Connaught-Bowls-Club

A very strong Short Mat club, certainly in terms of the numbers of regular players, Connaught has arranged its usual very busy playing programme of external league matches, internal competitions and regular "roll-up" sessions for those many members who prefer to play on a purely social basis. Ken Lurcock remains in post as Short Mat Chairman. Russell Hales is again Club Short Mat Captain and specifically will captain the Breckland League 'A' team. Stan Groom is again captain of the Breckland League 'B' team. In further evidence of "no change" Heather Winup again takes on the captaincy of the South Norfolk League team and Mike Parsons of the Tens League team. Sheila Bragg remains as Short Mat Secretary and there is one new face in Philomena (Phil) King, who will organise all the internal competitions.

SHORT MAT EXTERNAL LEAGUES

Breckland League

The Club is once more running two teams in what is its local league. Connaught have won the championship for four years on the trot through its 'A' side. Conversely, the 'B' side has regularly finished bottom in recent seasons. In efforts to redress the balance a little, some revamping of squads has taken place for this new season. The 'A' team will operate with a smaller squad and will be hoping that illness does not intervene! There are also one or two changes in personnel; Diana Adcock, a very good lead, has returned to play regularly and Alan Marshall, a good green bowler adapting well to short mat, has been promoted to the squad. Otherwise the squad comprises players regularly appearing last year. At full strength, the 'A' team remains very strong but could suffer if absences take their toll. Yaxham, Banham, Forncett and Watton are all good sides who will be gunning for Connaught once more and are strong title contenders. They can rest assured that Connaught will give them nothing; titles must be earned!

Captain Stan Groom having made his point very strongly, Connaught 'B' has a much stronger squad on paper this season. Chris Taylor and Mary Fallows have been released from the 'A' squad, and Alison Rush, Elaine Oatway and Bob Oatway are available fulltime after mainly playing league bowls for other clubs last season. These five experienced players will surely add some depth and, one has to say, some backbone to a side which became too conditioned to losing and too prone to push the panic button. The other squad players are all useful performers within the club but must start to raise their game in the league environment. Not finishing bottom is a realistic but minimum target; this squad is capable of rising two or three places.

It is frustrating at Connaught to have good players on the books who do not wish to play league bowls; some of these could make the 'A' squad and certainly would be regulars in the 'B' squad. Several of these players have been registered this year and will at least help out in emergency; that is a good sign.

BRECKLAND 'A'

Connaught travelled to Forncett on Thursday 13 October for their first league match of the season. The game was as tough as expected and Connaught went down by 51 shots to 66 and by 4 points to 6. Bill Adcock, with Diana Adcock and Alan Marshall, found himself against a triple in top form and skipped excellently by A Aldridge. Connaught were never really in it, 4-13 down after 9 ends and 6-20 down after 15 ends; the final margin was 10-21. Nobody played really badly. Diana was sound throughout and Alan, although sometimes too short, had bad luck with a number of good shots. Andrew Stratton, with Keith Banks and Lee Fallows, faced possibly Forncett's strongest block on paper and was in a nailbiter of a match. Things went evenly from the outset until a 5 for Connaught on end 9 secured a 12-7 margin. This was more or less retained and Connaught went into the last end leading 17-14; good play from the Forncett skip, Dennis Rumsby, saw his side holding 3 with Andrew to play the last shot. Andrew's nerve held and he took out 2 shots; 17-15 to Connaught after a high quality match. Ray Wells, with Keith Beavers and Sylvia Parsons, established an early 4-1 lead but this was deceptive as another good Forncett triple gained control to lead 12-5 after 13 ends. With Sylvia and Keith exchanging places, parity was restored and the final margin of defeat was 10-17; all the Connaught players had good moments but lacked consistency on the night. Sheila Bragg, with Derek Liles and Russell Hales, faced possibly the noisiest triple in Norfolk in a match which was very close throughout. 11-8 up after 13 ends and 13-10 up after 16 ends, Connaught dropped 3 on end 17. On the last end, with Sheila to play the last shot, Forncett were holding 2; like Andrew, Sheila held her nerve and took the opportunity of a controlled drive to move the jack near a Connaught chalker in the ditch. 14-13 to Connaught. Two final shots thus secured Connaught 4 points, although obviously there is more to it than that. On their own mats Forncett look a very good side and 4-6 was not a bad result.

At home to Connaught 'B' in the derby match on Saturday 22 October, Connaught 'A' showed greater firepower, concentration and competitive nous in winning by 96 shots to 43 and by 10 points to 0. Andrew Stratton (skip), Keith Banks and Lee Fallows were given a tough game by Chris Taylor (skip), Judith Adam and Joyce Hazell before winning 23-13; they gradually dominated after being held to 11-11 after 11 ends. Each triple in fact won nine ends, but two 4s and one 5 gave the 'A' triple a good margin; conversely, they kept it tight on losing ends. Bill Adcock (skip), Diana Adcock and John Winup beat Bob Oatway (skip), Elaine Oatway and Dick Freeman by 20-7 in a much closer match than the score suggests. Diana just got the better of Elaine and then Dick at lead; she delivered well-positioned woods behind the jack. Under little pressure from Dick Freeman, who had a bad night, John had plenty of room and drew in consistently; Bill had a very good match, winning several ends with skilful play. Credit to Bob and Elaine, in particular, who contained the opposition to ones and twos throughout. Ray Wells (skip), Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons overwhelmed Stan Groom (skip), Heather Winup and Moira Eades by 29 shots to 7; in particular they dominated the last nine ends after their opponents contained the score to 9-5 in the first half. Mike and Sylvia discovered form after a patchy start to the season; in particular Sylvia was back to her destructive best and Ray, under little pressure, consolidated as necessary. Heather was steady against Mike but her best shots were usually taken out by Mike or Sylvia; Moira found the line but lacks power and pace at this level. Stan was under too much pressure throughout. Alison Rush (skip), Joyce Catling and Ken Lurcock for a long time looked likely winners against Sheila Bragg (skip), Derek Liles and Russell Hales, leading 11-9 after 10 ends and 16-15 after 14 ends; they then lost the plot and their concentration to go down 16-24. With Joyce very steady against Derek, Alison and Ken played well enough to force Sheila and Russell to change positions; the move worked as Sheila looked more comfortable at 2 on the night.

On Monday 24 October Connaught travelled to Hingham and registered another good win, by 87 shots to 45 and by 8 points to 2. All four matches were played simultaneously. On Mat 1 Bill Adcock (skip), Diana Adcock and John Winup lost a very tight match by 12-11. Connaught won 10 ends, 9 by one shot and 1 by two shots. Hingham won 8 ends, 6 by one shot and 2 by three shots. Until end 17, when Hingham went 3 up, there were never more than two shots in it. The quality matched the closeness, with all six players drawing well on a tricky mat and the two skips playing with pace when the situation demanded. 9-8 up after 15 ends, Connaught dropped a critical 3 on end 16; holding woods were moved by Hingham and both John and Bill failed with forehand drives to break up a good Hingham head. Connaught got 2 on the last end and just failed to measure in 3. On Mat 2 Andrew Stratton (skip), Keith Banks and Lee Fallows won 28-13 with all three playing very well. 6-6 after 6 ends, Connaught secured two successive 5s and established a good margin; Hingham fought hard but dropped a 6 on end 14 to go 10-27 down. The two 5s and the 6 apart, Hingham "won" 13-12 and the value of second wood was starkly revealed to them. On Mat 3, Ray Wells (skip), Keith Beavers and Sylvia Parsons struggled a little at first to be 3-7 down after 8 ends; the recovery then came and they went 10-7 up after 12 ends, 14-10 after 15, and won finally by 19-11. This was a good team effort; all three players had a very solid game. On Mat 4, Sheila Bragg, Derek Liles and Russell Hales were shell-shocked to be 0-6 down after 2 ends but then adapted their game to a mat requiring a very narrow line. They completely dominated their opponents, who won only 3 ends from that point on, and Connaught's final margin was 29-9. Bill, Diana and John went home to reflect on what might have been, but overall this was a good win.

Connaught played Yaxham at home on Wednesday 9 November and as usual between these sides the match was close and tense. Connaught just edged it by 62 shots to 55 and by 6 points to 4. Bill Adcock, with Alan Marshall and John Winup, was 6-7 down after 10 ends but then dropped a 4 on end 11 and then another 4 on end 14 to be 7-17 down; Connaught recovered a little to close the gap to 12-19. Alan and John generally drew in well and achieved something like parity with their opponents; nevertheless they would have wished to put in better back woods. Bill Adcock was faced with a firing skip in Denny Cross who had a night when things went his way; he was well supported and Yaxham deserved their win. On the adjoining mat Lee Fallows, with Keith Banks at lead and Mike Parsons in the unaccustomed position of 2, established a convincing 13-1 lead after 5 ends. Yaxham fought back but the Connaught triple had too much in hand and won 21-11. Keith and Mike played very solidly throughout and Lee, in a fine run of form, built on this base with some very accurate shots. After the interval Sheila Bragg, with Carol Beavers and Russell Hales, was always struggling against Owen Secker's triple; Rita Secker had a fine game at lead. The Connaught players all had good individual moments and just about kept in touch. However, despite positional changes, they did not click as a block and perhaps were over-preoccupied with the supposed vagaries of the mat; the margin of defeat was 10-19. Ray Wells, with Keith Beavers and Sylvia Parsons, faced John and Chrissie Turner in a potentially very difficult match. The Connaught triple rose to the occasion and dominated the opposition to win 19-6 and this margin clinched 2 points for overall shots. Keith had a magnificent game at lead and Sylvia built well on this as she mixed weight and precise drawing; with heads generally in his favour, Ray Wells played very confidently throughout to close the game down. This was a match in which very talented Yaxham players, put under considerable pressure, simply could not play to their usual standards.

