SHORT MAT 2007/08 SEASON

SHORT MAT 2007/8 SEASON

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INTRODUCTION TO INTERNAL/ EXTERNAL LEAGUES CUPS & COMPETITIONS

 Connaught are looking forward to the 2007-2008 season following a successful 2006-2007. The numbers of players, which must be amongst the highest for any club in Norfolk, have been maintained and probably increased as a few more outdoor bowlers have taken up the game.
 The club continues with a heavy internal programme,  comprising Roll Ups on Monday afternoons, Wednesday afternoons and Saturday evenings as well as a Tuesday afternoon league running continuously and a Thursday/Friday evening league (Autumn League before Christmas and redrawn as the Spring League after Christmas).
 Externally Connaught again run two sides in the local Breckland League, one in the South Norfolk League and one in the Norwich area Tens League. Additionally there are other competitions linked to the Breckland and South Norfolk Leagues, which the club supports fully, and the County Cup and Norwich (City) Cup competitions in both of which two teams are entered this year.
 Several club members play regularly for the County, with Bob Oatway again county captain, and for the County Over-60s.
 In summary Connaught provide short mat bowling for all ability levels in a friendly social atmosphere.

SHORT MAT EXTERNAL LEAGUES AND COMPETITIONS

Breckland  'A' Team

Sylvia Parsons takes over as captain of Connaught ‘A’ and has opted for a squad of 16 players. Elaine and Bob Oatway move up from the ‘B’ squad but on the same parttime basis as last year, namely that their first club is First Bus in the City League. Alan Marshall and Heather Winup move down to Connaught ‘B’ on a fulltime basis and will be hoping to get more regular play as a result. With Lee Fallows’ regular availability in some doubt owing to work commitments, demands on the squad may be heavy if there is illness etc. However, Sylvia can count on a committed and battle-hardened bunch to give their all for the cause.
 Connaught ‘A’ will be fighting hard to maintain the long run of Breckland League championship success. There will be no complacency and Connaught know that there are teams well capable of toppling them. Banham and Yaxham will try hard once more but Wymondham, with a younger average age than most, are improving each year and may be the major threat.

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CONNAUGHT ‘A’ v  HARLING REC
Connaught ‘A’ started their campaign on Wednesday 3 October with a win at home to Harling Rec by 102 shots to 51 and by 8 points to 2.
 On Mat 1 Bob Oatway skipped Derek Liles (lead) and John Winup (2) to a 33-10 win against R Buffery’s triple. Connaught built up a 23-2 lead after nine ends; Derek and John had drawn almost to perfection and Bob’s task was consolidation and protection. In the second half Derek and John maintained levels and concentration, but Harling started to find the mat and scored 8-10 over those last nine ends. In particular the Harling skip decided on a more disruptive game and several times demolished the head. Bob, steady throughout, had much more to do and contained well. Harling managed to win 8 of the 18 ends, despite the overall score, but Connaught kept things very tight.
 On Mat 2 Andrew Stratton skipped Elaine Oatway (lead) and Keith Banks (2) against R Meeks’ triple. Harling found form immediately but Connaught were shaky and fell 0-7 behind after four ends, recovered a little but dropped 5 on end 9  to be 5-15 down. Andrew did what perhaps he should have done earlier and changed playing order; he moved to 2 and Keith to skip. Later Andrew moved himself to lead. The greater solidity up front worked and Keith began to find his game at skip. Connaught pulled up to 13-17 after fifteen ends but then dropped a 3. Two successive 3s, on ends 17 and 18, brought them close but they lost 19-20. Credit to the Harling triple for not losing their nerve and to their skip who played very well indeed. For Connaught Elaine, a little strangely, confessed to some nervousness at playing for the ‘A’ and Keith was put under pressure early on by good Harling play.
 On Mat 1 after the interval Ray Wells (skip), Ralf Ramm (lead) and Sylvia Parsons (2) beat J Court’s triple 20-13. Despite the 7-shot margin this was not a comfortable win for Connaught, who could never quite shake off a tenacious opposition triple. A 4 on end 8 and another 4 on end 12 gave them cushions at those points but Harling kept coming back. Ralf had a steady enough game at lead, without quite finding last season’s accuracy, and Sylvia and Ray several times had to play shots under real pressure. This was a good test at this early stage in the season.
