 up after 3 ends. To their credit their opponents then got their act together and  played very well to contain the score to 11-26. On the adjoining mat Bill Adcock, with Mary Fallows and Chris Taylor, had a hard battle to be 14-13 up after 16 ends. A 5 on the 17th end proved decisive in a final score of 20-13. The young Wymondham skip, C Mann, had a brilliant game. Sheila Bragg, with Keith Banks and Russell Hales, was always in the lead in a tight game of very good heads; Sheila won 17-13. Ray Wells, with Mike Parsons and Keith Beavers, played probably Wymondham's best block in a good quality match to win 21-11; Mike Parsons led very well throughout. A good performance and an enjoyable sporting evening with Wymondham a little unlucky to emerge with no points.

The internal match against Connaught 'B' took place on Saturday 13th November with Connaught 'A' running out winners 84 shots to 35 and 10 points to 0. The 'B team were missing several regulars and had had to register more players during the week to ensure turning out a side. They in fact played very well for stretches of all four matches but lacked the consistency and concentration of their opponents over 18 ends. Reading the head also seemed a problem for certain 'B' team blocks. Andrew Stratton, with Lee Fallows and John Winup, formed a strong block against Stan Groom,  Pauline Groom and Moira Eades and won 20 - 7. Lee Fallows showed what a good player he is with immaculate leading. The 'B' block always fought, however, and got enough in the head to contain the score. Chris Taylor, skipping Elaine and Bob Oatway against Phil King skipping Margaret Newland and John Askew, found herself in a tight match and only 13-10 up after 12 ends; the concentration factor then kicked in and the final margin was 21-11. Ray Wells, with Mike Parsons and Keith  Beavers soon found himself 7-0 down against Alan Pledger, Don Mowatt and Marie Head; the recovery was soon under way and Ray's block won 18-10. Sheila Bragg skipped Keith Banks and Russell Hales to a remorseless 25-7 win over George Barber, Alan Marshall and Heather Winup; Heather had a very good game after moving to lead but Sheila's block was simply too strong on the night. 

Connaught were delighted to win the top of the table clash at Banham on Wednesday 24th November by 64 shots to 47 and 8 points to 2. Neither side was at full strength, with Connaught missing Bill Adcock, Sylvia Parsons and Andrew Stratton, but the quality of play was very high. Sheila Bragg, skipping Elaine and Bob Oatway, lost an early lead to be 9 all after 11 ends, dropped a 4 after edging to 15-9 but held on to win 16-14. Chris Taylor, with Mary Fallows and Keith Banks, was in very good form as the block ran out convincing winners by 23-5. Ray Wells, with Lee Fallows and Keith Beavers, faced a strong Banham block which included Tony and Julia Blackburn. 11-2 down after 7 ends, Connaught put Keith at lead and Lee at 2; the change worked to the extent that the score was 11 all after 15 ends. However, Banham recovered well to take the match 16-12. Russell Hales skipped Derek Liles and John Winup in a very tight 'nip and tuck' match which was won 13-12. The three Connaught players all had their individual moments but played very steadily as a block. Gary Sutton and Michael Seager, at 2 and Skip for Banham, had to play  forcing shots for much of the match to 'take out' the Connaught bowls but the drawing game just edged it. 

At home to the strong Yaxham side on Wednesday 1st December,  Connaught were very pleased to win by 62 shots to 58 and by 8 points to 2. In truth Yaxham can feel a little unlucky to lose 8-2 in a match of four very tight games. Sheila Bragg, with Keith Banks and Russell Hales, broke a deadlock after end 11 to go 15-8 up after end 16; the loss of 2 and then 3 points reduced the winning margin to 15-13 after a tough struggle. Bill Adcock, with Bob Oatway and Chris Taylor, went 15-5 up after 9 ends and was seemingly en route for victory but Yaxham had other ideas. A change in their playing order worked well and Yaxham recovered to lead 18-16 after 16 ends. By this time Connaught had also changed the playing order and Bob Oatway, at Skip, played some inspired shots to seal a 21-18 victory. Andrew Stratton, with Mike Parsons and John Winup, was in a hard "skipping" battle against fellow Norfolk player John Turner. 5-8 down after 9 ends, the Connaught trio won six ends on the trot to lead 14-8. A dropped 4, a no-scoring end and a dropped 1 (with a measure for 2) saw them scramble home 14-13. A mention for Mike Parsons, who had the game of his life at lead. Ray Wells, with Mary Fallows and Lee Fallows, was 8-3 up after 10 ends and 12-10 up after 16 ends; Yaxham held their nerve to take shots from each of the last two ends and win 14-12. In a high-quality match, Connaught just got the better of opponents who played the power game very effectively. 

Connaught beat Carleton Rode at home On Wednesday 15th December by 74 shots to 50 and 8 points to 2. Ray Wells, Keith Beavers and Sylvia Parsons played very well as individuals and as a block to win 23-8. On the adjoining mat, Bill Adcock, with Mary Fallows and Chris Taylor, won 21-10. Mary was steady, Chris on top form, and Bill played several class shots to overcome a losing position. After the interval, the two Connaught triples faced some spirited and skilful play from Carleton Rode and two tense matches ensued. Sheila Bragg, with Russell Hales and Keith Banks, led 12-5 after 11 ends but then subsided to be 16-12 down after 16 ends, finally losing 14-17. Credit to the visitors' triple of Pam Rush, Alison Rush and Keith Maughan. Andrew Stratton, with Derek Liles and John Winup, found Olive Smith at lead in splendid form and the talented Neil Ramsbottom at skip was playing very well. Never in the lead and 10-15 down after 15 ends, Connaught won each of the last three ends by 2 shots to gain an unlikely win by 16-15. Andrew played a tremendous 'fire' with his last shot of the match to secure the win. Now for yet another match against Wayland, on Friday 17th December!  

Connaught travelled to Wayland for the fourth time this season, on 17th December, and gained their third win in the series by 66 shots to 56 and 7 points to 3. Bill Adcock, with Elaine and Bob Oatway, struggled for a time and was 5-12 down after 11 ends. Bill moved to 2 and Bob to skip, in a change which saw steady drawing at 2 and heavy firepower at skip. This improved matters but at 11-15 down after 16 ends Connaught looked likely to lose. However, two successive wins by 2 shots achieved the tie. Credit to Elaine for two superb draws on the last end after she had had a torrid first time on Wayland's mats. Next door, Ray Wells, Mike Parsons and Keith  Beavers went down 11-17. They fought hard and were often holding, but heavy woods by Jane Freary, who had an excellent game, took them out time after time. After the interval Sheila Bragg, with Keith Banks and Russell Hales, had a 6 on end 4 to draw level and was 11-11 after 11 ends. The Connaught triple then got a grip on the game and played very well to win by 24-13. Chris Taylor, with Mary Fallows and John Winup, was in a very tight match. 6-6 after 10 ends and 6-9 down after 12 ends, Connaught gained 9 shots in a good spell from ends 13 to 15 and ran out winners 16-11.The triple played very steadily and both John and Chris could use heavy woods when necessary. Connaught now have a clear lead at the top of the table but in the old cliché "there is a long way to go".

After the Christmas break Connaught travelled to Yaxham and were hammered 79 shots to 39 and 10 points to 0; the first maximum points defeat for Connaught 'A' in living memory. Ray Wells, with Mike and Sylvia Parsons, went down 7-20 in a match where Ray was always bowling to save. Seven ends were won but each by only one point; well beaten. On the adjoining mat Chris Taylor, with Mary Fallows and Keith Beavers, had an even more torrid time and lost 10-26. After the interval the slaughter continued but by lower margins. Sheila Bragg, with Keith Banks and Russell Hales, was 1-11 down after 6 ends to John Turner's block but then held her own to lose by 11-19. Andrew Stratton, skipping Carol Beavers and John Winup, had the closest match and lost 12-14 in a good quality contest. Carol and John supported Andrew well but left him in a bad position on end 14; he played a superb draw to save 5 shots, win the end and go 11-10 up. The Yaxham skip, O Secker, had an equally good match and destroyed a good Connaught position on end 16 to take 3 shots. One match does not make a good side bad and Yaxham, when going well, are probably the best side in the league. Connaught must now regroup and get on with the next match. 