Connaught played fellow title contenders, Banham, at home on Wednesday 16 November and won by 78 shots to 54 and by 8 points to 2. On Mat 1 Andrew Stratton, with Keith Banks and the very talented Lee Fallows, skipped what is probably Connaught's strongest triple at present; they had another good match, against Roger Kerrison's triple, and won 28-8. The key was the tightness of the drawing, both to the jack and for back woods, and the ability to demolish a head when necessary. On Mat 2 Bill Adcock, with Diana Adcock and John Winup, was in the closest match of the evening against Gary Sutton (skip), Stan Footer and Michael Souter. Neither triple ever secured a big lead and the match was mostly a drawing contest on a mat which provided one or two funny runs on the night (the Connaught players being equally bemused!). Diana Adcock and Stan Footer had a high quality contest at lead, with very little between them; John Winup and Michael Souter were less accurate although both had very good ends throughout. Bill Adcock and Gary Sutton had a tremendous tussle with Gary playing some superb shots in often difficult positions; Bill had trouble early on when playing weight but his experience just won the day as Connaught, 13-14 down after 16 ends, edged it 18-14. After the break , Ray Wells, Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons were surprised by a new-look Banham triple skipped by J Williamson which proved far too good on the night. 6-5 up after 6 ends, Connaught slumped to 6-14 after 10 ends; despite Ray and Sylvia changing positions Connaught could not revive and went down 13-23. This match mirrored the Andrew Stratton match on the same mat, but this time Banham drew better and controlled the game tactically throughout. Sheila Bragg, with Derek Liles and Russell Hales, played what Connaught considered Banham's strongest triple, Julia Blackburn (skip), Val Footer and Tony Blackburn. Home or away, Connaught rarely beat these three but on this occasion everything went right. Derek and Russell found the mat consistently and gave Sheila an advantage on most ends; as usual in those circumstances she consolidated well. Connaught won end after end to lead 19-3 after 14 ends; Banham made the score better to win the last four ends. 19-9 to Connaught. A good result for Connaught but Banham have the home match to come!

Connaught travelled to Wayland on Sunday afternoon 20 November and won the match by 75 shots to 60 and by 7 points to 3. On Mat 1 Ray Wells, with Alan Marshall and Denny Gardiner (replacing the unavailable Mike and Sylvia Parsons) won by 21 shots to 15 after surviving a threatening Wayland comeback. Playing steadily, with Denny showing good form after little practice, Connaught established a reasonable 13-7 lead after 11 ends but Wayland recovered to 14-14 after 15 ends. Connaught came back with a successive 3 and 4, with Ray's power shots demolishing good Wayland positions; the final margin was 21-15. On the swinging Mat 2 Bill Adcock, with Diana Adcock and John Winup, was 6-6 after 9 ends in one of those very tight games; unfortunately the sequence was broken with a 5 to Wayland as their skip, Murray Hector, played some clever nudge shots. Connaught pulled back to 11-14 after 15 ends but the final score was 11-19 down as a useful Wayland triple continued to play well. Diana and John both drew very steadily throughout the match and Bill had some very good ends but the same comment applies to their opposite numbers; perhaps Connaught should have tried to break up the game more by taking risks on the difficult sides of the mat. After the break Sheila Bragg, with Derek Liles and Russell Hales, played Jane Frary's triple, always a difficult prospect at Wayland. A 4 to Connaught on end 1 was a useful start because they still found themselves 8-14 down at the halfway stage; they looked very vulnerable as Sheila and Russell indulged in a few domestic exchanges! The move of Russell to skip and Sheila to 2 worked well, but improved play from Derek was a very important factor as Connaught took the lead 15-14 after 13 ends. The match then became very taut; 15-18 down after 15 ends, 18-18 after 16 and 18-19 after 17. Connaught played a tidy last end to secure 1 shot and a 19-19 draw, a very fair result. On Mat 1 Lee Fallows, with Keith Banks and Andrew Stratton, allowed Wayland only four ends in a sizeable 24-7 victory. Moving Lee to skip was a slight surprise, as Andrew had played well in previous matches, but the two players combined well and harmoniously as Connaught dominated play; having a left-handed player, in Andrew, on this mat helped considerably. Keith Banks also led well and free from pressure as any occasional error on his part was mopped up; this triple is looking formidable as the two younger players provide a hard competitive edge.

Connaught beat Watton at home on Wednesday 23 November by 74 shots to 52 and by 10 points to 0, but the victory was hard-earned and the points score might well have been 6-4 only. With Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and Derek Liles all unavailable, Carol Beavers, Keith Beavers and Alan Marshall came into the side and blocks were re-arranged. On Mat 1 Lee Fallows skipped Carol Beavers (lead) and John Winup (2) in a match where Connaught lost 10 of the 18 ends but ground out a last end victory with the final score 18-16. Connaught went 4-5 down on end 5, the only time in the match when they were behind, but a 5 on end 7 gave them a useful 10-5 cushion. Watton refused to die and came back to be 12-12 after 13 ends; Connaught went ahead 16-12 on end 15 but slumped again to 16-16 after 17. A good draw by Carol and a good second by John defeated Watton on end 18. Carol and John both had wayward shots but generally bowled very steadily; Lee had some very good ends but found himself under some pressure in the second half. On Mat 2 Ray Wells, with Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons, was 6-5 up after 6 ends in a close tussle but then drew ahead to be 12-5 up after 10 ends; a 5 on end 14 killed the match and Connaught were 21-6 up after 15 ends, with the final score being 21-9. The key here was good play all round, but Mike particularly found the mat after the first few ends to play an excellent game and Watton were shut out. On Mat 1 after the break Sheila Bragg (skip), Keith Beavers (lead) and Russell Hales (2) found themselves 2-9 down after 7 ends and sinking fast; the problem seemed to be Watton's ability to set up heads which simply did not suit Sheila's style of play. She and Russell swapped positions, and with more space Sheila's controlled weight game flourished much more; Keith gained in confidence to lead well and Russell consolidated. Connaught pulled up to lead 13-10 after 14 ends but then wobbled a little and the game was poised at 14-14 after 17 ends. As did Lee Fallows' block, Connaught played the last end well, gaining two shots and winning 16-14. On Mat 2 Andrew Stratton (skip), Keith Banks (lead) and Alan Marshall (2) steadily built up a good lead against Terry Crockett's triple; Keith led well, Alan went more boldly for his shots, and Andrew was devastatingly accurate. Terry was often forced into giving away shots in efforts to retrieve something. Connaught were 19-4 up after 14 ends, but then became more interested in the close match next door and also were dragged into banter with Terry; nine shots were lost over the last five ends and the final score was 19-13. Connaught obviously were pleased, but Watton can feel unlucky to have gone away with nothing; the two matches on Mat 1 could easily have gone the other way.

Connaught 'A' played at Carleton Rode on Thursday 15 December and won a very tough match by 66 shots to 53 and by 8 points to 2. On Mat 1 Ray Wells, with Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons, beat Russell Davidson, Gill Davidson and Olive Smith by 18-15. This was a match where one side would be on top for a few ends and then the other took over. Connaught were 0-5 down after 4 ends but played well in the middle period to lead 13-7 after 13 ends. Carleton Rode came back but a 5 on end 16 gave Connaught an 18-10 cushion, Carleton Rode gained five shots over the last two ends to reduce the margin. The key to Connaught's win was a very good performance by Mike Parsons at lead. On Mat 2 Bill Adcock, with Diana Adcock and John Winup had the better of the early exchanges against Beryl Evans, Beryl Papaik and Bob Papaik but were contained to single shot ends. Bob found his range and Connaught trailed 6-8 after 11 and 7-10 after 13 ends; a 4 on end 14 gave Connaught the lead but a dropped 2 followed by a badly dropped 4 saw them 11-16 down. They pulled up a little but lost the match 14-16. The triples were quite evenly matched but Connaught needed more consistency to have won; in particular John mixed the good with the inadequate and on several occasions did not give Bill the back woods requested. After the break and on Mat 1 Sheila Bragg skipped Derek Liles and Russell Hales against Keith Maughan, Pam Rush and Andy Hibberd and won by 18-13. The scores were very close throughout but a 5 to Connaught on end 6 proved crucial as Carleton Rode actually won 10 of the 18 ends. The Connaught triple and onlookers all thought Carleton Rode lost this match through a decision half way through to move Andy to lead and Pam to 2; Pam had easily won the battle at lead but Derek, going through a bad spell, then found much more room and gave Connaught the advantage. On Mat 2 Lee Fallows (skip), Keith Banks and Alan Marshall (a late substitute for Andrew Stratton) played Neil Ramsbottom, Alan Evans and Terry Colley and won by 16-9. The key for Connaught was Keith's leading, very good throughout and exerting pressure; Alan Marshall struggled at first but came good in the second half under Lee's patient guidance. Connaught usually held the advantage when the skips turn came and this just made the difference in a good contest between Lee and Neil, added to which Neil had a night when the bowling luck went against him. The match overall could easily have been 6-4 either way and Connaught were very relieved to come away with an 8-2. The Carleton Rode club made a presentation to Beryl and Bob Papaik, fifteen years team members but playing their last match before returning to the USA. Often a thorn in the Connaught side, Beryl and Bob signed off with a good win.