 On Mat 2 Sheila Bragg skipped Mike Parsons (lead) and Russell Hales (2) to a 30-8 victory against A Blakey’s triple. Connaught scored 5 on the first end and never looked back after that as Harling managed to win only four ends. Mike and Russell had good drawing games all the match against opponents who never really found the mat and usually gave Sheila a good advantage. Sheila always relishes these situations; she never relaxed and had the measure of an opposing skip who had to resort to power in an often desperate position.
 A good start but 102 shots “for” would usually indicate a 10-0. It was not to be as Harling had one good win.
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CONNAUGHT ‘A’ v WAYLAND
 The match was played in Attleborough on Wednesday 17 October and Connaught were happy with a big win by 100-32 and 10-0.
 On Mat 1 Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Russell Hales were too strong for J Prime, I Prime and P Smith in winning the match 24-4. Keith returned to the side from holiday and resumed as though he had not been away. Russell recovered well from a shocker against Bob Carter the previous night and Sheila, after a huge win on the same mat in the Bob Carter match, was in the mood for more pickings. Connaught accumulated steadily, never scoring more than 3 on any end, but shut out the opposition to lead 24-0 after fifteen ends. Whitewashes rarely happen in 18-end matches and Wayland regained a little pride by taking the last three ends.
 On Mat 2 Andrew Stratton, John Winup and Derek Liles had a much sterner test before coming through 16-8 against A Baldry, M Wales and K Harrison. Still shell-shocked after his SNL defeat to Bob Carter the previous night, Andrew took a little time to settle and had bad luck with good shots just moving the jack to Wayland. His game came on well, however, and he began to dominate at skip. John and Derek both played steadily and as usual gave little away, but they were faced by equally determined opponents who bowled into the head and contained well. Margaret Wales had a particularly good game at lead. In this match Wayland showed their colleagues the way by digging in. Connaught led only 6-5 at the halfway stage and had to concentrate hard to extend the lead.
 On Mat 1 after the break Ray Wells, Diana Adcock and Sylvia Parsons won well by 31-10 against M Hector, B Hector and M Smith. After dropping 4 shots on the first end Connaught started to dominate and with the help of 5 on end 7 led 16-4 after nine ends the second half followed a similar pattern and despite dropping 4 on end 12 Connaught built up the lead quite ruthlessly. Wayland, apart from the 2 x 4, scored only two single shots in the match. Connaught played in classical style, with Diana winning well at lead, Sylvia playing all the shots and Ray playing very confidently as he realised that Connaught were under no real pressure.
 On Mat 2 Bill Adcock, Elaine Oatway and Bob Oatway beat J Frary, J Wales and E Frary by 29-10. Connaught started well with 5 on the first end but Wayland steadied the ship to contain Connaught to 10-6 after nine ends. Connaught then started the second half as they started the first, with a 5 on end 10. Wayland got 4 shots back to reduce Connaught to 15-10 after twelve ends, but Connaught then took complete control to win the last six ends and to gain 14 shots in the process. The key at the end seemed to be that all three played well together, with Elaine really finding it at lead and Bob and Bill combining well. Bob at 2, with his variety of shot, gives Bill good support and is always an option at skip if change is needed.
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CONNAUGHT ‘A’ v CONNAUGHT ‘B’
 The first derby match was played on Saturday 3 November When Connaught ‘A’ played “away” to Connaught ‘B’. Connaught ‘A’ won 83-42 and a full match report is shown under the Connaught ‘B’ section. Connaught ‘A’ had two heavy wins, from Ray Wells and Bill Adcock respectively. Sheila Bragg survived a scare to come through against Ty Musk but Andrew Stratton deservedly lost to Chris Taylor. With partners in crime, John Winup and Derek Liles, Andrew will be looking for redemption opportunity.
Click > > > Full match report