Connaught did regroup and were very relieved to win at home against Wayland by 88 shots to 47 and 10 points to 0. This win partly compensated for some patchy performances in all leagues since the Christmas break. Ray Wells, with Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons, had a hurricane start to be 21-1 ahead after 8 ends. Wayland changed their playing order, to good effect, and contained the final score to 28-11 for Connaught. Mike and Sylvia had very sound games and Ray recovered his touch in a good win. Sheila Bragg had a very good game personally as she skipped Mary Fallows and Keith Banks to a 21-15 victory. 18-9 ahead after 14 ends, the Connaught triple wobbled a bit after a dropped 5 on end 15 but held on well enough. After the break Chris Taylor, with Elaine Oatway and Bob Oatway, was in a very tight match and just holding on at 13-12 after 16 ends. A 4 on end 17 created some breathing space and Connaught won 17-14. Next door Russell Hales, with Keith Beavers and John Winup, found himself in another tight match and just leading 7-6 after 11 ends. The Wayland triple read the mat well whilst John  had trouble finding the right pace. Russell and Keith kept things afloat until the number 2 started contributing a bit more and the final win by 22-7 perhaps was a little flattering. Wayland, as before this season, had trouble with Connaught's faster and swingier mats but why was their captain and best player sitting on the sidelines?

Connaught could not maintain the good form away to Carleton Rode on Thursday 20th January and lost by 65 shots to 49 and 8 points to 2. Denny Gardiner, playing for the first time this season, skipped Hazel Banks and Chris Taylor to a convincing 21-11 victory; what in effect was a scratch block played very well to give Connaught their only win of the evening. Next door Andrew Stratton, skipping Keith Beavers and John Winup, lost 12-18 in a match where the opposing skip, Bob Papaik, had a tremendous game on mats much suited to his style. Keith and John played very steadily, although perhaps should have got "more behind", and Andrew had some very good ends. After the break, Ray Wells, with Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons, had a bad time initially against a Carleton Rode block, skipped by Keith Maugham, which rarely loses. Ray and Sylvia swapped positions and the triple then dug in to recover ground but still went down 10-16. Bob Oatway, with Elaine Oatway and Derek Liles, lost 6-20 to a block skipped by the very competent Neil Ramsbottom, who regularly broke up any promising Connaught positions. In general the Carleton Rode leads got the better of their counterparts and, with their number 2s, built up stronger heads for the skips; simple bowls played very well. Interestingly, two former Carleton Rode players appeared for Connaught and three current Connaught members played for Carleton Rode as their main club - all a bit incestuous! 

"Away" to Connaught 'B' on Saturday 12th February, Connaught 'A' regrouped sufficiently to gain a win by 88 shots to 50 and 8 points to 2. On Mat 1 a new triple of Chris Taylor with Derek Liles and Keith Beavers failed to gel and individually the three players must "put their hands up" as they suffered a massive defeat by 25 shots to 10; changes to the playing order made no difference. These comments must not detract from a tremendous performance by Terry Dennis with Alan Marshall and John Askew, who took control from the start and "rubbed it in" as they gained in confidence and realised the match was theirs. Next door, the converse applied. Ray Wells and Mike and Sylvia Parsons were too strong on the night for Ken Lurcock, skipping Joyce Catling and Phil King and won 32-8. Joyce held Mike at lead to an extent, but Ray and Sylvia maintained recent excellent form to dominate most ends. It was surprising that the 'B' triple did not change playing order to try to break things up. After the break, Sheila Bragg with Keith Banks and Russell Hales was too strong for Joyce Hazell with Brian Cole and Pauline Groom and won 26-7. The 'B' triple tried hard throughout and forced their opponents to play at their best in many tight heads. Andrew Stratton, Mary Fallows and John Winup won 20-10 against Stan Groom, Heather Winup and Marianne Liles but had to fight and concentrate hard throughout. This was a good quality match, with all six players having their moments, and determined by the 'A' triple's greater variety of shot. Both teams were encouraged to see a few spectators, and as the home team Connaught 'B' provided a splendid buffet to round off a friendly but always competitive evening.

Connaught travelled to Wymondham on Sunday afternoon 13th February for a potentially tough match. And so it proved. Connaught won narrowly by 69 shots to 58 and by 6 points to 4. Things went well at first. Bill Adcock (back after a two months' absence) skipped Derek Liles and Keith Beavers to a sound 22-6 victory. Bill had retained all his old skills and Derek and Keith sharpened their act considerably after the previous evening's disaster against Connaught 'B'. Next door Chris Taylor, with Mary Fallows and John Winup, went 6-0 up after 2 ends and never lost the lead to finish the winner by 21-12. Also smarting from Saturday night's bad defeat, Chris was back to her old self and had very sound support from Mary and John, who both read the mat well and built up sensible heads. After the interval things went downhill as Connaught faced what were probably Wymondham's stronger blocks. Sheila Bragg, with Keith Banks and Russell Hales, faced Eddie Tolver and Debbie Philips playing with an excellent lead in D Clark. Having problems reading the mat and under severe pressure from Wymondham, Connaught went 6-20 down after 12 ends and humiliation was in sight. Changes in playing order then helped and the final score in defeat was 14-24. Ray Wells, Mike and Sylvia Parsons struggled at first against a sound Wymondham block to be 5-11 down after 11 ends. By then Ray, whose style did not suit the mat, had swapped positions with Sylvia and a 5 on end 12 changed the match totally. Connaught even took the lead at 12-11 after 14 ends. Wymondham did not crack and Peter King at 2 played superbly against his "other club" to secure a win for Wymondham by 16-12. A good match overall in which Connaught's stronger depth just prevailed.  

At home to Banham in a key match on Wednesday 16th February Connaught won by 64 shots to 46 and by 6 points to 4. On Mat 1 Bill Adcock, with Derek Liles and Chris Taylor, had a tough match against a Banham triple skipped by Connaught member Ronnie Dunning. Ronnie had one of those nights when things went right and he held his nerve to just get the better of Bill in a tight match by 16-12. On Mat 2 Andrew Stratton, with Mary Fallows and John Winup, won 13 ends by one shot and 2 ends by two shots to triumph 17-4. Mary and John consistently drew in and put shots behind to set up sound heads. Under less pressure than usual, Andrew had a very good game, particularly in the first half, and did the necessary. Gary Sutton for Banham went to skip after 4 ends and played magnificently throughout to keep the score within reasonable proportions; this otherwise would have been a massacre. After the break Ray Wells, on Mat 1 with Mike and Sylvia Parsons, struggled a little to be 6-8 down after 8 ends, but a 6 on end 9 settled the nerves and the Connaught trio settled on the long jack to pull ahead and win 27-9. Ray and Sylvia, both naturally forceful players, played the heavy shots well. On Mat 2 Sheila Bragg, Keith Banks and Russell Hales found themselves against probably Banham's strongest block (T and J Blackburn and V Footer) and lost 8-13 in a hard match. Connaught changed their playing order twice but essentially usually lost the battle at 1 and 2 to leave the skip with too much to do. Banham read the mat well, played accurately and deserved the win. Connaught were happy enough overall but an extra two points would have been handy in what is becoming a shoot out with Yaxham.  

Away to Forncett on Tuesday 1st March Connaught lost badly 54-56 and 4-6 in a match where they truly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Before the interval all went well. Bill Adcock, with Keith Beavers and Chris Taylor, won a tight struggle against probably Forncett's best block skipped by Denis Rumsby. 7-10 down after 11 ends and 12-12 after 15 ends the Connaught triple showed great resilience to  come through 17-12. Keith got the better of a good opposing lead and Chris pulled off some key shots in difficult situations; throughout the match Bill showed all his strengths and variety of shot, often cutting the deficit and more often just edging out his opponent. Next door Ray Wells, with Mike and Sylvia Parsons, beat a noisy and volatile Forncett block, skipped by D Peacock, by 20-11. A 4 on end 7 and a 5 on end 8 gave them an early margin. Mike had some trouble finding the right bowling width but came good towards the end during a sticky period after ends 12-15 were lost and Forncett pulled up to 11-15. Sylvia had a marvellous game on a mat suiting her style, with accurate forcing shots followed by precision drawing, whilst Ray kept his nerve throughout. Trusting his own style, Ray picked up several ends with accurate firing. After the break, Andrew Stratton, with Mary Fallows and John Winup, had a reasonable start against a block skipped by A Aldridge. A dropped 3 on end 5 then put them 4-5 down and they secured only 2 shots thereafter to lose 6-20. Their opponents played very well indeed - that must  be acknowledged - but too many short woods and inability on the night to get the important "one behind" served Connaught badly. Andrew and John changed positions but to little avail; the triple, knowing how significant their deficit was becoming, tried hard but succumbed to the pressure. On the next mat Sheila Bragg, with Keith Banks and Russell Hales, was 9-3 up after 10 ends and 11-8 up after 16 ends in a match where they seemed to have the edge but where the opposition dug deep. They conceded 2 shots on end 17 and 3 on end 18; particularly on the last end pressure again told. After 17 ends in the last two matches Connaught were two shots ahead overall and heading for an 8-2 or 7-3 win but manufactured another Norwich v Manchester City. Surely a key defeat in the battle for the league title but all is not lost yet.    