Connaught 'A' lost their last league match before Christmas by 66 shots to 70 and by 4 points to 6 in a very close match at Wymondham. On Mat 1 Bill Adcock, with Diana Adcock and Alan Marshall beat P King , C Foster and S Foster by 22-13 in a match with many twists and turns. 2-0 up after 3 close ends Connaught dropped a 6, recovered to 6-6 and then went 6-12 down after 8 ends. From that point Wymondham were not in it as Connaught forged ahead to lead 20-12 after 16 ends and 22-13 at the close. Diana, always steady, upped her game considerably to get on top at lead and Alan improved his game dramatically from end 9 onwards. The Wymondham 1 and 2 wilted a bit, Bill built on good heads and Peter King, who had a good game throughout, could not stem the tide. On the adjoining Mat 2 Lee Fallows (skip), Keith Banks and Andrew Stratton had a nightmare start against E Tolyer, M Hallam and D Phillips to be 3-16 down after 8 ends. The Wymondham triple were playing very confidently and Connaught could not dig in to save; Keith went on walkabout at lead and in his absence Wymondham cashed in. When Andrew moved to lead on end 9 and immediately got in the head, the match started to change; Keith improved a little at 2 and Lee came into his own. Connaught pulled up to 13-16 after 13 ends and were 15-18 after 15 ends, looking capable of winning. Wymondham did not panic and a well-played 4 on end 16 essentially gave them the match. Connaught won the last two ends but lost the match 17-22. Connaught won 10 of the 18 ends and will rue the sloppy start. After the break Ray Wells, Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons took on C Mann, M Taylor and S Phillips and were always playing catch-up after going 2-9 down on end 6. All the Wymondham players were accurate throughout and Connaught found it hard to get in the match. Mike maintained recent form to have a good game at lead and Sylvia had some very good ends; however, their opponents probably still had a slight edge. Ray Wells met his match on the day in the shape of Wymondham's young skip, Chris Mann, who played very well to be the deciding factor in Wymondham's 22-11 victory. On Mat 2 Sheila Bragg skipped Keith Beavers and Russell Hales to a hard-fought 16-13 win against A Wood, D Durrant and T Emms. After some edgy early play, with Sheila and Russell starting to have differences of opinion, Connaught settled the nerves with a 4 on end 8 to give them a 10-5 lead. That lead was narrowed to 12-11 after 14 ends but Connaught rallied to lead 16-11 after 17 ends; they dropped 2 on end 18. Keith Beavers played very solidly throughout the game and proved the importance of good leading in a tight match; Sheila and Russell both pulled off pressure shots when it mattered and this was a good win. Wymondham are a quite young and an improving side, play their own mats very well and nowadays are always a potential banana skin for Connaught. As it was, Connaught just failed to gain the 2 points for overall shots; they were leading by 1 shot overall when Sheila and Ray came to play the last end in their respective matches, but Wymondham pulled through with a 2 and a 4. A 4-6 defeat away is unwelcome but not a disaster.

At the halfway point at the Christmas break, Connaught 'A' top the league table with 65 points from 9 matches, Yaxham are second with 53 from 8, and Banham third with 49 from 8. Carleton Rode, Wymondham and Forncett are having good seasons and are not too far back. The battle for the league title is likely to go to the wire and is too hard to call at present. With all clubs having lost at least two matches and with most capable of beating the others on their day, the successful side will have to win its home matches well and contain the margin of the occasional away defeat. Connaught 'A' have done that so far, getting 4 points at Forncett and 4 at Wymondham in losing encounters, but will be mindful of having to play away at both Yaxham and Banham in the New Year.

With Yaxham maintaining full pressure in the title battle, Connaught were delighted with a win at home to Carleton Rode on Wednesday 11 January by 89 shots to 45 and by 10 points to 0. On Mat 1 Andrew Stratton (skip), Derek Liles (lead) and Lee Fallows (2) were too strong for Russell Davidson, Crick Carver and Olive Smith, winning by 23-8. The Connaught players admitted afterwards that they had the rub of the green throughout and felt that the margin flattered them a bit. Andrew and Lee are in (friendly!) contention for the skip's position in this triple but play very well together in whatever order; Derek continued recent good form with a solid game. Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and John Winup built up an early 6-0 lead against Terry Collyer, Wendy Shooter and Derek Shooter but thereafter had to fight very hard - 16-10 after 17 ends and 19-10 at the finish. Connaught played very steadily throughout but their opponents matched them after finding the mat. Diana played very well at lead but had a difficult tussle with new player Wendy Shooter, who is a real find for Carleton Rode. After the break Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Russell Hales played excellent bowls to beat Keith Maughan, Jill Davidson and Alan Evans; Keith Beavers at lead had a super game. Keith Maughan tried his best but could not out-psyche Sheila on the night! Ray Wells, Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons won 21-17 against Neil Ramsbottom, Pam Rush and Beryl Evans in the evening's closest match. Neither triple could establish dominance and the match was on a knife-edge at 13-13 after 12 ends. On end 13, with the last shot, Ray Wells turned 1 down into 5 up when a powerful and accurate drive took out Carleton Rode's holding bowl; this changed the game but Carleton Rode still came back and Ray Wells had to play two pressure shots on end 17 to secure the match. Carleton Rode are short of playing numbers at present but still have very good individuals who can turn a match; Connaught were pleased at this result.

Connaught beat Wymondham at home on Wednesday 18 January by 78 points to 37 and by 10 points to 0. On Mat 1 Ray Wells, Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons steadied early nerves with a 3 on end 3 followed by a 5 on end 4 to take an 8-3 lead. They extended this to 19-7 after 14 ends but then saw Wymondham come back with a 2 and a 4 on successive ends; Connaught won the last two ends and the match result was 21-13. Mike Parsons showed the value of a lead in good form by giving Connaught the edge end after end and Sylvia and Ray built on this very well; the Wymondham players, very useful performers at 2 and skip on slower and straighter mats, never mastered the pace and swing on Mat 1. On Mat 2 Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and Alan Marshall played very well as a unit to concede only four ends, each by a single shot, and to win 25-4 in dominating fashion. Diana had the match of the season, Alan gained in confidence to play some particularly good backhand shots and Bill rarely allowed Wymondham anything. After the break Russell Hales skipped Keith Banks and Derek Liles to a 17-7 victory in which Connaught were very determined throughout and conceded little; Wymondham won 7 ends by a single shot as Connaught secured second wood. The young Wymondham skip, Chris Mann, still showed his ability in a tough test for him. Sheila Bragg skipped Keith Beavers and John Winup in the closest and tensest match of the evening. 0-4 down after two ends Connaught then took control to lead 14-4 after 10 ends. Wymondham came back with a vengeance, winning six successive ends to reduce Connaught to 14-13 after 16 ends; end 17 was "no-scoring" with a bowl from each side touching the jack. A trifle luckily, Connaught somehow retained a precarious holding shot on the last end to win 15-13. Keith Beavers had a good game throughout at lead and John and Sheila played some good pressure shots. However, Peter King at skip for Wymondham was the player of the match and bowled exceptionally well, particularly on the six successive ends when he demolished several good Connaught positions. Both teams were two players short of full strength, with Andrew Stratton and Lee Fallows significant absentees for Connaught. Connaught were "up" for this match, however, knowing that an improving and generally younger Wymondham side had beaten them home and away in recent seasons. A big "thank you" to Wymondham for being one of the few visiting sides to use the bar and for contributing well to a record raffle for the season.

Connaught played Wayland at home on Wednesday 8 February knowing that Yaxham had exerted further pressure in the title race. Two recent 10-0 victories had brought Yaxham level on points with Connaught but with Connaught having a game in hand. A focused Connaught side beat Wayland by 91 shots to 42 and by 10 points to 0 but the match was not as straightforward as the score suggests. On Mat 1 Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and John Winup took an early lead of 11-1 after 7 ends against M Hector, B Hector and T Rugg but then dropped 5 shots on end 8 after Wayland had disrupted a tight head; Wayland then won three successive ends by one shot to be only 9-11 down. Connaught recovered the 5 on end 12 and then at 16-11 on end 14, but 2 shots down, Bill played a magnificent last shot backhand on a narrow line to hold 3. Wayland did not recover and Connaught won 27-11. Against a useful triple Diana and John played very steady games and Bill was back to usual after a recent dip in form. On Mat 2 Lee Fallows, Keith Beavers and Alan Marshall went from 5-2 up after 4 ends to 16-2 after 7 ends against J Eve, M Cooper and J Prime and won 29-9 as the Wayland triple were unable to exert much pressure. Keith has led brilliantly since forcing his way back into the side and Alan Marshall, a good green bowler, is now settling down well to short mat at this level; the outdoor style was seen in several good forcing shots; Lee has the nerve and self-confidence that go with youth and he had another excellent match. After the interval on Mat 1 Ray Wells, Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons had an early struggle against A Baldry, K Harrison and V Baldry as Ray was slow coming on board; the score was 7-6 to Connaught after 9 ends. With Wayland contesting everything in a good battle Connaught edged ahead to lead 15-8 after 17 ends and then scored 5 on the last end to win a little flatteringly by 20-8. Mike played very steadily at lead throughout the game and Sylvia and Ray used their natural forcing games well to secure vital ends. Andrew Stratton, Keith Banks and Derek Liles had a huge battle against J Frary, J Bean and E Frary before just winning 15-14. 1-6 down after 4 ends, Connaught moved Derek to lead and Keith to 2 (to most observers more obvious positions for both players) and this made a big difference against Wayland's best triple. Excellent bowls were played as the score levelled at 10-10 after 13 ends; a 4 to Connaught as Andrew consolidated gave a 14-10 margin and the lead was maintained at 15-11 after 16 ends. Jane Frary then played two of the evening's best shots to pull 2 back and on end 18 Wayland played well t0 be 2 shots up with Andrew having last shot; he drew in well to cut out one and give Connaught victory. Next week's match at Yaxham now looms large!