CONNAUGHT ‘A’ v BANHAM AWAY
 Connaught ‘A’ made the short treck to Banham on Wednesday 7 November and were pleased to leave with a win by 75-50 and 8-2. With a 7.00pm start and four mats in use, the teams had an  early finish.
 On Mat 1, furthest from the stage, Bill Adcock, Elaine Oatway and Bob Oatway played G Wilcox, M Seager and S Francis. Connaught had the edge from the start, without really getting away, and the score was contained to 9-6 after eight ends. However, a 5 to Connaught on end 9 was the prelude to sustained dominance. Banham managed only 2 x 1s in the rest of the match and Connaught scored freely, including 3 on end 17 and 4 on end 18. All the Connaught players had good games, with Elaine gradually winning the scrap at lead and Bob showing all the shots at 2. Usually bowling with the advantage Bill was able to consolidate very well and added to the pressure on Gordon Wilcox. The final score was 28-8. Bill must be blessing his luck at securing a good number 2 in Bob after having various partners in recent seasons.
On Mat 2 Ray Wells, Diana Adcock and Sylvia Parsons had a very different experience, going down 10-19 to J Williamson, S Footer and P Hambling. Sylvia reports that nobody on the Connaught side had a bad match but that they met players on top form who were simply better on the night. The match was low-scoring and even for ten ends, at which point the score was 7-7. A 4 to Banham on end 11 broke the mould and started a good run of winning ends. After fifteen ends Connaught were 7-17 down; they came back a little and just made double figures. Ray and Sylvia often swap positions when this triple gets into trouble but the pattern of scoring in the match made the timing difficult and the swap was not made. An evening where you give credit to the opposition and look to the next match!
On Mat 3 Andrew Stratton, Mike Parsons and Lee Fallows took on J Delaney, V Hambling and J Goodey and came through with a solid win by 21-11. Mike Parsons and Val Hambling had a tight struggle at lead, with Mike maintaining recent good form to just edge it. Lee at 2 and Andrew simply had too much variety of shot for their opposite numbers, who never gave up but could not match two county players in good form. Connaught were held quite well to the halfway point, when the score was 10-7, but then took control with a run of five winning ends to lead 20-7 after fourteen ends. Connaught perhaps said “job done” and relaxed a little over the closing ends but the triple could be pleased with their performance.
Mat 4 saw the closest and probably the best match of the evening in which Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Russell Hales won 16-12 against T Blackburn, V Footer and J Blackburn. What marked the match was the high skill level throughout from all the players. Val Footer often has won matches at lead for Banham against Connaught, but although playing well she had to concede to Keith Beavers. Keith was constantly on the jack, or nudging out Val’s good shots or putting in solid positional woods. Julia Blackburn, on form a very talented player, had a good match and usually evened things up against Russell. However, Russell by no means had a bad match and always kept in touch to leave Sheila with well-placed woods and a chance of doing something. He is getting more used to the kneeling-down stance, although this sometimes inhibits his forehand shots. Tony Blackburn and Sheila had a skilful battle throughout but the overall result shows that Sheila won it. Connaught recovered from 0-4 after two ends to be level at 8-8 at halfway. A run of five winning ends brought them to 15-8 but it was never easy. Banham had threatened with a good holding 3 on end 14, but Sheila threaded a narrow backhand on a long jack through the tightest of gaps to take the end. Banham deservedly scored 3 on the last end to narrow the margin of defeat.
 8-2 at Banham is a good result and Connaught will take it happily. 
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CONNAUGHT ‘A’ v WYMONDHAM AWAY
Connaught ‘A’ took their unbeaten record to Wymondham on Sunday 18 November and lost it with a vengeance when going down 54-70 and 0-10.
On Mat 1 Bill Adcock, Elaine Oatway and Bob Oatway lost 15-16 to E Tolver, S Foster and D Phillips. Connaught seemed to be coasting through when leading 11-3 after eight ends. The match changed quite dramatically when Debbie Phillips moved to skip and Eddie Tolver to lead. There was much more accuracy and aggression in the Wymondham play and Connaught seemed to wilt a bit. A swap between Bill and Bob did not work either and a dropped 4 on end 14 proved crucial as Connaught went 12-15 behind. They came back quite well but just failed on the last end to tie the match.
On Mat 2 Andrew Stratton, John Winup and Lee Fallows went down 15-21 to C Mann, D Durrant and M  Fisher. This was a match of “if only”, because Connaught had an atrocious start, 0-7 down after four ends, a dropped 4 on end 6 and a losing margin of 1-13 after seven ends. Connaught “won” the match after that, 14-8, but had conceded too much to a triple skipped by Chris Mann whose accurate power play took out Connaught time and time again. The Wymondham lead and 2 also had steady matches in support of the skip. Difficult to analyse. For Connaught, John at lead had a good match throughout and achieved about 50/50 with a competent opposite number. Both Lee and Andrew had problems with weight and line in the early stages and possibly were over-ambitious faced with Chris Mann. Undoubtedly things improved when they swapped positions at about the mid-way point and settled well into their new roles.
After the break, on Mat 1, Ray Wells, Diana Adcock and Sylvia Parsons faced A Wood, S Wood and P King. Connaught lost 10-17 after being outgunned in the middle stages of the match. Early on it was close, 5-5 after seven ends, but 4 of the Wymondham shots were gained on end 3. In a match where each side won nine ends, Wymondham had the ability throughout both to save shots and to capitalise on a winning position. Connaught were contained to 8 x 1 and 1 x 2, whereas Wymondham scored 1 x 4, 1 x 3, 3 x 2 and 4 x 1. Ray, suffering from a heavy cold, was out of sorts and sometimes bowled too short. Diana never has a bad game and here was steady without being quite at her best. Sylvia was key at 2, having a good and aggressive game and doing her best to keep the ship afloat. The expected swap between her and Ray came at end 11 and 6-12 down. Connaught tried hard to get back but there was an inevitability on the day about this result.
On Mat 2 Sheila Bragg, Derek Liles and Keith Beavers played J Kent, S Archer and S Phillips. Connaught had just as appalling a start as the Andrew Stratton triple on this mat, 0-10 down after four ends and 1-12 down after seven ends. With Keith then moving to lead, Derek to 2 and Sheila finding the mat, Connaught stormed back to reduce the deficit to 11-12 after twelve ends. With steadier support, Sheila had the measure of her opposite number and the Connaught roll looked unstoppable. However, Steve Phillips moved to skip and this did the trick for Wymondham. Largely with aggressive play he matched Sheila and over the last six ends the score was 3-4 and Connaught lost by 2 overall.
Connaught lost 0-10 at Yaxham a few years back and have lost at Wymondham, usually by about 4-6, in recent years. A defeat on this scale, however, albeit by not many shots overall, will cause eyebrows to rise. Long tipped as the up and coming side, are Wymondham poised to change the pecking order? They are now ahead of Connaught ‘A’ in the league, although having played a match more; they also have had two defeats. At home they will beat most sides convincingly; for them doing it away will be the test. With a younger average age than the other Breckland sides and with several players now in the county teams, they  play the confident and very aggressive game which Connaught usually see only in the Tens League. Connaught resources are now a bit stretched, with the sad loss of Keith Banks and with Russell’s illness, but they have to put this loss behind them . Beating Yaxham and Hingham at home this week will be a good start!Return to Short Mat Section