At home to Watton on Wednesday 2nd March, Connaught had a sound win by 79 shots to 42 and 8 points to 2. On Mat 1 Ray Wells, Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons continued their current good form with a 26-8 win against a Watton triple struggling on the surface; a 6 on end 13 and a 4 on end 17 helped to widen the points margin. Mike had an excellent game and both Sylvia and Ray capitalised on the good start given them. On Mat 2 Denny Gardiner skipped Mary Fallows and Chris Taylor to a sound win by 19-10. Much happier on her favourite Connaught mat Mary consistently drew in very accurately in her best game for a while and Chris and Denny were too steady overall for opponents who fought hard. After the break Andrew Stratton, with Derek Liles and Keith Beavers, played well on Mat 1 to go 14-1 up after 8 ends against a Watton block skipped by Eric Todd. Watton recovered a little from that point to contain the final margin to 19-8. For Connaught Derek Liles again led brilliantly and Keith and Andrew enjoyed the luxury of bowling from good holding positions. On Mat 2 Sheila Bragg, with Keith Banks and Russell Hales, had a very similar match and a similar result to that at Forncett. 12-7 up after 11 ends they seemed to be on the way but then conceded 8 shots over the next 4 ends to go 12-15 down; a recovery took them to 15-15 after 17 ends but Watton got one vital shot to win the last end. The Connaught triple played what was Watton's strongest block on the night; Roger Braham at 2 and Bryan Dibble at skip had terrific games and played extremely skilful winning shots on several ends. Connaught did not profit enough from the waywardness of the Watton lead until Russell moved from 2 but the change probably came 3 or 4 ends too late. Connaught need a good win in their last match at home to Hingham, but as with last season the outcome of the league title now probably lies in Yaxham's own hands. Will Yaxham do enough this year?  

In their last fixture Connaught had a huge win at home to Hingham on Wednesday 16th March by 111 shots to 34 and 10 points to 0. On Mat 1 Andrew Stratton, Derek Liles and John Winup found themselves 4-5 down after 5 ends against A Marshall's triple but then gained complete control to win all the remaining ends and finish with a score of 33-5. Hingham played well enough for the most part but were put under constant pressure by a triple on top form individually and collectively. On Mat 2 Bill Adcock, Keith Beavers and Chris Taylor were 4-6 down after 6 ends but a 5 on end 7 and a 6 on end 8 gave them a comfortable margin which they increased to 29-11. Again everybody played very well. After the break Denny Gardiner, Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons had too much firepower for B Eaglen's triple and ran out winners by 26-9. Hingham played pluckily and often forced Connaught into pressure shots. On Mat 2 Sheila Bragg, Russell Hales and Keith Banks had a first half struggle to be 5-5 after 9 ends against M Frost's block. Keith was clearly unwell and not really in the game. However Russell was leading very well and Sheila cashed in as the pressure told eventually on the Hingham triple. Keith persevered to the end and Connaught won 23-9. Connaught are now 27 points ahead of Yaxham, who have 3 games to play. Can Yaxham get 28 points?

In the end Yaxham managed 26 points, including 10-0 wins at home to Wayland and Carleton Rode, and Connaught won the league again, this time by one point (126 to Yaxham's 125); amazingly the two teams had exactly the same shots difference (360). Yaxham conceded the title in their penultimate match at Watton, where the home side lost narrowly 72 shots to 74 and 4 points to 6. Thank you, Watton, who then followed up with a good 7-3 win at Banham to finish third over Banham on shots difference. Another tight struggle for Connaught over Yaxham. Both sides can point to key wins and key losses, but in losing 4 matches to Yaxham's 3 and still winning the title Connaught perhaps showed slightly greater strength in depth in picking up crucial points. In his first season as Club captain Russell Hales will feel very pleased (and rather relieved!) at retaining the Breckland League title (the 4th in succession). Commiserations to Yaxham who have gone to the wire two seasons on trot.   

                                                                                                                                   
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Breckland League 'A' Match Results 

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BRECKLAND 'B'

The first match of the season, away to Forncett on Tuesday 12th October, was described by the captain, Stan Groom, as an 'unmitigated disaster'. His side lost by 32 shots to 96, 0 points to 10. Stan also said that his team were 'pelting the woodwork' and in need of far more practice. Stan's own block lost by 5 shots only and the other results are best not described in detail! The loss of 5 players to the 'A' squad has not helped and the team needs time to settle and probably the willingness to accept a learning curve with players new to short mat appearing  for the first time. At least the Club has the playing numbers still to turn out two sides in this league.

The second match, at home to Watton on Wednesday 13th October, produced another whitewash 34 shots to 77, 0 points to 10. Block scores of 8-17, 10-24, 11-17, and 5-19 tell their own story but at least were a slight improvement on the Forncett match. Stan Groom is looking forward to the return of 4 regulars from holiday but will have to wait until early November for the 3 still in the Antipodes! Frankly it is a question of soldiering on and at least maintaining team spirit.

Away to the strong Banham side on Wednesday 27th October, Connaught suffered another heavy defeat, 46 shots to 103 and 2 points to 8. There was at least the consolation of the first block victory of the season, Ken Lurcock with Dennis Reeder and Moira Eades winning 20-19; even here there was a 'wobbly' as a 19-11 lead withered to 19-19 after 17 ends. The block just held their nerve to win the last end. Heather Winup and Alan Marshall skipped their blocks to reasonable performances but the unfortunate Stan Groom, with inadequate support, went down by over 40 shots. Early season hopes have declined a bit with so many of the B team from recent years either retired or in the A squad. Stan as captain has drawn a short straw and it is up to all club members to rally round; there are regulars to return from holiday and there are several good players in the club who could, if they made themselves available, strengthen the side considerably.

The run of defeats continued with a 51 shots to 79, 1 point to 9, loss at home to Wayland on Sunday 31st October. Ken Lurcock, with Joyce Catling and Moira Eades, battled well to gain a 19-19 draw. Heather Winup skipped her block to a containing 13-19 loss and Stan Groom's block held the opposition to 12-21. Alan Pledger, skipping for the first time, went down 7-20. There are some signs of improvement, but very erratic leading and poor communication in reading the head are not helping people thrust unexpectedly into the skipping positions. All four skips in the side would admit to being more comfortable at lead or 2 and they really do need calmer and more positive support. With the return this week from long absence on overseas holiday of Phil King and Ann and Barry Westwood and with other players being registered,  Stan Groom will be hoping for more improvement. The side would also benefit from the coaching sessions which Short Mat Chairman, Ken Lurcock, has promised to arrange.

The 'away'  match against Connaught 'A' took place on Saturday 13th November and produced a 35 shots to 84 and 0 points to 10 defeat (see under Connaught 'A' for a full match description). Long-standing engagements meant that several regulars were absent; Margaret Newland and Don Mowatt, playing their first external league matches, confirmed themselves as competent leads as did Heather Winup and Pauline Groom. Moira Eades battled hard as No 2 and as skip when she changed. The usual problem of lack of steadiness under pressure showed itself but there were several patches of good play from everybody. However, the evening was pleasant. The 'A' team went all out to win but did so in a sporting manner; they also provided an excellent buffet! 

Connaught 'B' went down to another heavy away defeat, this time by 96 shots to 35 and 10 points to 0 at Carleton Rode on Thursday 18th November. George Barber, with Heather Winup and Brian Cole lost 7-28. Phil King, with Terry Dennis and John Askew, lost 8-24. Stan Groom, with Alan Marshall and Mike Savage, lost 10-21. Joyce Catling, with Don Mowsatt and Moira Eades, lost 11-20. (The total of these block scores, 93-36, is marginally different from the total shown on the league's website). The story is just the same, however, with Connaught being outgunned by sides with better bowlers technically and better tactical appreciation of the game. The side must press on and try to learn from experience; simply reducing the margins of these defeats will be a positive. Ken Lurcock, Short Mat Chairman, has promised the first of several Saturday coaching sessions in December. 

A disappointing season continued with a 61 shots to 78 and 2 points to 8 defeat by Wymondham at home on Wednesday 24th November. Given previous results, however, there were some glimmers of light in a narrower defeat. Ken Lurcock, with Joyce Catling and Moira Eades, won by 17-15; Joyce, who is having an excellent season, moved up to 2 during the match and this gave the block a better balance. Phil King, skipping Heather Winup and George Barber, lost by 15-19; the block played quite steadily and Heather showed again that lead is her best position. Dennis Reeder, with Don Mowatt and Brian Cole, lost 15-25 in the night's heaviest defeat; Don again led well but Dennis and Brian are probably playing out of position. In her debut match, Marianne Liles proved that Derek is not the only good lead in the family; her block, with Alan Marshall at 2 and Stan Groom skipping, put up a good fight in losing 14-19. Stan Groom is now hoping to stabilise the team around three of the evening's blocks. Ken Lurcock has arranged a first coaching session on Saturday morning 4th December - the 'B' team owe it to Ken and Stan to turn up. 