Connaught travelled to Yaxham knowing that the home side's recent good form had stumbled with a surprising 4-6 defeat at Carleton Rode but knowing also that Yaxham remained dangerous opponents on home territory especially. And in recent years Yaxham could claim to have had slightly the better of league matches between the two clubs. In the event Connaught gained one of their most satisfying victories, winning by 67 shots to 54 and by 8 points to 2. On the rather tricky Mat 1 Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and Derek Liles played steadily enough without hitting top form and went down 11-20 to R Harris, D Raffey and G Mash. The Yaxham triple, especially Russell Harris at skip, all had good games and made their own luck in a match which was never going Connaught's way. On Mat 2 Sheila Bragg, Russell Hales and Keith Beavers won 19-9 against D Cross, C Kettley and M Meachen. Connaught had a bad start, with Russell all over the place, but a 4 on end 5 settled the nerves a little. Essentially Keith was keeping Connaught in the match by winning the battle at lead and creating pressure for Yaxham; Sheila also played her part with some crucial saving shots. At 8-9 after 11 ends both sides had to dig deep to force the win and Connaught seemed to have the greater impetus, winning the last 7 ends and securing 11 shots. Keith was again the key in a tremendous game, but Russell came good in this stage and Sheila remained very calm as she consolidated; Yaxham just came off the boil a little. After the break Andrew Stratton, Keith Banks and Lee Fallows had to face both Mat 1 and Yaxham's strongest triple in John Turner, Chrissie Turned and B Steed. Andrew, Keith and Lee individually are Connaught's best players this season and collectively have formed a very strong triple; on paper this would be a tough and close match. And so it proved in a nip and tuck encounter; after being 13-13 on end 17 Connaught just won 14-13. In truth the match was a curate's egg, with some tight heads and very good individual shots but with most of the players a little below their usual standard. For Connaught Keith found the move to lead difficult after recent matches at 2 or skip and never really mastered the conditions or his opponent; Lee was in torment afterwards feeling that his game was below par. Andrew had a good game in general, with his nerve holding for the big pressure shots. For Yaxham, the advantage at lead was not built upon; John and Chrissie played well enough but both missed shots which they usually would have got. On Mat 2 Ray Wells, Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons played extremely well to win 23-12 against O Secker, R Secker and L Steed. This match was very close initially until Connaught moved from 4-6 down after 7 ends to lead 19-7 after 13 ends. Very good leading, from Mike Parsons this time, was a key factor and Sylvia gradually dominated her opposite number as he lost line and length. With good heads being built up Ray played very steadily and sensibly to maintain control. A good win overall and significant in the league battle, but Connaught must now focus on the next match.

The next match was at third-in-the-table Banham on Wednesday 22 February. Banham had had some good recent results and a close match was expected. And so it proved as the sides, both short of full strength, drew by 61 shots to 61 and by 5 points to 5. With four mats in use at the same time, the progress of each match was eagerly pursued as the closeness of the contest became apparent. On Mat 1 Ray Wells, Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons had a miserable time as they went down 6-21 to Roger Kerrison, Stan Footer and Gordon Wilcox. The Banham triple played very well and were brilliantly skipped by Roger Kerrison who had one of those dream evenings. . The reverse happened on Mat 2, where Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Russell Hales soon established control against Ronnie Dunning, Val Hambling and Jim Delaney; a 5 one end 2 gave them a 7-0 lead and another 5 on end 6 took them to 12-4. They ran out winners by 24-11 as Keith again led very well to give Sheila and Russell a good platform. On the night Banham could not maintain any consistency and failed to save shots which would have made a big difference in the match overall. On Mat 3 Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and Derek Liles struggled to stay in touch with another good Banham triple In John Williamson, Peter Hambling and Derek Gray and at 7-14 down Bill and Derek changed positions. The change worked as Connaught pulled up to 13-15 after 17 ends but Banham took the last end by 4 shots with accurate drawing as Connaught were caught between the fire and the draw. On Mat 4 Andrew Stratton skipped Alan Marshall and John Winup to an 18-10 victory against Gary Sutton's triple. Deputising for the absent Keith Banks and Lee Fallows, Alan and John, to their relief, both played very well in support of Andrew; Andrew had a good tussle against a skilful opponent in Gary Sutton, who saved his side from a much heavier defeat. With Connaught winning the battle at lead and 2, Andrew usually had more in the head and behind the jack; he could vary his game steadily while Gary was always having to take risks. Banham did pull up to 8-11 with a 3 on end 15, the only loose end played by Connaught, but Connaught immediately hit back with a 5 as Gary missed a difficult backhand with no supporting woods. The matches won by Connaught on Mat 2 and Mat 4 were finished some time before the two others, which Banham were always likely to win. However, Connaught were 6 shots ahead with the two last ends to be played; Banham did very well to get those back and it remains a mystery why John Williamson on Mat 3 did not attempt a draw with his last shot to go 5 up and win the match overall. In terms of the league title race Connaught were satisfied with the result, particularly as Banham and Yaxham still have to play each other.

Connaught travelled to Watton on Friday 24 February hoping for a good result to consolidate their top-of-table position. Despite indifferent results this season, Watton remain a good side and especially at home; for the second time in the week Connaught had to share the spoils, winning 65-63 on shots but drawing 5-5 on points. On Mat 1 Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Russell Hales were in a tight struggle against G Dibble, J Clarke and B Dibble and just led 10-9 after 12 ends. A 3 on end 13 gave them a margin and they pulled ahead to lead 18-10 after 17 ends. A dropped 3 on end 18 pulled back the score to 18-13, but this was a sound win in which Keith maintained recent good form at lead and Sheila and Russell mixed precision and aggression well on the slowish mat. On Mat 2 Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and John Winup faced T Crockett, B Pointer and P Crockett and played very well for two thirds of the match to lead 17-10 after 12 ends. Diana and John were winning the battle at lead and 2, Bill was consolidating well and Terry Crockett had little to play with. Things changed as Watton started to play much more accurately at lead and 2 and gained two successive 3s on ends 13 and 14; things went worse for Connaught as Terry played really well to take out good holding woods and saw Watton to a 20-17 lead after 17 ends. Connaught won the last end to reduce the margin to 18-20, but in the old cliché had snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Diana and John had lost their accuracy under pressure, put in short woods and left Bill with some impossible retrieving shots; Bill will also admit to one or two inaccurate ends in the last stages. After the break Andrew Stratton, Alan Marshall and Lee Fallows played on Mat 1 against G Gibson, I Dennis and J Gibson (the Gibsons were new players to Connaught except to Carole and Keith Beavers - they had all played for the same club in Hampshire!). Alan had a mixed game from the beginning and Andrew and Lee, now probably Connaught's leading players week in week out, erred tactically in playing a fast mat game on too slow a surface. Connaught won only 3 of the first ten ends and were 3-8 down at that stage against more aggressive opposition; heads were disrupted as Watton took out carefully drawn Connaught woods. Andrew and Lee then swapped positions and changed their approach; the jack was put shorter, back woods were put in and Connaught were prepared to mix it. They pulled up well but just lost 11-12 as Joan Gibson delivered a brave saving shot to cut out two of Connaught's three holding woods on the last end. On Mat 2 Ray Wells, Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons faced M Bransby, D Braham and M Dibble in a match always likely to see some firepower. Neither triple could establish a pattern and the lead constantly changed but with very few shots in it. Ray's technique faltered on the slow mat; the bouncing habit slowed down many deliveries and his play became rather wild as a result. Swapping positions with Sylvia retrieved the position; Ray was under less pressure and Sylvia took the responsibility well. 14-12 after 13 ends, 14-16 after 15, 17-16 after 16, and 17-18 after 17; the score fluctuated constantly. On the last end, after several movements of the head, Sylvia drew in for a vital last shot and the match was tied 18-18. A desperately close match overall in which a rather edgy Connaught side only partly adapted to the conditions; Watton played well but Connaught knew what to expect.

Connaught 'A' played Hingham at home on Wednesday 1 March, winning by 78 shots to 43 and by 8 points to 2 in a match where they had some scares in the firts two triples. On Mat 1 Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and John Winup had a hard fight against R Stevens' triple in a low-scoring match. At 6-6 after 9 ends, Connaught started to make inroads and pulled ahead to lead 14-8 after 15 ends; Hingham still came back and Connaught's final margin was 14-12. The Hingham triple read the mat well, fought hard at lead and were well-skipped. For Connaught Diana had probably her best game of the season with some brilliant leading and many chalkers, although her opponent played gamely and did not lose her nerve under the pressure. John had one or two wayward ends but generally drew in better than his opposite number; Bill was not quite on song and his opposite number both played well and had the rub of the mat. On Mat 2 Andrew Stratton, Keith Banks and Lee Fallows were annihilated by A Marshall, R Oliver and M Stevens in a shock result. Hingham played the erratic mat without fear but Connaught were in total disarray, winning only 2 of the first 15 ends to be 4-17 behind. Lee and Andrew had changed positions well before and eventually they pulled something back and lost 11-18. Andrew can rarely have had such a nightmare, Keith lost it for much of the game (as he had at Wymondham) and Lee had a below par game by his standards. But full credit to the Hingham players, who totally ignored reputations. After the break Connaught asserted themselves. On Mat 1 the in-form triple of Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Derek Liles allowed their opponents six single shot ends and one 2 as they won by 23-8 (including a 5 on the last end). Starting with the advantage of Keith's leading, Sheila and Derek combined well to control the match. Ray Wells, Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons had no problems with Mat 2 as they easily defeated their opponents by 30-5, Hingham winning only five ends and all by a single shot. Again this was good team work, with Mike and Sylvia laying the foundations with accurate drawing in and Ray, after recent poor matches, had a superb game full of confidence. Overall this was a solid enough result and Connaught must not let anything slip in their last two matches (both at home).