CONNAUGHT ‘A’ v YAXHAM HOME
Connaught ‘A’ played Yaxham at home on Tuesday 20 November and were relieved to get an 8-2 after four very close matches and a shots score of 62-58.
On Mat 1 Sheila Bragg, Mike Parsons and Russell Hales took on D Cross’s triple and won a tough battle by 17-14 after scoring 1 and 2 on ends 17 and 18 respectively. The main feature of the match was a tremendous display by Sheila Bragg at skip. With Russell still very shaky after recent illness and Mike short on both confidence and recent practice, Sheila needed all her concentration and sheer cussedness to give Connaught a win. Russell and Mike swapped positions after a few ends and Mike got enough in at 2 to give Sheila some support as Connaught led 12-8 after ten ends. Yaxham came back as Connaught faltered and levelled at 14-14 after sixteen ends. However, Connaught just came through. 
On Mat 2 Keith Beavers, Diana Adcock and Sylvia Parsons took on R Harris & Co. This turned out to be another fraught match as Connaught just edged it with a single shot on end 18 to win 15-14. Moved from his usual slot as lead to Sheila, in an effort to balance the side, Keith seemed ill at ease as skip and the new grouping took time to settle. Fortunately for Connaught, Yaxham also had their problems and did not capitalise. Keith and Sylvia swapped positions at or about half way, when Connaught led 8-7, but things did not improve immediately. Connaught were 8-11 down after eleven ends. With Diana playing much better than at Wymondham on Sunday and giving Connaught the edge at lead, Sylvia and Keith began to combine better and Sylvia in particular played some fine shots. 13-11 to Connaught after fourteen ends, then 13-13 and then 14-14 after seventeen. Nip and tuck  but a super shot from Sylvia with the last wood of the match took Connaught home.
After the break Bill Adcock, with Elaine and Bob Oatway, took on John Turner’s triple in what proved to be a fine match on Mat 1. Connaught lost 14-19. Connaught had the better of the early exchanges to lead 6-1 after four ends but a 5 to Yaxham on end 5 levelled the score. Connaught moved away again to lead 11-6 after seven ends but from that point Yaxham started to take control in a series of fiercely contested and low-scoring ends. Connaught had enough in the tank to be very close, 13-14 after fifteen ends, but a 2 and then a 3 to Yaxham closed out the match. John Turner had a particularly fine game at skip for Yaxham and his support, from A Palgrave and Chrissie Turner, was very solid after the first few ends. Everybody in the Connaught triple played well and had nothing to be ashamed of, but on the night they were beaten by a slightly better combination.
On Mat 2 Andrew Stratton, John Winup and Lee Fallows took on O Secker’s triple to win 16-11. After the Wymondham defeat Sylvia had moved Andrew to 2 and Lee to skip, but offered the pair the option of reverting to the status quo. They decided to revert and probably this was a wake-up call which Andrew needed. The early exchanges were very close, with Connaught just leading 5-3 after eight ends of single shot victories. For Connaught John maintained his steady Wymondham form without getting much change from the competent Ruby Secker. Lee did not quite find it at first but Andrew generally was spot on. Owen Secker was reduced to power play on several ends and kept Yaxham in the match with his accuracy. Connaught maintained the pressure, as Lee started to play well and dominate at 2, and 3-shot wins on ends 9, 11 and 13 gave Connaught a 15-5 lead. Yaxham did not give up and played well to take the last five ends 6-1, but Connaught have to be criticised for perhaps relaxing and letting the opposition back in. With Bill Adcock conceding a few shots on Mat 1, Connaught at one point were in danger of losing the overall shots advantage. Andrew did have a good game throughout and on Mat 2 has a particular ability to play narrow, controlled weight backhands with devastating results.
Both sides were a bit on edge for this match and it showed, not in terms of petulance etc but in rather nervy play. Yaxham were unbeaten and with a healthy points tally, while Connaught were desperate to make amends for the Wymondham debacle. On balance Connaught were lucky to get an 8-2 at home. The score so easily could have been just 6-4, 5-5 or even 4-6 or 2-8; it was that close. Return to Short Mat Section