A home match to Hingham, on Wednesday 8th December, offered some prospect of victory but it was not to be. Connaught went down 52 shots to 80 and 2 points to 8. A big defeat, 10-28, by Dick Freeman, skipping Brian Cole and John Askew, contributed substantially to the overall shots difference. Although coming back from 1-21 down after changing the order, the block basically had a very bad night. On the next mat Phil King, skipping George Barber and Heather Winup, went 8-15 down after 12 ends. Once Heather moved to lead, Phil to 2 and George to skip, things clicked. Pressure was put on the opposition and George drew two brilliant backhand shots on the last end to secure a win by 18-17. After the interval, there were two good matches. Stan Groom, with Alan Marshall and Marianne Liles, fought well against a good block and just went down 14-17; all the Connaught players had good individual moments. Ken Lurcock, with Joyce Catling and Moira Eades, also had tough opponents and lost 10-18 in a match with many tight heads. Another loss but three blocks were up for it and gave Hingham a fight.

Away to Yaxham in a re-arranged match on Tuesday 11th January, Connaught played respectably against a strong side and bettered the 'A' team performance the previous week. Connaught lost 48 shots to 85 and 2 points to 8. Pride of place goes to captain Stan Groom who skipped Alan Marshall and Marianne Liles to a 17-15 victory against the block which had defeated Ray Wells 20-7(sorry, Ray!). George Barber, skipping Heather Winup and Phil King, lost 13-18 in a match where a dropped 5 on end 14 proved crucial; George had a splendid game personally and Heather and Phil supported well. Terry Dennis, with Brian Cole and Marie Head, lost 10-22 in a match where Connaught played better than the score suggests. Ken Lurcock, with Joyce Catling and Moira Eades, was 0-18 down after 5 ends against John Turner and recovered after a fashion to lose 8-30. Despite one heavy defeat, the team did not surrender and will take some encouragement from this match.

The improvement was maintained at Hingham on Thursday 13th January when Connaught lost by a very narrow margin, 61 shots to 63 and 4 points to 6. Ken Lurcock, skipping Dennis Reeder and Joyce Catling, had a terrific match in winning 25-10 and capping it all with a 5 on the last end. After two very sloppy matches earlier in the week, Ken particularly and Joyce showed that basically they are good players. Dick Freeman skipped Pauline Groom and Mike Savage to a 15-13 win in which a 4 on end 8 proved crucial in a tight match; an unexpected win, perhaps, but one showing again that the ability is there. George Barber, with Heather Winup and Phil King, lost 11-25 in a disappointing defeat by a very experienced block (Heather, you complained last night about your South Norfolk team not getting second wood. Where were you three at Hingham?). Stan Groom, with Alan Marshall and Marianne Liles, could not repeat the Yaxham heroics of Tuesday night but fought hard to lose closely 10-15. Still beaten, but things are looking up. 

Things did not look up at home on Wednesday 26th January against the strong Yaxham side, when Connaught were thumped by  44 shots to 94 and 2 points to 8. Star of the night was Ken Lurcock, with Joyce Catling and Moira Eades, who won 19-16. The triple wobbled a little, allowing a 16-10 lead after 11 ends to  be erased to 16-16 after 16 ends, but held their nerve to take the last two ends. Joyce and Ken had particularly good games and are reaping the benefit of playing in other competitions. Dick Freeman, with Dennis Reeder and Marie Head, found themselves playing the John and Christine Turner triple and were simply hammered 5-33. A strongish and experienced block on paper of George Barber with Heather Winup and Phil King did not play to their standard and went down 11-22. Stan Groom, with Don Mowatt and Marianne Liles, also had a bad time and lost 9-23. Connaught 'B' would always have a struggle against Yaxham but Stan will be disappointed with the overall shots difference in a home match. On to better things!

At home to the useful Carleton Rode side on Wednesday 10th February Connaught came up with a heartening result, still losing but by only 67 shots to 74 and by 4 points to 6. No further details of this match have been made available!

Connaught 'B' lost 50-88 and 2-8 to Connaught 'A in a very local derby on Saturday 12th February. The team was encouraged by a splendid start in which Terry Dennis, skipping Alan Marshall and John Askew outplayed Chris Taylor, Derek Liles and Keith Beavers to win 25-10. The other 'A' team blocks proved too strong in the other matches (see above for full match reports). In the post-match speeches, Russell Hales said he was sorry that the 'B' team had had such a bad season and added that there was the ability in the side to improve things; the 'A' blocks had had to fight hard to win on the night. In reply, Stan Groom said the team would soldier on cheerfully this season but he also made a plea for careful squad selection next season. The 'B' team had no obvious or experienced skips and people were playing out of position as a result.

After a series of more competitive performances recently, Connaught 'B' lost very heavily 35-107 and 0-10 at Wymondham on Sunday 20th February. The team was hit by unavailability but to its credit a club with heavy playing commitments still managed to turn out a side. Nevertheless mismatches of this sort are no fun for either team. The bare details are; Dick Freeman with Don Mowatt and Pauline Groom lost 7-35 to Wymondham's strongest block, Terry Dennis with Dennis Reeder and John Askew lost 8-26, Ken Lurcock, with Mike Savage and Phil King lost 11-22, and Stan Groom, with Heather Winup and Moira Eades, lost 9-24. For most of the time Connaught managed to "draw in" but Wymondham drew in better and, under no real pressure, had the power game to take out Connaught bowls almost at will. Makeshift blocks simply could not handle their opponents.

At home to Forncett on Wednesday 9th March Connaught lost 50-65 and 2-8 in a more competitive performance. Alan Pledger (skip), John Askew and Barry Westwood had a tough time against the strong Forncett block skipped by Dennis Rumsby and went down 8-21. Stan Groom, with Alan Marshall and Ann Westwood, fought hard against a slightly stronger block to lose 10-18 and did not always have luck on their side. Ken Lurcock, with Joyce Catling and Phil King, played the Forncett block which came back hard against Sheila Bragg's triple in the 'A' team match last week. Trailing 0-7 after 5 ends Ken's block recovered to be only 9-10 down after 11 ends but then slipped again to 10-18 after 15 ends. Heads did not drop, however, and a good fight back took them to 15-18. Joyce Hazell (skip), Heather Winup and Moira Eades were Connaught's stars of the evening with a very thorough 17-8 victory on Mat 2. All three played steadily and determinedly and their opponents did not get into the match. One of those obviously good players at roll-ups and in internal leagues, Joyce has only recently grasped the nettle of playing in the Breckland League. A calm but very competitive player, she is proving a good asset for the 'B' team. All in all this was a better display by Connaught. Another defeat, certainly, but all things are relative!    

With some regular players missing Connaught suffered another heavy defeat, away to Watton on Sunday 20th March by 92 shots to 43 and 2 points to 8. Furthermore the team played one short as one expected player  failed to turn up. This forced Dennis Reeder and Terry Dennis to face a full Watton block under the usual disadvantages and an 8-33 defeat was the result. Ken Lurcock, with Joyce Catling and Mike Savage, was well-beaten 10-28. Phil King, with Len Thurston and Marie Head fought well to be 8-12 after 12 ends against Terry Crockett's triple but then conceded 11 shots over the last 6 ends to lose 8-23; this apparent concentration factor is a problem for Connaught 'B'. The bright spot came with a 16-8 victory for Alan Marshall, skipping Heather Winup and Moira Eades. In his first full season of Short Mat, Alan is now adapting his outdoor bowling skills to the demands of the game and looking a good player; Heather at lead had a sound game and Moira is a very competitive player.   