Connaught 'A' beat Connaught 'B' by 94 shots to 36 in the 'away' fixture on Saturday 4 March. The recent resurgence by Connaught 'B' did not show itself in a bad defeat. The 'B' side were without Elaine and Bob Oatway, but in the cliché 'will be disappointed' with their performance. On Mat 1 Ray Wells (deputising for the delayed Andrew Stratton), Alan Marshall and Lee Fallows hammered Alison Rush, Judith Adam and Philomena King by 25-6 after being 4-5 down after 6 ends. Judith Adam had a sound game at lead for the 'B' triple but faced a more aggressive player in Alan, Lee Fallows played every shot in the book at 2 where Phil King bowled too heavily all evening, and Ray consolidated easily as Alison had a hopeless task. On Mat 2 Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and Derek Liles had an initially tight game against Stan Groom, Mary Fallows and Heather Winup to be 5-6 down after 7 ends. Thereafter they took control and won 26-10. Diana had another excellent game at lead, where Mary generally did not withstand the pressure. Derek again played very well at 2 but met spirited resistance from Heather, who consistently drew in or took out in something of a lone battle. Bill found very good form from the sound positions given him and closed out Stan for most of the match. After the break for the excellent refreshments provided by Connaught 'B', action resumed. On Mat 1 Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Russell Hales beat Joyce Hazell, Len Thurston and Ralf Ramm by 26-7. At 15-6 after 13 ends the match was reasonably tight but the 'A' triple pulled away over the last five ends. Joyce usually plays 2, sandwiched between the Oatways in a very useful triple, but she played a brave game at skip. Len and Ralf have neither the ability nor the short mat experience at this level, did not adjust their game (Len bowls backhand only and Ralf was too narrow) and left Joyce with too much to do. Mat 2 saw the only close contest of the evening, in which Andrew Stratton, delayed in arrival, combined in place of Ray Wells with Sylvia Parsons and Mike Parsons. They faced Ty Musk, Joyce Catling and Christine Musk and won 17-13 after being 12-13 down after 15 ends. The match was not only close but produced excellent bowling throughout. Joyce had a very good game at lead, just shading it against Mike who nevertheless stayed well in touch. At 2 and skip the battles were very even in sequences of very tight heads, but Sylvia and Andrew produced good shots under severe pressure in the closing stages. On song and concentrating Joyce is an excellent lead, and Ty and Chris have become better players after a year or so elsewhere; unlike most of their 'B' team colleagues, they were not in awe of their opponents and saw this as a match they could win. [CONNAUGHT 'A' ARE NOW BRECKLAND LEAGUE CHAMPIONS FOR THE 5TH YEAR RUNNING. NO TEAM CAN OVERTAKE CONNAUGHT'S TOTAL OF 131 POINTS]

Connaught completed their league programme on Wednesday 8 March with a win at home to Forncett by 77 shots to 50 and by 8 points to 2. On Mat 1 Ray Wells, John Winup and Sylvia Parsons beat A Aldridge's triple by 27-9. John at lead and Sylvia at 2 were in good form, although their opposite numbers put up a fight, and Ray was in very confident mode against an opponent who had some good shots but who did not find the range often enough. Connaught were 18-1 ahead after 9 ends but Forncett did better in the second half. On Mat 2 Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and Derek Liles went down 14-19 to a triple whose skip, Tony Ottewell, had a magnificent match. With the help of a 5 on end 7 Connaught were 8-7 up after 8 ends but then dropped a 5 themselves on end 9. Bill and Derek swapped positions but Derek had the same experience as Bill against Tony, who rescued Forncett end after end in pressure situations with all the shots in the book. After the break, Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Russell Hales faced P Lock's triple on Mat 1 and came through by 18-13. With Keith again leading very well and both Russell and Sheila having steady games, Connaught were on top throughout without ever shaking off three dogged opponents. On Mat 2 Andrew Stratton, Keith Banks and Lee Fallows had a similar match against Dennis Rumsby's triple, always in the lead without ever getting away from their opponents. Connaught finally won 18-9. Keith and Andrew were wayward from time to time, although overall both played well, but Lee was very accurate throughout against a good player in Joan Rumsby and mainly responsible for Connaught just getting on top. Although under no pressure, with the league title won, Connaught wanted to finish on a good note and this they achieved.

Connaught 'A' won their 5th successive league title by the biggest margin for some time, an outcome they did not expect. Calling essentially on only 14 players (Carole Beavers also played once or twice and Bim Wood once), Russell had total commitment throughout the season and illness rarely intervened. Connaught probably had more depth than other sides and also travelled better. The South Norfolk and Tens Leagues provide wider travelling experience for Connaught's players; Watton also play in the Tens League but other Breckland sides, probably through lack of numbers, remain in the comfort zone. Connaught were also fortunate in having two good younger players in Lee Fallows and Andrew Stratton, in a league in which all the teams seem to be growing old together (Wymondham perhaps are the one exception).

Breckland League 'A' Match Results Table

Connaught Match Results 05/06 Season:			Shots		Points
Connaught Match Results 05/06 Season:			For	Against	For	Against
Connaught 'v'	Forncett	Away	51	66	4	6
Connaught 'v'	Connaught "B"	Home	96	43	10	0
Connaught 'v'	Hingham	Away	87	45	8	2
Connaught 'v'	Yaxham	Home	62	55	6	4
Connaught 'v'	Banham	Home	78	54	8	2
Connaught 'v'	Wayland	Away	75	60	7	3
Connaught 'v'	Watton	Home	74	52	10	0
Connaught 'v'	Carleton Rode	Away	66	53	8	2
Connaught 'v'	Wymondham	Away	66	70	4	6
Connaught 'v'	Carleton Rode	Home	89	45	10	0
Connaught 'v'	Wymondham	Home	78	37	10	0
Connaught 'v'	Wayland	Home	91	42	10	0
Connaught 'v'	Yaxham	Away	67	54	8	2
Connaught 'v'	Banham	Away	61	61	5	5
Connaught 'v'	Watton	Away	65	63	5	5
Connaught 'v'	Hingham	Home	78	43	8	2
Connaught 'v'	Connaught "B"	Away	94	36	10	0
Connaught 'v'	Forncett	Home	77	50	8	2

Click Here for Norfolk Area League Tables

BRECKLAND 'B'

Connaught played their first match at home to Wymondham on Wednesday 5th October and lost by 55 shots to 76 and by 4 points to 6. Things looked gloomy after the first two triples were lost quite heavily. Bob Oatway, with Elaine Oatway and Ken Lurcock, went down 8-22 and Chris Taylor, with Mary Fallows and Ralf Ramm lost 13-27. There is little to say other than that Connaught were outgunned; in his first league match, Ralf showed promise but soon realised the difference between roll-ups and the real thing. After the break things went much better. Stan Groom played a captain's game as he skipped Heather Winup and Moira Eades to a 17-11 victory; he was well-supported by Heather, who had a very good game at lead, and by Moira, whose game is becoming much steadier. Alison Rush is a real bonus as a skip this season and she led Joyce Catling and Dick Freeman to a taut 17-16 victory. The Connaught triple recovered well from a big deficit to lead 17-14 after 17 ends and just held on to win. Everybody had their moments; the highlight was an amazing shot by Dick Freeman which turned 5 close holding bowls from Wymondham into one up for Connaught just behind the jack. With Wymondham not quite at full strength, Connaught might have hoped for a narrow win rather than a narrow defeat and the points difference was disappointing. Nevertheless, 4-6 is not a bad result.

Connaught suffered a heavy defeat at Watton on Sunday 16 O ctober, going down by 37 shots to 84 and by 2 points to 8. Alison Rush, with Ralf Ramm and Dick Freeman, was never in it against Terry Crockett's triple; despite changes to the playing order Connaught went down by a massive 4-25. Ken Lurcock, with Judith Adam and Ken Ramsbottom, struggled to make any impact and lost by 9-21. Judith is new to league bowls and Ken Ramsbottom, a very good outdoor bowler, is new to Short Mat altogether; Watton away is a tough introduction! Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Philomena King form an experienced triple and were Connaught's one bright spot as they won 18-13; the match was always tight and evenly poised at 13-13 after 15 ends, but Connaught came through strongly at the finish. Stan Groom, with Heather Winup and Moira Eades, lost 6-25, although this was a match where Connaught perhaps did not deserve defeat on this scale. Watton, although the better triple, repeatedly were forced into very good shots to take out Connaught holding positions. Still early days and Watton appear to have some new players adding yet more depth to an already strong outfit. However, Stan will wish to run these teams closer than 37-84 if Connaught 'B' are to climb the table.