CONNAUGHT ‘A’ v HINGHAM HOME
Connaught ‘A’ resumed duty immediately after the Yaxham match when entertaining Hingham at home on Wednesday 21 November. Connaught won by 76-41 and 8-2. With both Bob Oatway and Sheila Bragg unavailable through a county meeting Connaught’s original selection was much changed from that facing Yaxham. The meeting was cancelled and Elaine Oatway made way for Bob. This did allow for better-balanced but still much-changed triples.

On Mat 1 Bill Adcock, Hazel Banks and Keith Beavers beat R Leverett 20-10. Hazel, playing regularly now after Keith’s death, was brought in to help out a decimated squad and proceeded to have a stormer of a match. Keith again needed a little time to settle into a position other than lead but he too played very well. Bill Adcock was in sound form and in no mood to let this one slip. Connaught kept a tight rein on the match, and although losing 8 of the 18 ends conceded only 7 x 1 and 1 x 3. Conversely Connaught managed 2 x 4 and several 2s. Exactly the grinding down game which Bill enjoys!
On Mat 2 Andrew Stratton, John Winup and Lee Fallows beat John Higgs 23-8 after a match in which Connaught’s two county players excelled. John did not play quite as well as in the two previous matches and faced a good player in Jan Higgs: he still plugged away steadily. Lee was superb, pulling out his full repertoire of shots, and Andrew played well against probably Hingham’s best player. Connaught led only 8-6 at the half way stage, winning just four ends. John Higgs was playing superbly, with good draws and controlled drives, to keep Connaught at bay. Unfortunately for Hingham their number 2 had a shaky match and the lack of support told in the end. Connaught took the last nine ends by 15-2, with no relaxing on this occasion and very confident play from Lee and Andrew.
After the break Bob Oatway, Mike Parsons and Derek Liles had something of a nightmare on Mat 1 and went down 9-18 against K Thomas. Onlookers felt sorry for Mike who had one of those matches everybody dreads. He could not find the draw at lead, nor any type of forcing shot at 2 when he and Derek changed. Derek, in and out of the side and playing with different people from match to match, is not quite on song but did his best. Bob, up against it most ends, was reduced to power play and it did not really come off. On top of the self-induced frailties, Connaught were faced by a Hingham triple in very good form and realising that the match was theirs for the taking. A Ardley at lead played brilliantly and P Warmer at 2 was a clever player bowling astute positional woods. K Thomas at skip also had a very good game throughout.
On Mat 2 the trusty combination of Ray Wells, Diana Adcock and Sylvia Parsons reformed against M Frost. The outcome this time was nightmare for Hingham as Connaught conceded only three ends in a 24-5 victory. Diana was back to her very  best at lead and she alone virtually froze Hingham out of the match as her nervous opponent could not really cope. Sylvia was in very good form once more and Ray, back in the side after a heavy cold and a shocking game at Wymondham, was able to play a typical Ray Wells match. If ever he was down, which was not often, he had positional woods waiting for him and simply smashed and wicked his way through. Under no real pressure he also found the draw to pile on the shots.
A depleted Connaught side achieved a welcome 8-2 to complete a reasonable week even after the loss to Wymondham. There are still signs of continuing problems, with the sad loss of Keith Banks and the current frailty of Russell weakening the balance of the side. Ralf Ramm’s six weeks out for an operation on his hands is a further reduction of options. The squad is keen but cannot afford the loss even for a single match of key players such as Andrew, Lee and Sheila. Players such as Mike, Elaine, Derek, John and even Keith now must start to produce that extra 5% to 10% to give more solid support. Return to Short Mat Section

CONNAUGHT ‘A’ v  FORNCETT HOME
Connaught ‘A’ beat Forncett at home on Wednesday 5 December by 70-55 and 6-4.
On Mat 1 Ray Wells, Ralf Ramm and Sylvia Parsons were too strong for K Humphreys triple, leading by 17-3 after nine ends and winning finally by 29-8. Connaught scored heavily throughout and Forncett won only five ends in all. Ralf, playing his first match, at short notice and after the operation on his bowling hand, had a very accurate game and Sylvia at 2 and Ray had too much variety and power in their game
On Mat 2 a different tale unfolded as Sheila Bragg, Mike Parsons and Russell Hales lost 11-19 to D Rumsby, K Jordan and J Rumsby. Connaught dropped 4 on end 1 and promptly got the shots back on end 2, but thereafter only 1s and 2s were scored. Connaught led 10-7 after eight ends, after good play from both sides, but Forncett then won the next eight ends and Connaught were 10-18 down; the last two ends were shared, a single shot each. From end 9 onwards Kath Jordan, at lead for Forncett, had a tremendously accurate spell and neither Mike nor Russell after they changed could match her. Joan Rumsby at 2 played very well throughout and also got the better of her two Connaught opponents. Sheila had a good scrap with Dennis Rumsby, in form one of the better skips on the circuit, and saved a few shots but the Forncett triple overall were too accurate for Connaught.
After the break Mat 1 saw Lee Fallows, John Winup and Derek Liles take on a triple skipped by A Aldridge. Connaught won 24-6 and repeated the earlier big win on this mat; as with Ray Wells only five ends were conceded. The style of play was different, with John and Derek drawing precisely throughout and giving Lee positional woods into the bargain; Lee also played a mainly drawing game but used power from time to time when it was necessary. A Aldridge, a good skip, occasionally fired Connaught out but most of the time was helpless faced with a crowded head and good blocking shots.
 On Mat 2 Bill Adcock, Elaine Oatway and Bob Oatway lost decisively, 6-22, against M Humphreys, R Humphreys and P Lock. Connaught won only five ends against opposition who were very confident and drew well. Forncett at 2 and skip also used the heavy wood very effectively whenever Connaught started to build up a head. Connaught’s problems started at lead, where Elaine was not on form against a much-improved Rebecca Humphreys, and continued at 2 where Bob did not have a good night. Bill and Bob swapped positions in an effort to change things but in truth this did not work. Bill and Bob, with Elaine sometimes at lead, generally have had a very good season but the triple were outgunned by Forncett players on top form.
Connaught again dropped vital points at home and again on Mat 2, fast becoming a phobia for many of their players. However, in this match Mat 1 saw the two weakest Forncett triples and undoubtedly Sheila and Bill would have beaten either whether on Mat 1 or Mat 2. An unanswerable question is how Ray and Lee would have fared on the night against Forncett’s two strong triples. In all probability Forncett would still have won one match and possibly two. This reflects the current problem with Connaught; there is no longer quite the depth of recent years Return to Short Mat section