In their last home match Connaught put up a spirited performance on Wednesday 23rd March against Banham but still went down 58-84 and 2-8. On Mat 1 Joyce Hazell, Heather Winup and Moira Eades were 2-11 down after 8 ends against D Gray's triple but showed resilience in coming back to 13-13 after 16 ends. Heather and Moira found the mat and Joyce remained calm and steady throughout. Banham then tightened their game, putting pressure on Heather and Moira, and 2 successive 3s gave them a win 19-13. On Mat 2 Stan Groom, Pauline Groom and Phil King fought hard in a tight match agianst R Kerrison's triple (containing Connaught member Ronnie Dunning at 2). 13-16 down after 17 ends they showed great composure and drawing in skill to force Banham into chancy firing; a 3 gave them a 16-16 draw. All three had good games with Phil having a blinder in the number 2 slot. After the break Terry Dennis skipped Brian Cole and Barry Westwood on Mat 1 in an extraordinary match against a triple skipped by Gary Sutton, a former Connaught member. 10-0 up after 4 ends, 10-9 after 8 ends, and 18-9 after 11 ends, Connaught seemed to have the edge but brilliant play by Gary gained Banham a draw 19-19. The leads and 2s on both sides were erratic and the skips had excellent games to cancel each other out. On Mat 2 Ken Lurcock, Joyce Catling and Dennis Reeder had the short straw against Tony Blackburn, Val Footer and Julia Blackburn and went down disastrously  by 10-30. Very good opponents, yes, but Ken on his own admission simply had a poor match and Dennis, who plays very little nowadays, was very rusty. At lead, 2 and skip, as Connaught changed order, Joyce tried very hard but the support was lacking. This match exaggerated the size of the defeat but Connaught had some positives in three very close matches. 

A match somewhat carelessly arranged for Easter Sunday 27th March took Connaught to Wayland for the last match of the season. Connaught lost by 58 shots to 72 and by 2 points to 8; this meant that all 16 matches had been lost. On the tricky mat near to the door (forehand up and backhand down for the righthander), Ken Lurcock, Ann Westwood and Joyce Catling lost 17-24 in a strange encounter. 12-5 up after 8 ends, Connaught then lost the next 8 ends to be 12-24 down. A 1 and then a 4 secured some respectablility at the end. Some risky readings of the head perhaps contributed to the collapse in mid-match. On the adjoining mat, Terry Dennis with Don Mowatt and Barry Westwood had a splendid win by 22-9 after being  only 4-3 ahead after 7 ends. Don has led well when he has played, Barry is unfazed, and Terry is a seasoned bowls player; they played the mat and their opponents without fuss and panic. After the break Stan Groom, Alan Marshall and Phil King formed a strong block on paper, but on the tricky mat against Jane Frary's block they were in for a hard afternoon and lost 8-25. Next door Moira Eades was thrust into skipping and with Heather Winup and Mike Savage fought well to just lose 11-14 in the one close match of the day. 0-5 down after 4 ends Connaught dug in well and in fact won 10 out of the 18 ends; two dropped 3s made the difference. With Heather very steady at lead and Mike now adjusting to Short Mat, Moira was well-supported and played well herself.

Stan Groom naturally is very disappointed at losing every match during the season and feels that squad selection in recent years has turned the Breckland 'B' team into cannon fodder for opposing sides. He intends to return to the subject! The positives are that players like Joyce Hazell, Mike Savage, Moira Eades and Don Mowatt have come through this year and Alan Marshall has built well on minimal Short Mat experience. However it remains true that one or two experienced hands would bolster a side which has become too used to losing and which tends to press the panic button. The Short Mat Committe will need to consider calmly and carefully the problems raised by the 'B' team experience this year.

Breckland League 'B' Match Results

Tens League

There was quite a debate in the Summer about continuing in this league with a majority vote at the AGM rejecting a Committee recommendation to withdraw. The Committee had cited stretched resources, the unpopularity of the scoring system, and the absence of rules preventing last minute postponement of matches. However, the AGM was swayed by the argument that the general standard of play in the Tens League was very high and that the club should always test itself against the best. Mike Parsons will be Team Captain for the Tens League side and will have at his disposal a small but quite strong and very committed squad.    

POSTSCRIPT - a good mid-table finish in a very strong league.

The first match of the season was played at home to Hevingham on Tuesday 19th October and resulted in a good win, 53 shots to 46 and 2 points to 0, against a strong side. Pride of place goes to Ray Wells (Skip), George Barber and Barry Ayton (Barry playing his first match of any sort this season) who won by 18 shots to 6. Coming in at the last minute in place of Sylvia Parsons (all best wishes to Sylvia for her operation), George played brilliantly at lead. On the neighbouring mat Bill Adcock and Keith Beavers had a close and high quality match against Russell Burgess and Vic Woods, just losing by 11-13. After the break Andrew Stratton skipped Mike Parsons and John Winup to an early 7-1 lead. However, this lead was whittled away by a good Hevingham block who won 16-9; at least Connaught were able to 'dig in' and contain. Elaine and Bob Oatway played very soundly to win the second Pairs by 15-11 and were rightly delighted at their performance. A very good start.

The good form was continued with a 62 shots to 50, 3 points to 0, victory over Woodbastwick at home on Tuesday 26th October. Bill Adcock continued his excellent form in skipping Keith Beavers to a 23-10 win over Norma and Peter Jablonwski, one of the best pairs in Norfolk. Andrew Stratton skipped Carol Beavers and Mike Parsons to 14-11 win in the first triples. Carol, in her first league match of the season, and Mike played steadily to give Andrew adequate support and he did the rest in competent style. Elaine and Bob Oatway lost 10-13 in a very tight match but played a good containing game in the match situation. Ray Wells, with George Barber and Barry Ayton, just lost 15-16 after the Woodbastwick skip took the jack from a 3 down position. With difficult away matches next week at Kirby Bedon and Bob Carter Centre the team will have to grit its collective teeth and fight and concentrate for every shot.

Connaught had their 'comeuppance' away to Kirby Bedon on Monday 1st November, losing 26 shots to 67, 0 points to 4, against a very competent side. Bill Adcock and Keith Beavers had the best result when losing by 10-14 in a tight and skilful match. Andrew Stratton's block had some inconsistent moments  and lost 5-16 in a match where Andrew had to make some difficult saves. After the interval Keith  Banks and John Winup played well enough for 13 ends to be 5-13 down but were disappointed to drop a 4 and a 3 on the last two ends despite still challenging their opponents 'in the head'; not challenging enough against good players capable of punishing the smallest error.  Ray Wells , with George Barber and Barry Ayton, dropped a 5 on end 8 to put themselves out of contention but generally fought hard. The team lost but was not disheartened; for most of the time Kirby Bedon had to play very well to win as they did.

Connaught suffered another 0-4 defeat when they lost away to the Bob Carter Centre on Tuesday 9th November by 39 shots to 59. This was a great improvement on the appalling 24-111 defeat in the South Norfolk League and all blocks played very well. Bill Adcock, with Keith Beavers, continued his splendid form with a 15-11 victory. In the other pairs match Bob and Elaine Oatway fought hard before yielding only on the last end to lose 11-12. The two triples did not have such close matches but both were competitive and made Bob Carter play hard to win. Ray Wells, with Carol Beavers and Barry Ayton went down 6-17. Andrew Stratton, with George Barber and Mike Parsons, lost 7-19 although the score was deceptive as Andrew had several good but ultimately unlucky shots.

The losing sequence of away results continued with a 36 shots to 55, 0 points to 3, defeat at Watton on Friday 12th November. Keith Banks, with Mike Parsons and John Winup, had a fairly torrid time against a good block skipped by Terry Crockett in tremendous form. A slight recovery from 2-12 still ended with a 7-19 defeat and this left the other blocks too much to do in this demanding "overall shots" competition. Bob and Elaine Oatway fought well to lose by only 10-11. Ray Wells skipped Carol Beavers and Barry Ayton to a 9-13 defeat; although always behind they "dug in" to contain the score. Andrew Stratton, with Keith Beavers, lost 10-12 but by scoring 3 on the last end ensured that Connaught dropped 3 points compared with a likely maximum of 4. No complaints, because Watton played extremely well on their own mats. Just a feeling of "could have done better". We soldier on!

The benefits of playing at home seem marked in this league, as was evidenced in a good 57 shots to 44, 3 points to 0, win against Coltishall on Tuesday 23rd November. Andrew Stratton skipped Keith Beavers to a sound 19-9 victory in the opening pairs while Russell Hales, with Keith Banks and Sheila Bragg, won the opening triples 15-10 against a very strong Coltishall block. Bob and Elaine Oatway continued their good form by containing their opposite numbers and losing narrowly 10-12. Ray Wells, with Carol Beavers and Barry Ayton, drew his match 13-13. The Tens League demands total concentration with its 'overall shots' scoring system; defeats must be by small margins and every shot counts. A good performance by Connaught. Now for an away win! 