Connaught fought strongly at home to the strong Yaxham side on Wednesday 19 October, losing by 52 shots to 62 and by 2 points to 8. Chris Taylor (skip), Mary Fallows and Joyce Hazell led 9-1 after 6 ends but saw their opponents get on top after that; 9-9 after 11 ends and 11-18 after 17 ends. A 4 on the last end took Connaught to a respectable but rather disappointing defeat by 15-18. Stan Groom (skip), Heather Winup and Moira Eades won 9 of the 18 ends but by one shot only and went down 9-16 against opponents who were strong on paper and who just had the edge; nevertheless a good effort. After the break, Bob Oatway (skip), Elaine Oatway and Phil King looked down and out at 4-13 after 13 ends against a triple containing John and Chrissie Turner; a spirited fightback again saw respectability restored in a losing margin of 13-17; this Connaught triple looks quite well-balanced. Performance of the evening came from Ken Lurcock (skip), Joyce Catling and Ken Ramsbottom who kept in touch in a fluctuating match to be 9-11 down after 16 ends; a 5 on end 17, an unusual bonus against a Yaxham side, and a single shot on the last end gave them a heartening 15-11 victory.

The 'B' had a disastrous evening "away" to Connaught 'A' on Saturday 22 October and were hammered 96-43 and 10-0, a scoreline reminiscent of last season's experiences. (A full match report is given in the Connaught 'A' section above.) Little to say, Stan, but over to you! Time, perhaps, to revisit some of the block make-ups. With many players now registered and available, the possible combinations are perhaps too numerous. Ruthlessness has to be the key.

Away to Forncett on Thursday 10 November, Connaught 'B' suffered another 0-10, maximum points, defeat but managed to contain the shots difference to a respectable 53-74. Connaught in fact had chances in all four matches but lacked the all-round skill to make them count. On Mat 1 Stan Groom, with Heather Winup and Moira Eades, was 9-9 after 9 ends and the triple had played well. Inconsistency then set in and their opponents seized the opportunity to take end after end until they led 20-10 after 17 ends; 3 shots on end 18 reduced the margin of defeat to 13-20. Heather and Moira must shoulder blame; despite a few good individual shots, they started to draw inaccurately and left Stan with too much to do on too many ends. Blaming the mat, as they did, was pointless; adjustment of pace and width were required. On Mat 2 Bob Oatway, with Elaine Oatway and Ken Lurcock, played a good triple skipped by Dennis Rumsby but stayed well in the match to be 8-6 up after 11 ends; Forncett then took control to lead 16-9 after 17 ends. Bob also secured a 3 on end 18 and reduced the defeat to 12-16. The facts are brutal; Elaine and Bob had very good games but Ken did not show up. Visibly suffering from knee trouble (he is due soon for two knee replacements) he had a nightmare of a game and Bob and Elaine on their own could not compensate. After the break Chris Taylor, with Mary Fallows and Ralf Ramm, played on Mat 1; the triple had a bad start and were 1-12 down after 7 ends. Too inexperienced and unsure of himself at 2, Ralf was giving Chris no direction at all and she is a player who needs it. Mary and Ralf swapped places and the triple immediately played much better as a unit, pulling up from 3-16 down after 12 ends to 13-16 after 17 ends; over-anxiety then set in and a dropped 3 made the score 13-19. Alison Rush, Judith Adam and Phil King also found themselves 1-12 down but after 6 ends; they then dominated to be only 15-17 down after 17 ends. A dropped 2 on a ding-dong last end saw them lose 15-19. The key here was that Judith upped her game from steady to good and Phil improved dramatically; a good player at any level, Alison still needs support and once she had it she was more than a match for the opposing skip.

It is easy to be critical from the sidelines (Peter King and John Winup were watching intently with furrowed brows!), but the evidence of this match is that the side lacks solid players at number 2 and that reading the head is patchy. Against that, the side did fight hard but still played the game in a lighthearted manner with much laughter between them and their opponents. This compares (well or badly, dependent on viewpoint) with the cup final atmosphere when teams play Connaught 'A'!

Connaught played Wayland away on Sunday 13 November and went down by 57 shots to 74 and by 4 points to 6. On Mat 1 Ken Lurcock, with John Askew and Ken Ramsbottom, went down to a heavy defeat by 12-26; in truth they never found the mat and a 3 on end 18 just got them into double figures. On Mat 2 Chris Taylor, with Ralf Ramm and Dick Freeman was 1-11 down after 8 ends and another disaster was looming. They pulled themselves together to be 9-11 after 12 ends and 12-12 after 14 ends. At 12-16 after 16 ends they looked to have blown it but a 4 on end 17 brought them level and a single shot on end 18 gave them an unlikely but brave victory. After the break Alison Rush, with Judith Adam and Phil King, was in one of those tight matches which saw them lead 7-6 after 10 ends; they then broke through to be leading 13-6 after 13 ends. Wayland fought back and it was 13-13 with one end to play; Alison kept her head and Connaught gained two shots to win 15-13. On Mat 2 Stan Groom, with Moira Eades and Heather Winup (Heather moving to 2 for this match), was 0-9 down after 4 ends but drew up to 9-9 after 9 ends; Stan lost the plot a little and Connaught were 9-17 down after 13 ends. Heather was moved to skip and Connaught ended 13-19 down. Overall this was not a bad result at Wayland, particularly with Elaine and Bob Oatway not playing. Scorecard examination shows wild fluctuation in the scores on all mats; this perhaps indicates that both sides lacked the determination and ability to find second wood. Stan needs a steady number 2 to play with the Oatways and with Chris Taylor and Mary Fallows; the Alison Rush block is settling down under a seasoned player. His own triple probably needs more power against some sides but their natural drawing game, with just a little more accuracy, will still yield results.

Connaught's next match was at Carleton Rode on Thursday 1 December, where they lost by 48 shots to 68 and by 2 points to 8. The previous evening a meeting had taken place to discuss all the 'B' team problems including those of block composition. Stan Groom skipped his usual partners, Moira Eades at lead and Heather Winup at 2, to a 9-13 defeat in a very tight match against Keith Maughan's triple. No end was won by more than 2 shots and Connaught fought hard throughout; the key period came in the middle of the match, when they moved from 5-2 after 6 ends to 5-9 after 12 ends. They pulled up to 8-9 after 14 ends but could not manage a killer blow. Alison Rush returned to her former club to skip Judith Adam and Philomena King against the formidable Neil Ramsbottom; at 1-11 after 5 ends the Connaught cause looked lost but Alison's triple pulled up to a respectable 13-17. After the break Chris Taylor skipped Mary Fallows and Joyce Catling in a new combination against what, at least on paper, seemed the weakest Carleton Rode triple; Joyce had been moved to 2 in an attempt to address the problem in that position. All expectations were dashed as the Carleton Rode triple played very well throughout and hammered Connaught 23-5. Mary is not often trounced at lead but Jill Davidson was always on the spot; Joyce was ineffective at 2 and Chris herself had one of those nightmare matches. Some relief for Connaught came when Bob Oatway skipped Elaine Oatway and Joyce Hazell to a sound 21-15 win against Bob Papaik. Bob and Elaine have not matched their Tens League form in the Breckland League but at last came good, with excellent support at 2 from Joyce Hazell. A good player, but reluctant traveller in the evenings, Joyce has now committed to the side for the season.

With several first choice players absent through a prior social engagement, Connaught 'B' faced Banham at home on Wednesday 7 December with some trepidation. In the event things turned out quite well, with Connaught losing by 51 shots to 72 and by 4 points to 6. Before the break Connaught did very well. Bob Oatway, with Hazel Banks and Elaine Oatway, just won a close game by 16-14 against John Williamson, Peter Hambling and Derek Gray. An early 8-2 lead after 5 ends proved crucial as Banham fought back well to lead 12-11 after 14 ends, the only time in the match that they took the lead. Connaught reasserted themselves over the last four ends. For Connaught, Hazel had an inconsistent game but redeemed herself from time to time with some excellent woods. Elaine was her usual steady self and Bob, going through a purple patch, just won a good battle at skip. Chris Taylor skipped Mary Fallows and Joyce Catling to a 17-11 win against Roger Kerrison, Ronnie Dunning and Gordon Wilcox. Connaught seemed to have the rub of the green, although all three players also played well, while Banham seemed a bit short of their usual game and not up to it on the day. Connaught had packed strength into their opening triples and after the break simply did not have the ability to challenge two solid Banham triples. Heather Winup skipped John Askew and Mary Dowse against Tony Blackburn, Val Footer and Joyce Gooding and held the line for a few ends with some good saving shots; 5-10 after 10 ends was respectable but a dropped 5 started the deluge and Banham, with Tony playing very well, won 25-7. Heather had moved to lead after 10 ends to get something in the head but with Mary having played very little this season and with John physically incapacitated, Banham had a field day. Alison Rush skipped Mike Savage and Phil King against Julia Blackburn, Stan Footer and V Hambling and at 6-3 up after 6 ends Connaught had some hopes but these faded as Banham played much better to dominate and lead 19-6 after 13 ends; the final score was 11-22. Mike, another irregular player, sent too many woods off the mat and neither Phil nor Alison could cope on the night. Most observers felt that Heather (lead), Phil and Alison should have formed one block, with at least some chance of winning, and that the other players should have played as a sacrificial block. But all that is conjecture; another match was played in good spirit and in the circumstances winning 4 points was not too bad.