CONNAUGHT ‘A’ v  WATTON AWAY
Connaught ‘A’ lost at Watton on Sunday 16 December by 52-58 and 4-6.
On Mat 1 Ray Wells, Doreen Wood and Bim Wood lost 10-20 to R Harvey. Connaught started well with both Doreen  and Bim drawing well and established a lead of 7-3 after six ends and were still leading, 7-6, at the half way stage. From that point on Watton gained control, with 3s on ends 10 and 12 and a 4 on end 14. Doreen lost it a little, although Bim was steady throughout, and Watton played better and better; precise draws and good heavy woods consistently removed Connaught from the action. Ray did his best but was not quite on song faced with well-constructed heads.
On Mat 2 Andrew Stratton, John Winup and Lee Fallows pulled off a tense win against Terry Crockett by 14-13. Connaught won the first end and never lost the lead after that, although Watton once pulled level at 6-6 after eight ends. These bare details do not reflect a really tough match, in which all six players performed well. John probably just shaded it against J Hunter at lead, but his precise shots were often demolished by Pam Crockett at 2. In turn Lee had a splendid match; often under pressure as the head changed dramatically he did well to keep Connaught’s advantage for most ends. Terry Crockett was his inimitable self in a tremendous battle with Andrew, who likewise had a good match. Andrew on two or three occasions had to dig deep to save or win from 3 or 4 down.
After the break Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and Bob Oatway had an emphatic win on Mat 1 by 21-8 against M Dibble. The match was tight for much of the time, with Connaught leading 8-6 after nine ends and with the scores level 8-8 after eleven ends. From then on Connaught asserted themselves by winning the last seven ends with a margin of 13-0. The key was in Diana becoming even more accurate and her opponent losing the knack of driving Diana’s woods away. Bob, after an inconsistent start, found line and length much better and began to out-bowl his opponent. Bill had a very good match throughout, ranking with his best displays of the season; reading the mat brilliantly, he played all the shots and in particular drew very accurately.
On Mat 2 Sheila Bragg, Ralf Ramm and Russell Hales lost 7-17 against M Bransby. The first few ends were tight and Connaught led 3-2 after five ends. Sadly that was their peak because Watton then took total control. On the Watton mats some power is needed; Watton’s style of play reflects that need. Their triple had more power and that was that. Russell started to have a bad time at 2, unable to play with any force and under pressure not finding the draw either. Ralf played steadily at lead and tried his best at 2 when Sheila swapped him and Russell at about half way; he continued to draw reasonably well but in this company he is a lead and nothing else. Russell got a little despondent but bowled well towards the end. Sheila bowled her heart out, mainly to save shots, but even she felt the pressure on occasion. For their part Watton combined well and had that greater variety to their play.
Watton away is never easy and with a weakened side 4-6 was not a bad result. The banker triple of Andrew, Lee and John on paper should have won by more, and that was something of a disappointment. In fact they were relieved just to win and could not have played much better. The league title is now a three-horse race after nine matches, with Connaught a close third behind Wymondham, the leaders, and Yaxham at 2. The cause is not lost but full-time availability and ruthless selection will be needed. Not easy in the Connaught environment

CONNAUGHT 'A' V YAXHAM AWAY
Connaught 'A' Travelled to Yaxham on Thursday10th January for what turned out to be the usual tense encounter between the two sides. Connaught lost the match by 57-71 and 4-6
On Mat 1 Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Russell Hales beat R Harris, R Flint and G Marsh by 18-8. The Connaught triple played a tight and controlled game in which their opponents won only five ends. Scoring only 1s and 2s Connaught progressed steadily to lead 6-3 after nine ends and 11-3 after thirteen ends. A 3 and 2 in succession then brought Yaxham closer but a finish of 1, 3  & 3 secured victory for Connaught. Sheila had an excellent game throughout, Keith won the battle at lead with another good display and Russell enjoyed a steady and improving game at 2.
On Mat 2 Lee Fallows, John Winup and Andrew Stratton won 19-17 against D Cross, D Palfrey and A Palgrave in a fluctuating match. Connaught had a dream start to lead 10-1 after four ends, with John steady and Andrew and Lee showing their county class. Yaxham pulled themselves together as John “lost it" for three or four ends and Connaught came under pressure. A dropped 5 on end 7 changed the match totally and the lead was reduced to 10-9. Connaught led 12-9 at the half way stage, but dropping 3 and then 1 found themselves behind for the only time in the match. However John ‘found it’ again in the second half and Andrew and Lee applied the pressure for Connaught to regain the lead and be 19-13 up after fifteen ends. Yaxham won the last three tightly contested ends but Connaught did not let them in. For the Connaught players this was still an opportunity lost after that start.
On Mat 1after the break Ray Wells, Diana Adcock and Sylvia Parsons lost 12-19 to J Turner, B Steed and C Turner. Connaught got the better in the first half aided by 4 on end 4 and led 8-4 and then 9-4 after ten ends. Disaster then struck on end 11 as Yaxham scored 6 to take the lead for the first time. Yaxham piled on the pressure and Connaught were 9-17 down after fifteen ends before coming back a little. Connaught had drawn the short straw to meet this strong triple, but were going well until their opponents, John Turner in particular, found very good form. Diana was steady despite putting some off the side, and Sylvia and Ray played good bowls for most of the time
On Mat 2 Bill Adcock, Derek Liles and Mike Parsons suffered a heavy defeat by 8-27, against O Secker, R Secker and M Meachen, Helped by a 4 on end 3 Connaught held it together initially and were 7-7 after eight ends . Although under some pressure, Bill had played some excellent shots. A dropped 3 on end 9 looked ominous and Yaxham gradually pulled away. At 8-16 after fifteen ends Connaught had achieved respectability but a dreadful 5, 2, and 4 finish magnified the final margin. Looking short of confidence and delivering badly, Mike had one of those nightmare matches everybody fears. Added to this his opposite number had an excellent game.  Under further pressure from the competent Madge  Meachen,  Derek played some good shots but could not recover ground. Bill continued to save but at the end, opposed by a very confident Owen Secker, the pressure got to him to some extent.
With a 12-shot lead before the interval and holding their own afterwards until halfway, Connaught looked good for a 6-4 or even 8-2. Yaxham had other ideas and blitzed them. 4-6 at Yaxham is not a disaster but Connaught now need some 10-0 victories     Return to Short Mat