Connaught met Hempnall for the first time in the Tens League, at home on Tuesday 7th December, and were very pleased with a 74 shots to 39 and 4 points to 0 victory. Bill Adcock, with Mike Parsons and Barry Ayton, had a hard struggle but survived to win 14-8. Going through a purple patch, Mike Parsons led extremely well throughout. Next door, Bob and Elaine Oatway continued recent splendid form with a win by 25-6; Elaine was spot on as lead and Bob did his own thing at skip, sometimes against Elaine's advice, but invariably effectively. Ray Wells, skipping Carol Beavers and Sylvia Parsons (welcome back to Sylvia after illness), was 2-9 down after 7 ends but recovered to lose by one shot only, 13-14. The match turned when Carol 'found the mat' but a competent Hempnall block just held on. Andrew Stratton and Keith  Beavers played well as a pair to win 22-11 in a match of very tight heads; Keith Beavers, a natural but sometimes mercurial bowler, simply flowed on the night. Hempnall proved themselves a good side but found Connaught in excellent form on home mats. Can Connaught do it over there?

Connaught travelled to Thorpe Marriott on Tuesday 14th December hoping for victory against a side which had had a bad start to their Tens League season. The team was pleased to win by 63 shots to 43 and to obtain a maximum 4 points. Bill Adcock and Keith Beavers won their pairs match soundly enough by 17-7. On the adjoining mat Sheila Bragg skipped John Winup and Russell Hales to a 14-9 win; they played very well to go 14-5 up after 13 ends but were then a little careless to drop four shots over the next 2 ends. After the interval, Bob and Elaine Oatway had a cut and thrust match for 10 ends or so, but then faded somewhat against good play from the opposing skip to be 10-17 down after 13 ends. A good recovery then reduced the margin to 15-17. Next door, Ray Wells skipped Mike and Sylvia Parsons to a 17-10 win in the second triples; the Thorpe Marriott skip was forced into constant firing, sometimes successfully and sometimes not, and Connaught generally had the edge. Overall Connaught played steadily on fast mats requiring the wide draw. An away win at last! 

After a long gap action resumed with a match at Woodbastwick on Tuesday 18th January. Connaught lost 46 shots to 60 and 0 points to 3. Ray Wells, with Carol Beavers and Barry Ayton, held his own to be only 7-8 down after 9 ends but eventually lost by 8-16. Carol had some difficulty finding the mat and this became more of a problem as the opposition lead and 2 became more accurate. Next door Andrew Stratton and Keith Beavers were leading 10-3 after 9 ends and were seemingly en route for a win; things went downhill as they conceded 12 shots over last 6 ends, all of which were lost. Keith had a very good game throughout and Andrew was steady at skip. The Woodbastwick lead eventually 'found it' and gave the proper support to a very good skip in P Holmes. Final score 10-15. After the interval, Sylvia Parsons skipped Mike Parsons and John Winup to a 15-12 victory. 7-11 adrift after 11 ends, the Connaught triple had played very steadily but were taken out regularly by the opposition skip, J Richmond, who was in tremendous form. However, Connaught were able to exert pressure on the lead and 2 and came through in the latter stages. A good team effort. 2-11 down after 4 ends, Bob and Elaine Oatway had a mountain to climb. They then played very well to be 13 all after 12 ends but eventually succumbed 13-17. A slightly disappointing result because Woodbastwick, with two matches on the same evening, had to split their strength (albeit they fielded some very useful players). 

Hevingham away on Tuesday 25th January was always a tough call and this was proved with a 40 shots to 88 and 0 points to 4 defeat. A late scratching and a late arrival meant a rejigging of the selected side; this probably affected the margin of defeat but not the end result. A scratch pairing of Denny Gardiner and Mark Parsons was 0-17 down after 5 ends against Vic Woods and Russell Burgess and continued to struggle, going down 9-31. Lee Fallows, skipping Mary Fallows and Sylvia Parsons, fought hard but lost 12-19 in a match where their opponents always had the edge. Bob and Elaine Oatway continued their good form in this League by going down 13-19; a dropped 5 on end 12 sealed their fate but the overall score was a little flattering to their opponents. Ray Wells, skipping Barry Ayton and Andrew Stratton, was 3-2 up after 5 ends but the closeness was not maintained; five successive ends were lost and the score became 3-12 and finally 6-19. Not a good evening for Connaught, which can hold its own at home in the Tens League against the very good sides but which has a struggle against them away from home. However, there is much to play for with a string of home matches to come.

Home advantage secured Connaught a good win on Tuesday 8th February by 56 shots to 44 and 3 points to 0 against a competent Watton side. Ray Wells, with Barry Ayton and Sylvia Parsons, won 16-9 against a Watton triple skipped by the formidable Terry Crockett. In a match tighter than the score suggests Sylvia had a tremendous game at 2 and was the major difference between the two sides. In the pairs next door, Denny Gardiner and Keith Beavers struggled to remain in contention against Mike and Marie Bransby and were 6-9 down after 11 ends. Denny then played two magnificent shots on crucial ends to secure a win by 13-10. After the break Andrew Stratton, with Mike Parsons and John Winup, went 8-3 and then 9-5 up after 7 ends against a Watton triple skipped by Maggie Dipple. Watton edged their way back, thanks to some good leading by Daphne Brahay and some amazing forcing shots by Maggie Dipple. Despite losing more ends than Watton, Connaught kept their heads to secure second wood and to win 14-12. In a see-saw match, Bob and Elaine Oatway did themselves no favours by conceding a 5 on end 2 to go 0-6 down. A good recovery saw them 9-6 up after 8 ends but Brian Dibble and June Tudd fought hard to recover the lead; Bob and Elaine won the last end by one shot to tie the match 13-13. This was an enjoyable match between two teams who get on well together, but it was rightly very competitive.  

Away to Hempnall on Friday 11th February, Connaught lost a tightly-fought game by 49 shots to 55 and by 0 points to 2. Denny Gardiner and Keith Beavers held their own for the first few ends against a good Hempnall pair but were outgunned on the night to go down 8-18. Ray Wells, Barry Ayton and Sylvia Parsons started off in whirlwind fashion to go 11-0 up after 7 ends but Hempnall tightened their game after moving the number 2 to lead and destroyed the lead by gaining three successive 3s on ends 10 to 12. Connaught at times played unsuccessful forcing shots rather than draw for second wood but still came back to lead 14-11 after 13 ends. Hempnall then secured a deserved draw by taking 3 shots from the last two ends. After the break, Bob and Elaine Oatway were in a tight match against another good Hempnall pair to be 7 all after 9 ends, but a dropped 5 on end 8 sealed their fate; they recovered well to lose by only 11-14 with Elaine playing two superb backhands on the last end. Andrew Stratton, with Mike Parsons and John Winup, secured Connaught's only block win of the night in a sound 16-9 victory; 9-1 up after 5 ends, the Connaught triple had the occasional wobble but never lost the lead. Andrew maintained his much-improved recent form and John played very steadily. In a match of "ifs and buts" Connaught felt that they should have won but Hempnall can point to the scorecard!   

Connaught travelled to Coltishall on Monday 14th February to be beaten by 41-63 in shots and by 0-4 in points. Before the break things went well enough. Ray Wells, with Barry Ayton and Sylvia Parsons, were a shade unlucky to lose 13-16 having matched their opponents all the way in a hard-hitting game. Barry was accurate and Ray and Sylvia were ideally suited to the type of play necessary. In the pairs Denny Gardiner and Keith Beavers played consistently well to win 12-11 with a dropped 4 on the last end giving a false score to the overall flow of the game. Keith was both accurate and aggressive in his leading and Denny showed all his experience and skill in generally getting the better of a very good opposition skip. After the break things went awry. Sheila Bragg and Russell Hales established an early 7-2 lead but competent opponents gradually got on top and the margin of defeat was 11-16; a hard battle and not a disaster. Calamity struck with the makeshift block of Keith Banks, Mike Parsons and John Winup losing 5-20 to arguably Coltishall's strongest triple (it certainly seemed like it to the three Connaught players!). A dauntingly-accurate lead set the tone and  Connaught were playing catch-up; all three had their moments, with Keith doing well towards the end with some power shots played out of desperation, but essentially "they were stuffed". "Unable to set up heads", "hesitant" and "not positive enough" were amongst the kinder post-match comments from team-mates. The Coltishall mats were brilliant to play on, easy to find and rewarding to the good player. 

Connaught revived with a continuation of their good home form in a 61-50 and 3 points to 0 win against league leaders Kirby Bedon on Tuesday 22nd February. A good start was made by Denny Gardiner and Keith Beavers against N Willard and G Clarke in the first pairs match, Connaught winning 16-9. The heavy shots from the Kirby Bedon pair did not work and played into the hands of Connaught on this occasion, with Keith and Denny's accuracy determining the outcome. Andrew Stratton with Mike Parsons and Bill Adcock was 4-4 after 5 ends but then took the game by the scruff of the neck to run out winners against a Kirby Bedon block which never really got into the game. After the break, Ray Wells with Barry Ayton and Sylvia Parsons lost the first end to J Watson, W Hoggan and P Watson but from then on stayed in front to win 18-7. Ray had an outstanding game and Barry and Sylvia supported well. The second pairs match put Bob and Elaine Oatway against Selwyn and Theresa Goldsmith. Selwyn and Theresa have always played well at Connaught and this was no different; their relentless pressure started to erode Connaught's huge overall lead. 4-26 down after end 14, Connaught needed to win the last end to secure the 3rd point and Bob achieved this by drawing in his last wood. This was a good team performance against a good side.  