Connaught 'B' played Hingham at home on Wednesday 14 December, losing by 57 shots to 74 but drawing 5-5 on points. On Mat 1 Stan Groom skipped Moira Eades and Heather Winup to a 21-12 victory. After securing an early 6-1 lead they lost the way a little to be 10-10 after 10 ends but then edged ahead; a 4 on end 17 and a 2 on end 18 saw them home. Moira had a sketchy match but Heather really came good at 2 and Stan had a very sound game. On Mat 2 Ken Ramsbottom (skip), Mary Fallows and Ben Askew formed a makeshift triple after Chris Taylor and Joyce Catling scratched. At 6-10 after 8 ends they were just about in it but Hingham then seized control to win emphatically 33-6. Mary had a bad game after playing very well at Bob Carter the night before, Ben remains very inexperienced and Ken, still new to short mat, needs sound players around him. However, the decision to retain this triple en bloc rather than "spread the strength" was surely right; the three other triples all did well. After the break Bob Oatway, Hazel Banks and Joyce Hazell were 9-12 down after 10 ends but then got on top to be 17-13 up after 16 ends and 17-14 up, with last shot, going into the last end. Unfortunately they did not play the end well, dropped three shots and tied the match 17-17; Bob was disappointed not to make the last shot count. Alison Rush skipped Ralf Ramm and Phil King to a hard-fought victory by 13 shots to 12. Ralf, still new to the game, was a bit erratic but Phil had a good game at 2 and Alison also played very well. Connaught were 13-9 up after 16 ends but Hingham came back with 2 shots and then 1 shot for the tightest of finishes. Connaught were pleased to end a long sequence of losing matches in the league, including all of last season, but will be keener than ever to snatch that elusive win!

At the halfway point Connaught 'B' are bottom of the league with 23 points, having played 9 matches of which 1 has been drawn and 8 lost. Above them are Hingham with 28 points from 8 matches, Watton (not doing well so far) with 30 from 9 and Wayland with 30 from 7. This is disappointing after the squad strengthening and the pre-season hopes. The ability is there, as is shown by the defeats of both Wayland and Watton in the Five Pairs competition, but has not been shown consistently in the league. The programme in the second half is quite difficult, with away matches at Banham, Wymondham and Yaxham to be played. Analysis is not easy. Two points are that the number 2 positions have been hard to fill and that the availability commitment has been a bit lacking on occasion (many of the local village sides that Connaught play have smaller but very committed squads).

Connaught 'B' started New Year action with a trip to Hingham on Monday 9 January. Sadly another defeat ensued, 54 shots to 66 and 2 points to 8. Christiana Taylor, with Mary Fallows and Joyce Catling, was overpowered by their opponents, were never really in the match and went down 9-20. Alison Rush, with Judith Adam and Phil King, played superbly for 14 ends to be leading 20-2; a collapse then set in as 1, 6, 5 and 3 were conceded on the last 4 ends to reduce the winning margin to 20-16. Judith lost the line entirely and Phil and Alison could not recover the position; reports say that Alison had a magnificent game personally for those first 14 ends. Stan Groom, with Moira Eades and Heather Winup, had a bad start to be 3-12 down after 9 ends; Moira was all at sea, Heather steady but Stan not in good form. Heather then went to skip, Moira belatedly started to bowl the easier line and Stan was under less pressure at 2; a recovery was made and the final defeat was only 12-16. Joyce Hazell, with Ralf Ramm and Hazel Banks, recovered from 4-9 down after 8 ends to lead 13-11 after 15 ends; Hingham came back well and Connaught lost 13-16. Without Elaine and Bob Oatway, Connaught were not at full strength but remained a reasonable side on paper at this level; that vital spark seems missing.

Connaught 'B' travelled to Banham on Wednesday 11 January and came away defeated, 56 shots to 78 and 2 points to 8. Heather Winup (skip), Hazel Banks (lead) and Stan Groom (2) lost 13-20 to the seasoned triple of Gary Sutton, Ronnie Dunning and Michael Seager. Promoted to skip after recent good form, Heather found life difficult as the opposition played tightly and Connaught just about kept in touch. Failing to move heavy opposition bowls she swapped with Stan at 7-12 after 11 ends; 7-17 down after 13 ends, Connaught then came back a little to 13-20 - a fair reflection of respective abilities on the night. In Alison Rush's absence, Phil King move to skip and Judith Adam to 2 as Ralf Ramm was drafted in to lead. A lightweight triple on paper, Connaught went 3-16 down after 11 ends but then did well to pull back to 10-16 after 14 ends. Alas, the recovery did not last as Banham exerted pressure and the final margin was 10-25. Bob Oatway (skip), Elaine Oatway (lead) and Joyce Hazell (2) on paper were Connaught's best hope of winning. In a strange match they were behind from the start although pulling up to 7-7 after 6 ends; they kept in touch to be 13-14 down after 15 ends and then dropped a 5 on end 16 to be 13-19 down. A 2 on end 17 and a 4 on end 18 then gave them an unexpected but deserved draw. Bob's instinct on end 16 was to take out the jack with the penultimate shot but he heeded advice from Joyce and Elaine to draw in; the Banham skip, John Williamson, then removed Bob's holding shot and the 5 resulted (but Bob, you have sometimes fired in error!). Few people would have bet on Chris Taylor (skip), Mary Fallows and Joyce Catling challenging the strong triple of Tony Blackburn, Val Footer and Julia Blackburn, but they played very well to stay in touch throughout in an extremely tight match (neither side ever had a lead of more than 2 shots). From 11-12 down on end 16 Connaught scored 3 on end 17 to lead 14-12 and hopes were high; Banham came back well, however, but observers claim that Chris played the wrong line with her last shot. 2 shots to Banham and the second draw of the night - 14-14. With Alison missing after a cataract operation, Stan did the right thing in concentrating strength in three blocks with Phil King always on a loser. Some success resulted but at home Banham were always going to be a tough proposition.

Connaught faced Carleton Rode at home on Wednesday 25 January having lost Alison Rush and Chris Taylor during the day through illness and injury (Chris breaking her arm in a fall); Mary Fallows, taking her mother, Chris, to hospital, also had to scratch. Three strong players out. Stan decided to bring in Christine and Ty Musk, both very experienced players who had rejoined the Club over the weekend after a year's absence, and Marie Head. Connaught lost 59-69 on shots and 4-6 on points. On Mat 1 Phil King skipped Judith Adam and Marie Head in a makeshift triple which suffered a heavy 12-25 defeat to Russell Davidson, Gill Davidson and Beryl Evans; seven shots gained over the last three ends gave the score a better look. Phil, very useful as 2 to Alison, admits she is no skip and Marie at 2 had one of those nights best forgotten. On Mat 2 Ty Musk skipped Joyce Catling and Christine Musk to a 20-14 win over Terry Colley, Wendy Shooter and Derek Shooter and Stan's selection was well-justified. The match was close for a long time as the Musks adjusted to what was a new mat for them and Connaught were 6-7 down after 9 ends; Connaught gradually took control, with a 4 on end 13 proving crucial, and Connaught were 20-11 ahead after end 17. A dropped 3 gave a final score of 20-14 in a solid performance. After the break Bob Oatway, Elaine Oatway and Joyce Hazell had a good win, 15-12, against Keith Maughan, Crick Carver and Alan Evans. The Connaught triple, now established as the strongest in the side and playing well, never lost the lead from end 1 and were 15-7 up after 14 ends; Carleton Rode did come back but the margin proved sufficient. Stan Groom, Len Thurston and Heather Winup were on the way to a surprise result against Neil Ramsbottom, Pam Rush and Olive Smith when they led 12-7 after 12 ends; 4 shots on end 5 and on end 10 had helped considerably. The usual concentration and pressure factors then kicked in as Carleton Rode tightened their game to gain 11 shots over 6 ends (and end 14 was no-scoring!); Connaught lost 12-18. Despite the late loss of three players, this was a match Connaught 'B' were still targeting for that elusive first win as Carleton Rode's playing numbers are down to rock bottom. Carleton Rode still managed to spread their strength sufficiently to win on overall shots.

Connaught 'B' played Wayland at home on Wednesday 1 February and to great jubilation and celebration gained their first league victory of the season by 81 shots to 65 and by 8 points to 2. Stan Groom skipped Len Thurston and Heather Winup to a good 19-18 win against probably Wayland's best triple, Jane Frary, Joan Bean and Eric Frary. 6-5 up after 8 close ends Connaught dropped 5 on end 9 but déjà vu did not set in and they came back well to lead 14-12 after 14 ends. Nevertheless the match seemed over as Wayland scored 4 and then 2 to lead 18-14 after 16 ends. However, a 3 and then a 2, as Jane just missed taking out the jack, gave them a dramatic win. Len and Heather were steady, with Heather using power well on occasion, but Stan had his best match of the season as skip against a very useful opponent in Jane. On Mat 2 Phil King skipped Judith Adam and Hazel Banks in a makeshift triple, in Alison Rush's absence, against A Baldry, K Harrison and V Baldry. 2-6 down after 5 ends, Connaught had a very good spell to lead 12-6 after 10 ends but disaster then struck as they dropped 3 on end 11, 6 on end 12 and 5 on end 14; faulty communication and coming the wrong way were responsible for some of this. The final margin of defeat was 15-23 but in the circumstances, with two leads and one 2 forming the triple, this was not too bad. After the interval Tyrone Musk skipped Joyce Catling and Christine Musk to a well-controlled 21-13 victory on Mat 1 against T Rugg, Doliver and T Oliver. Connaught were behind on only one end, after dropping 4 on end 3, and with a good drawing game from all three were always that bit tighter than their opponents. Ty and Chris Musk seem to have become tougher players as a result of playing with First Bus in the City League and have strengthened the side in a good combination with Joyce. On Mat 2 Bob Oatway, Elaine Oatway and Joyce Hazell continued recent excellent form as a triple in winning 26-11 against J Eve, M Cooper and J Prime. Again this was a controlled performance with Wayland only ever on equal terms once, at 1-1 after 2 ends. Elaine and Joyce won the battle at lead and 2, thus enabling Bob to play a tight game with little need for heavy shots. Wayland in fact won 8 ends but were well-contained; in their winning 10 ends, Connaught managed 2 x 3, 2 x 4, and a 5 on end 18. A good night after a disappointing season. The team is settling now and there is no reason why, particularly at home, they should not win more matches. Alison Rush, after another cataract operation, and Mary Fallows are waiting in the wings to lend more depth.