CONNAUGHT V CARLETON RODE AWAY
Connaught ‘A’ returned to winning ways but by a very narrow margin when beating Carleton Rode away by 56-52 and 6-4 on Monday 14th January 08
On Mat 1 Andrew Stratton, John Winup and Lee Fallows lost 11-16 to R Davidson. Connaught won only six ends to Carleton Rode’s twelve and Carleton Rode won nine of these by a single shot. The key lay in John and Andrew having patchy games by their standards. John rarely produced the accurate “on the jack” draws, although usually within the vicinity, and his normally smooth delivery deserted him. Andrew usually has a bad time at Carleton Rode, not making the draw and misjudging pace, and continued in this vein. Only Lee played well throughout, whether at 2 or as skip after he and Andrew swapped. To add to Connaught's self inflicted woes Russell Davidson had a superb game at skip for Carleton Rode.
On Mat 2 Ray Wells, Diana Adcock and Sylvia Parsons won a tense and tight game 19-15 against a triple skipped by John Sparham, better known as a Hempnall player. The thread between Bob Carter, Wymondham, Carleton Rode and Hempnall is a tortuous one; Connaught seem to be meeting people all the time wearing different hats! Connaught had a cracking start 7-0 up after two ends, but were pulled back as Carleton Rode at lead and two steadied  and as John Sparham started to roll . 9-9 after nine ends Carleton Rode pulled further ahead and Connaught were 12-15 down after fifteen ends. However a storming 3,1,3 finish brought Connaught through although not without anxiety as John Sparham narrowly missed with some difficult shots. This was a match featuring one evenly balanced triple against one with a very talented player at skip. Connaught fought hard with all players having good matchers, and just about kept John Sparham at bay.
After the break Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Elaine Oatway took stage on mat 1 against Terry Colley’s triple and won 14-8. Connaught took control from the start and gradually edged ahead but without scoring heavily. Connaught held the lead at 13-2 up after twelve ends. Probably both sides then relaxed a bit with Carleton Rode profiting as they reduced the margin and achieved a respectable score. On his birthday Keith Beavers had a brilliant game at lead and got the better of the two opponents Elaine had a solid game at 2 and Sheila, with good support, consolidated well. Terry Colley played well for Carleton Rode and was instrumental in containing the score.
Mat 2 saw another excellent match as Bill Adcock, Ralf Ramm and Derek Liles played Neil Ramsbottom triple. This was a subtle sort of match with both sides relying on the draw and the heavy wood not used for the most part. Ralf Ramm ,very steady at lead, and Derek Liles at two both had a close battle with their opposite numbers Pam Rush and Terry Newby. Bill Adcock with solid support had a good tussle with Neil Ramsbottom. The score progressed in 1’s and 2’s, with Connaught always in the lead 7-4 after nine ends 11-7 after fourteen and 11-9 after sixteen. One good end or bad end, dependent on your view, would decide this match and sadly for Connaught they dropped 4 on end 17 at a pivotal moment in the match. For once neither Ralf nor Derek got in the head and Carleton Rode were 3 up with the skips to bowl. Bill drew a good second with his first wood but Neil “took him out” with his second and Carleton Rode lay 4. Bill had last wood and  could not weave through for a saving draw. Connaught got one back on the last end but Carleton Rode had blocked them out, 12-13 down.
A win of any sort is welcome news but 6-4 margins are not good enough if Yaxham and Wymondham continue to storm on. At present Connaught ‘A’ are producing two and a half good performances and one triple, never the same one, always has a bad night! But never take credit from your opponents - Carleton Rode proved tough opposition.      Return to Short Mat         