Connaught suffered a bad defeat at home to Bob Carter Centre on Tuesday 8th March, 47 shots to 67 and 0 points to 4. The 20 shot margin and maximum 0-4 was identical to the defeat at Bob Carter and echoed similar defeats in the South Norfolk League against a basically stronger team. Before the break things went quite well. On Mat 1 Denny Gardiner and Keith Beavers lost 8-17 to the very strong pair of Steven Bridge and Margaret Hall but played well in a high-quality game in which Steven Bridge had to call upon all his skills to find the edge. On Mat 2 Andrew Stratton with John Winup and Bill Adcock won 17-8, in a precise reversal of fortune, against a triple skipped by Bob Howlett. John at lead and Bill at 2 gained the upper hand early on and Connaught secured a 10-1 lead after 5 ends; Andrew took full advantage by adding to good holding positions. Bob Carter fought back to 8-12 after 9 ends with some good firing from Bob Howlett but Connaught's overall steadiness won the day. All square at half time but disaster then struck! On Mat 1 Ray Wells, with Mike and Sylvia Parsons, was 2-12 down after 9 ends against a strong triple in Brian Saunders (skip), Pat Saunders (2) and Sue Hunt at lead. Sylvia recovered form on moving from 2 to lead, Mike maintained his steadiness and Ray was under less pressure. 10 shots in 4 ends brought Connaught to 12 all after 13 ends. Instructions from the touchline then moved Brian Saunders to 2 and he demolished Connaught's holding position to secure a 4 on end 14; another 2 one end 15 and Bob Carter won 18-12. On Mat 2 Bob and Elaine Oatway secured a 5 on end 2 to go into a good early lead. A 2 on end 7 and a consolation 3 on end 15 was all they got after that as M Woods and K Bridge demolished them 24-10. Bob and Elaine were very disappointed afterwards; with wiser shot selection they might have reduced the margin but the opposition was simply too good.   

Connaught finished their season in the Tens League with a home match against Thorpe Marriott on Tuesday 15th March and won by 56 shots to 50 and by 2 points to 0 in a thrilling encounter. On Mat 1 Andrews Stratton with John Winup and Sylvia Parsons established an early lead and held on to be 11-5 up after 11 ends. The opposition triple played well throughout and fought gutsily to secure an 11-11 draw with 6 shots over the last 4 ends. The match was one of very tight heads and the Thorpe Marriott 1 and 2 played very accurately to maintain the pressure. On Mat 2 Denny Gardiner and Keith Beavers were behind from end 2 to end 13 but won each of the last two ends by 3 shots to be 17-13 up at the end. This again was a high-quality game with all kinds of shots being played; Denny and Keith,  now a well-established pair, kept their nerve at the end. After the break things went disastrously for Connaught at first. After 7 ends Ray Wells and Elaine and Bob Oatway were 3-11 down on Mat 1 and on Mat 2 Sheila Bragg and Russell Hales were 1-9 down. An overall lead of 4 shots had become a deficit of 12. Sheila and Russell then swapped positions as did Ray and Bob. The change worked wonders on Mat 2 as Sheila and Russell stormed ahead to win by 22-9 in a remarkable turnaround. The triple next door tightened their game, and although still losing by 6-17 helped to ensure a Connaught victory overall under the "shots take everything" scoring system.

Connaught have won 8 matches and lost 8 in this very strong league and finished in 5th position out of 9 teams. Several of the teams in reality are groupings of well-known players and only to an extent come from the communities bearing their name; this helps to explain the testing challenge of this League. The overall shots scoring system also helps concentrate the mind; one block losing badly, after three have won narrowly, can lose the match. Some people do not like this system but under it every player is forced to play for every shot; no relaxing and no shrugging of shoulders.  Only one home match was lost (against Bob Carter Centre) and only one away match was won (against Thorpe Marriott), revealing statistics. A small squad, captained well by Mike Parsons,  can feel satisfied with its performance but knows that next season it must up the skill level and the concentration away from home.        

[Click Here for Norfolk Area League Tables]

Tens League Match Results

South Norfolk League

Heather Winup is again  Team Captain as the Club enters its second season in the South Norfolk League. Club members enjoyed going to new venues last year and meeting new teams. Heather is continuing the policy of mixing and matching players from the Club's different sides, but has decided on a smaller squad and more settled blocks; selecting by rotation last year from 30 or so players was not easy! The squad is quite strong, particularly when certain people return from trips to Australia and New Zealand, and will be reasonably competitive with a top half of the table target.

POSTSCRIPT - target met/prediction confirmed with a good 5th position out of 11 teams.

The first match of the season, at Thurton on Monday 13th September, arrived a little early with several players stepping on a mat for the first time since April and having played outdoors the previous day. However, most people adjusted very well and the team was delighted to win by 53 shots to 51 and 6 points to 4. The result hinged on the last match to finish, when Mary Fallows, John Winup and Chris Taylor had a 5 on the final end to secure the two points for an overall shots advantage. 

The good form was continued with a 66 shots to 44, 8 points to 2, victory at home against Mulbarton on Monday 20th September; the blocks skipped by Sylvia Parsons and Ray Wells had high-scoring wins.  

Euphoria disappeared at the Bob Carter Centre on Tuesday 28th September, when a 24 shots to 111, 0 points to 10, defeat was frankly humiliating. Andrew Stratton skipped Hazel and Keith Banks to a respectable 8 shots to 15 defeat but details of the other losses are best kept for private grief. Full credit to a very good Bob Carter side, in full control on difficult mats for visitors and where they have not lost for several years; they rightly showed no mercy as they piled on the shots. However, that is no excuse for a dreadful Connaught performance by a reasonable side on paper, which should have given Bob Carter a closer game. Individuals must look at their technique and temperament when under pressure; the team has to regroup and quickly.

Some self-respect was rediscovered when the team won 56 shots to 51, 6 points to 4, at Wreningham on Sunday 3rd October. We were delighted to welcome back Bill Adcock, who skipped Heather Winup and Ken Lurcock to a 17-7 win. After almost a year's absence from competitive bowls, Bill showed that the skill level remained very high; the Club's teams have missed him a lot. Ray Wells skipped Len Thurston and Alison Rush to a 14-13 win; Ray showed a cool head on the last end by taking out the jack with his last shot. Chris Taylor skipped John Winup and Moira Eades (in Moira's first league match) to a 15-16 defeat; having played well, the trio threw the match away by conceding 5 on the 14th end. Keith Banks, with Marie Head and Hazel Banks, fought doggedly against a good Wreningham block but went down 10-15. Conceding a 5, midway through the match, also sealed the fate of Keith's block.

The next match, at home to Eye on Monday  11th October, produced a 51 shots to 58, 4 points to 6, defeat. Despite losing everybody enjoyed a close contest against a good and sociable side. Russell Hales, with Joyce Catling and Ken Lurcock, was seemingly down and out at 4-11 after 12 ends. A 3, then a 1, held out some hope and the last end produced an extraordinary 5 to give the home block a 13-11 win. With 5 Connaught bowls clustered round the jack the Eye skip missed his only two fires of the evening. Andrew Stratton, skipping Hazel and Keith Banks, saw a 10-8 lead drift to a 10-17 defeat over the last 4 ends. The Eye skip, R Snell, had a brilliant game. Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and John Winup played a tight and steady match, taking a 14-3 lead after 7 ends and holding on to win 17-12 after the Eye block 'found' the mat. With Dennis Reeder, a last minute replacement stepping on to a mat for the first time this season, and  Moira Eades still new to competitive short mat, Sheila Bragg was possibly  in for a difficult evening. 10-0 down after 4 ends the block then held their own to finish 11-18. Moira again showed encouraging form as she gained in confidence and Sheila had some very good ends.

Monday 25th October saw a good team performance in a 68 shots to 38, 10 points to 0, victory over an Earsham side which played better than the score suggests. Chris Taylor, with Mary Fallows and John Winup, won a keenly-contested match 13-9. Sheila Bragg, with Heather Winup and Marie Head won 16-10 with a 6 on the 13th end proving decisive. The firing by the Earsham skip, often very successful, did not work on that end. Nervous and shaky to start with, Marie improved her game considerably under strict guidance from Sheila! Russell Hales, with Joyce Catling and Ken Lurcock, established an early lead which was never lost. A dropped 3 on end 13 was offset by a winning 4 on end 14 and the match was won 17-11. Keith Banks, with Hazel Banks and Derek Liles, had a storming 22-8 victory in which the entire block played very well. In three of the matches Earsham were well in the hunt until the 10th/11th ends but Connaught, on this occasion, withstood the pressure.