Connaught were at full strength for their home match against the useful Forncett side on Wednesday 22 February, but in their wildest dreams would not have forecast a home win by 68 shots to 53 and by 10 points to 0. This result was achieved by a surprised but delighted Connaught side. On Mat 1 Tyrone Musk, Joyce Catling and Christine Musk were initially in a tight battle against A Aldridge, M Jones and E Coleman; anybody's match at 7-7 after 8 ends. Connaught then had a brilliant spell to gain a 22-7 lead after 15 ends before Forncett pulled a few back to reduce the margin to 22-13. On Mat 2 Bob Oatway, Elaine Oatway and Joyce Hazell faced the former Carleton Rode triple, D Rumsby, K Jordan and J Rumsby, who have continued to play verfy well since transferring to Forncett. Connaught established early control and led 15-8 after 10 ends but life became difficult as Forncett found the mat and pulled back to 16-16 after 17 ends; in a tense finish Connaught used last shot to get home 17-16. After the break, Alison Rush, Judith Adam and Philomena King always had a slight edge against P Lock, R Humphreys and M Humphreys and built up a 9-2 lead after 9 ends; Forncett fought back well but could never quite bridge the gap as Connaught won 15-11. On Mat 1 Stan Groom, Mary Fallows and Heather Winup were in yet another tight match, against R Humphreys, D Girling and D Savage. The match was low-scoring with the lead fluctuating; 6-3 to Connaught, 8-6 to Forncett, 9-8 and 12-9 to Connaught, and 13-13 after 17 ends. With the last shot of the evening Stan drew in to win the match and to secure the whitewash. With this stronger and experienced team, Connaught at last applied themselves to tough out an evening of close matches; Forncett do not always travel well but this remained an excellent win for the bottom-of-the-table side. With the Oatways off to Cyprus for a week or so (playing bowls!), Connaught will be weakened for a match or two but must now have some chance of escaping bottom spot.

Connaught 'B' lost by 36 shots to 94 and by 0 points to 10 in their 'home' match against Connaught 'A' on Saturday 4 March. A full report is given under the 'A' team section above. Without Elaine and Bob Oatway, Connaught 'B' were severely weakened in one triple, where Joyce Hazell at skip played well but was always on a loser. Ty Musk, Joyce Catling and Chris Musk played very well in a close defeat but the two other regular triples went down too heavily in disappointing losses. If the report above is critical of Connaught 'B', so be it, but all onlookers were wishing them well against a side almost certain to win the league and hoping that they would pick up 2 or even 4 points in their fight not to finish bottom. On the night the determination overall did not seem to be there against players who are better but not unbeatable. It is now drawing the line time; they can still overtake Hingham.

Connaught 'B' lost at Yaxham on Thursday 16 March by 51 shots to 70 and by 2 points to 8. They are now 6 points behind Hingham, who have completed their programme, with two games to play. Only bare details of the match are available. Tyrone Musk, Joyce Catling and Christine Musk lost 9-23, Alison Rush, Judith Adam and Phil King lost 12-15, Bob Oatway, Elaine Oatway and Joyce Hazell won 24-9, Stan Groom, Mary Fallows and Ralf Ramm lost 6-23. From a Connaught viewpoint the emphatic win by Bob Oatway's triple stands out, particularly as it was against Chrissie and John Turner. However, Connaught also suffered two similarly heavy defeats. Alison Rush's match was the only close contest; had this gone Connaught's way another priceless 2 points would have been gained. 7 points from two matches to overtake Hingham are possible but Connaught 'B' really must take something away from Wymondham next Sunday afternoon.

Connaught lost at Wymondham on Sunday 19 March but were pleased enough with a scoreline of 51-64 on shots and 4-6 on points. On Mat 1 Joyce Hazell skipped Ralf Ramm and Hazel Banks in a makeshift block which went down respectably 11-21 after being 5-18 after 14 ends. On Mat 2 Alison Rush, Judith Adam and Philomena King had a good win by 15-11 against E Tolver's triple, reckoned as one of Wymondham's stronger combinations; Connaught played very steadily to lead 14-5 after 14 ends and held on to win despite dropping a few shots. After the break, Stan Groom, Mary Fallows and Heather Winup were in an initially tight match to be only 7-8 down after 12 ends; thereafter they took wrong options and played some weak shots to lose 8-17. Tyrone Musk skipped Joyce Catling and Christine Musk in a match where 5 shots on the first end gave them an excellent start. Thereafter the match was desperately tight, with Wymondham pulling up to 9-9 after 9 ends but Connaught going ahead again to lead 14-11 after 15 ends. The tide turned until Wymondham led for the first time in the match, 15-14 after 17 ends; Connaught nerves held the better and 3 shots on end 18 gave them a 17-15 victory. With Connaught missing the Oatways and Wymondham one or two short also, the sides were not at full strength but the match was a good one. 4 points for Connaught 'B' at Wymondham is not a bad result and everyone will be hoping that the strongest side will turn out against Watton in the last match. 3 or more points would lift the team from bottom position and give them an enormous boost.

Connaught achieved their objective in an excellent victory at home to Watton on Wednesday 22 March, the margin being 80-48 on shots and 8-2 on points. On Mat 1 Ty Musk, Joyce Catling and Christine Musk were in a fluctuating match against M Bransby, M Hammett and M Dibble. A 4 on end 3 gave Connaught a 5-2 lead but this changed to a 7-9 deficit as Watton came back. A "hot shot" of 6 on end 10 gave Connaught the lead again and at 16-10 after 14 ends and 18-12 after 15 ends they seemed home and dry. Watton had other ideas and with 6 shots over the last three ends, including 3 on end 18, clinched the match 19-18. Ty Musk was disconsolate at not checking the head thoroughly on end 18, but overall Watton's power game just got the better of the drawing game. On Mat 2 Stan Groom, Mary Fallows and Heather Winup faced T Crockett, J Larke and P Crockett and played extremely steadily from the outset to lead 13-4 after 12 ends. The key here was accurate drawing from all three players with good protective bowls against Terry Crockett; Terry nevertheless had his usual good game against Connaught and saved his side from a much larger deficit to that point. The seemingly inevitable happened as Connaught dropped 5 on end 10 and 1 on end 11 to be only 13-10 ahead, in a tight match and with Terry scenting blood. The trio kept their heads, played calmly and ran out winners 17-11. Mary had probably her best Breckland League game of the season and Heather sustained the pressure by constantly getting in the head; Stan produced somw superb draws under pressure. After the interval Connaught raised the stakes on Mat 1, where Alison Rush, Judith Adam and Phil King combined very well to beat E Gibson, J Dennis and J Gibson by 24-6. Precise drawing on the familiar mat was the key, together with Alison's ability to hit hard when necessary. The Gibsons are new players for Watton, mainly outdoor bowlers, but had beaten an 'A' team triple on Watton's slower mats; they could not master the wider drawing game necessary at Connaught and consistently bowled too hard. On Mat 2 Bob Oatway, Elaine Oatway and Joyce Hazell met G Dibble, D Beaham and B Dibble in a match where Watton played very well. 10-9 up after 10 ends and in a hard struggle, Connaught broke the deadlock with 4 on end 11 and consolidated to win by 21-12. The score does not reflect the Watton effort and Connaught probably had more of the luck going. Nevertheless all three played well and have formed a solid combination.

After a desperately poor start to the season Connaught came good and deservedly removed themselves from bottom spot. The regular availability of the Oatways, the introduction of Alison Rush, the recent rejoining of the club by the Musks, and the emergence of Joyce Hazell as a very good player have been major factors but all the other regular players have performed very steadily in the latter half of the season. With Chris Taylor and Ken Lurcock to return after injury/surgery this squad, if all are available next year, could achieve a mid-table finish in the Breckland League. However, some of the reserve players need to (a) raise their game/improve their technique and (b) be less sulky and more club-minded when not chosen. Some younger new blood, ready to learn, would be most welcome.

Breckland League 'B' Match Results Table

Connaught Match Results 05/06 Season:			Shots		Points
Connaught Match Results 05/06 Season:			For	Against	For	Against
Connaught 'v'	Wymondham	Home	55	76	4	6
Connaught 'v'	Watton	Away	37	84	2	8
Connaught 'v'	Yaxham	Home	52	62	2	8
Connaught 'v'	Connaught 'A'	Away	43	96	0	10
Connaught 'v'	Forncett	Away	53	74	0	10
Connaught 'v'	Wayland	Away	57	74	4	6
Connaught 'v'	Carleton Rode	Away	48	68	2	8
Connaught 'v'	Banham	Home	51	72	4	6
Connaught 'v'	Hingham	Home	57	74	5	5
Connaught 'v'	Hingham	Away	54	68	2	8
Connaught 'v'	Banham	Away	56	78	2	8
Connaught 'v'	Carleton Rode	Home	59	69	4	6
Connaught 'v'	Wayland	Home	81	65	8	2
Connaught 'v'	Forncett	Home	68	53

SHORT MAT 2005/6 SEASON

SHORT MAT EXTERNAL LEAGUES

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BRECKLAND 'A'

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BRECKLAND 'B'

Breckland League 'B' Match Results Table

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05/06 Season:

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