Action resumed on Monday 8th November, after a two-week gap, with a home victory against Horsford SMBC by 73 shots to 39 and 6 points to 4. Russell Hales, skipping Joyce Catling and Ken Lurcock, had a resounding 23-6 win with Ken having one of his best matches of the season; his game is best suited to the No 2 position. On the adjoining mat Sheila Bragg, with Heather Winup and Moira Eades, built up an early 5-0 lead, but this was eroded by a strong Horsford block which won 14-10. The Connaught triple lacked firepower and adjustments are being made for the next match. After the interval, Keith Banks, with Hazel Banks and Derek Liles, had an overwhelming win by 30-5; the entire block played very well and gave their opponents no opportunity. Chris Taylor, with Mary Fallows and John Winup, had a different experience against another strong Horsford block. The match was always very tight and very tense, with the Connaught drawing game opposed by constant firing from the Horsford skip. 10-8 up after 13 ends and holding on end 14, Connaught saw another fire 'take them out' and went 4 down and then 2 down on end 15. Another 14-10 defeat. Pleased to win overall, Connaught were still disappointed not to clinch at least one of the two close matches. 

Connaught came second, by 33 shots to 64 and by 2 points to 8, away to Saxlingham on Monday 15th November. A strong side, particularly at home, Saxlingham were very steady at 1 and 2 throughout and had skips always very confident in going for the forcing shot. Sheila Bragg, with Hazel and Keith Banks, was in a very close match until a dropped 3 on end 11 put her 7-11 down and playing catch-up; Saxlingham won 15-9 and generally had the edge in a good quality contest. Russell Hales, with Joyce Catling and Ken Lurcock, had a devastating 4-22 defeat against a block well-skipped by Geoff Briggs. The Saxlingham No 2, Sheila Hook, hardly missed a shot all night and Russell, as skip, had a fruitless task; end of story. Chris Taylor, with Mary Fallows and John Winup, lost 9-17 in another good-quality match where the margin was perhaps a trifle flattering. Norman Auker, the left-handed Saxlingham skip, was in tremendous form and constantly fired Connaught out of holding positions. Ray Wells, with Heather Winup and Derek Liles, was Connaught's success story with a 2 on the last end securing an 11-10 victory; Ray had a brilliant draw on that end. Heather, at lead, had another very good match and Derek showed solid form yet once more; they supported the skip very well by observing the basics. But in general Connaught must 'get bowls behind' more consistently; drawing close but only jack-high is fatal against aggressive sides.  

Connaught recovered with a sound 56 shots to 47 and 8 points to 2 victory away on Friday 26th November to Coronation at Great Moulton. Chris Taylor, skipping Mary Fallows and John Winup, drew the short straw by playing a block containing county players Collee and Dave May and going down 2-19. Connaught fought hard to contain but were remorselessy taken out by Dave May on many occasions when holding. On the adjoining mat, Bob Oatway, with Alison Rush and Elaine Oatway, had a competent win by 21-10; good drawing and Bob's power when needed were too strong for the opposition. After the break Russell Hales skipped Joyce Catling and Ken Lurcock to a good 19-9 victory; each player had good individual moments and the block played solidly. Sheila Bragg skipped Heather Winup and Derek Liles to a 14-9 win and was grateful for an early 9-0 lead after four ends. The Coronation triple got it together after that and caused a few wobbles but Connaught had too much in hand. 

Away to Hempnall on Friday 10th December, Connaught lost by 67 shots to 38 and by 10 points to 0. Chris Taylor, with Mary Fallows and John Winup, lost 10-15 to a block skipped by the very competent Roger Parker. Mary and John both had probably their best matches of the season and Chris was steady against a class player who saved his side on several occasions. 6 all after 8 ends, Connaught dropped a 5 on end 9 when a decision to draw in for 3 rather than 'put one behind' proved fatal. Russell Hales, with Joyce Catling and Ken Lurcock, lost 7-20 to a block with more precision and firepower. The Connaught trio played steadily but it was not their night; losing the last 6 ends 0-9 perhaps was a bit hard on them! Sheila Bragg, with Heather Winup and Derek Liles, lost 8-14 after being 8-9 down after 12 ends; slightly more steadiness throughout the match might have secured a win. Andrew Stratton, with Hazel and Keith Banks, led 10-8 after 10 ends and 13-12 after 13 ends. The block dropped a 4 on end 11 and another 4 on end 14, big concessions in a tight match, and went down 13-18. An 8-2 defeat might have been fairer but the scorebook does not lie! A lesson learnt here; Connaught were the equal of good opponents for 95% of the match but did not take the pressure for the other 5%.

After a lengthy break over Christmas/New Year, play resumed with a home match against Thurton on Bank Holiday Monday 3rd January 2005. A good match ensued with neither side showing any rustiness; Connaught won by 72 shots to 53 and 7 points to 3. A scratch but strong block, Ray Wells skipping Alison Rush and Andrew Stratton, won comfortably by 24-8. All played well with Alison having  a terrific game. Sheila Bragg skipped Heather Winup and Derek Liles to an 18 all tie in a see-saw match. Needing one shot on the last end to level the match, Connaught backed their judgement to "take" one shot rather than risk a difficult shot for Sheila. A close measure went their way. After the break Russell Hales, with Joyce Catling and Ken Lurcock, was leading 7-5 after 8 ends in a close match. A 5 on the 9th end enabled them to draw away and steady play secured a 19-9 win. Chris Taylor, with Mary Fallows and John Winup, lost 11-18 in a match where an 11-2 deficit after 5 ends gave them too much to do. They all played steadily but the Thurton number 2 and skip had very good games and took their block to a deserved win. All in all a good start to the second half of the season.

Away to Mulbarton on Wednesday 12th January, Connaught lost by 41 shots to 45 and by 2 points to 8. All in all a rather heavy defeat given the small overall shots difference. Sheila Bragg, skipping Heather Winup and Keith Banks, had an  excellent game personally as her block won by 15-5 on a very tricky mat apparently playing differently from usual. Heather was steady and Keith provided intelligent support in a good team effort. Next door Chris Taylor, with Mary Fallows and John Winup, just lost out in a very tight struggle by 8 shots to 9. All 6 players had good games, with tight heads and one no-scoring end typifying the play. After the break Bob Oatway, with Alison Rush and Elaine Oatway, established an early 4-0 lead but things went downhill thereafter and they lost 8-16. Mulbarton were simply steadier throughout and, with Paul Baker a very useful skip, Connaught struggled. On the adjoining mat Russell Hales, with Joyce Catling and Ken Lurcock, lost 10-15 on the tricky mat. Connaught won 8 of the 15 ends but conceded too many 2s and 3s. Joyce and Ken perhaps had not absorbed the lessons from Sheila Bragg's match and to those watching seemed often to choose the wrong side of the mat when bowling. The result overall disappointed Heather Winup, the captain, who felt that 4-6 would have been a better reflection and that more determination to get second wood could have secured 2 points for overall shots after Sheila's big win.   

At home to the formidably strong Bob Carter Centre on Monday 17th January, Connaught's mixed strength South Norfolk team took a fairly predictable hiding and went down by 33 shots to 76 and 2 points to 8. Sheila Bragg, with Derek Liles and Keith Banks, won by 12-11 in a dogged performance. Derek led exceptionally well,  Keith was very steady and Sheila could play pressure shots. She did so brilliantly with the last shot of the match. For once Derek and Keith had not drawn in and Sheila achieved shot wood with a finely-judged draw in a difficult position. Next door, Ray Wells skipped Heather Winup and Andrew Stratton in a block looking quite strong on paper. Paper amounted to nothing as they were hammered 22-8 and it took a 4 on end 14 to secure half their shots! After the break, Russell Hales skipped Hazel Banks and Ken Lurcock against what was probably the opposition's weakest block (a comparative term!) and stuck with it to be 10 all after 13 ends. A dropped 4 on end 14 settled the match and Russell lost 10-16. On the adjoining mat,  Chris Taylor with Mary Fallows and John Winup had an almighty thrashing by 27-3. By their own standards they did not play badly but the opposition was far too good. This block is perhaps losing too frequently, despite battling hard, and has lost its spark; time to break them up? It was a lesson to play a team comprised almost totally of County 'A' players. Their leads were devastatingly good (only Dere