CONNAUGHT ‘A’ v WATTON HOME
Connaught ‘A’ welcomed Watton to Attleborough on Wednesday 16 January and were pleased to win by 91-45 and 8-2.
On Mat 1 Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Russell Hales beat B Davies’ triple by 19-12. The match was even for the first ten ends at which point Connaught were 7-9 down. Watton had kept in touch well against three players not at their best, with Keith in particular not finding his usual accuracy. From end 11 onwards, however, everything seemed to click and with Keith spot on Connaught stormed through. Russell also improved considerably as the match went on and is showing signs of coming back to true form after lengthy illness. Sheila had a solid game as usual.
On Mat 2 Bill Adcock, Elaine Oatway and Bob Oatway lost an amazing game by 16-19 against Mike Bransby’s triple. To be blunt Elaine and Bob could not find anything for a few ends and Connaught, 2-11 down after five ends and 6-15 down after ten ends, seemed en route for total disaster. Bill then decided to change things, swapping places with Bob and a little later swapping places with Elaine. Bill achieved the steadiness necessary, Bob settled down at skip and Elaine lost some of her nerves. Connaught pulled up steadily until reaching 14-15 after fifteen ends and 16-17 after seventeen ends. With Mike having last wood on end 18 and taking good advantage of it, Connaught dropped 2 and narrowly lost a match in which they were put to the sword at the start.
After the break, on Mat 1, Andrew Stratton, Lee Fallows and Ralf Ramm beat G Dibble 24-9. Connaught kept things very tight with Ralf leading well and Andrew and Lee combining efficiently. The Watton triple still applied themselves well to contain and Connaught did not quite race away until the later stages. Leading 15-7 after thirteen ends Connaught then scored 4 and 3 to remove any chance of a comeback. This was a good, solid win.
Ray Wells, Diana Adcock and Sylvia Parsons form a triple capable of demolishing the opposition when on song. D Brahan’s triple had neither the power nor the accuracy to withstand three players who realised the match was there for the taking. Watton kept in touch at first and Connaught’s lead was only 7-5 after seven ends. A 6 and a 3 then followed to give a halftime lead of 16-5. Connaught did not lose another end after that and doubled their score with the help of a 5 on end 17. Although under no real pressure, the Connaught players still had to bowl and get their woods in. Importantly they had to maintain concentration, which they did for eighteen ends.
Watton are never easy to beat but perhaps were not as strong in selection as they could have been.  Connaught have no right to 10-0 victories, desperately as they now need them, and again one triple failed to make it!  Return to Short Mat

CONNAUGHT ‘A’ v FORNCETT AWAY
Connaught ‘A’ travelled to Forncett on Tuesday 29 January expecting the usual tough match and that is exactly what they got. Connaught just edged it narrowly, by 60-57 and 6-4.
On Mat 1 Ray Wells, Diana Adcock and Sylvia Parsons had a steady start against T Ottewell’s triple, getting the better of a series of low-scoring ends and leading 8-3 at the halfway stage. Forncett came back from then on but with a lead of 10-7 after thirteen ends Connaught still held the initiative. Disaster struck from that point on, however, as Connaught dropped 3, 4, 2, 1 and 2 to lose the match 10-19; in fact they did not score from end 12 onwards. Diana had a good game throughout and was well on top of her opponent for most of the match, although it was a more even contest over those last few ends. Similarly Sylvia was on good form, particularly early on, against an opponent who also did not “find it” until the second half of the match. Ray was playing reasonably and with the advantage at lead and 2 just about contained Tony Ottewell, who was looking very sharp but who had to bowl to save for the first half of the match. Once the support was there he expanded his game and played some very good shots to build up a lead for Forncett. Connaught could have changed playing order to break things up but for much of the match there was no need; when there was it was perhaps too late.
On Mat 2 Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Russell Hales faced Dennis and Joan Rumsby and Kath Jordan who are always difficult opposition. Connaught won a generally low-scoring match by 15-12, although winning only eight of the eighteen ends. A 4 on end 8 and another 4 on end 15 proved crucial for Connaught; all the other ends, on both sides, were 1s and 2s. Keith Beavers had a tremendous match at lead against Kath Jordan and secured the advantage for Connaught on nearly all the ends. Russell played solidly enough at 2 but found Joan Rumsby in generally impressive form; she often saved shots or just took shot wood. Sheila and Dennis Rumsby had a good scrap throughout. Sheila played some good saving shots and was also accurate in attack. Forncett concentration lapsed a bit on the two high-scoring ends and Connaught sensed the moment to combine well and consolidate.
After the break Bill Adcock skipped Mike Parsons and Derek Liles against P Lock, R Humphreys and M Humphreys, another combative Forncett triple on home territory. Connaught had a shaky start to be 0-7 down after three ends but edged their way back a little to be 5-11 down at halfway. A good, steady run took them to 11-11 after fourteen ends. Connaught dropped 3 on end 15 but came back well with 1 and 2 to make the score level again at 14-14 with the final end to play. Forncett rather took control of the end and Bill had to bowl under considerable pressure. With his last wood and just a little luck he drew shot, sideways on and touching the jack but with Forncett woods in menacing positions. Peter Lock bowled his last wood perfectly, just as a skip should, hitting Bill’s wood and sending the jack to four waiting Forncett woods. Connaught lost a very entertaining match by 14-18. Opposed by a good lead, Mike had a steady game and stuck to his task well; he should be pleased with his performance. Derek also played some good shots and is starting to settle in as a 2. Bill had another very good match, playing a variety of shots and saving well for Connaught on several occasions. This was a reverse image of Sheila’s match. Connaught won eleven of the ends, scoring 9 x 1 and 3 x 2. Forncett scored 1 x 1, 3 x 2, 1 x 3 and 2 x 4. Either Connaught did not get enough in or Forncett aggression paid off.
On Mat 2 Andrew Stratton, John Winup and Lee Fallows won 21-8 against A Aldridge, D Coleman and K Humphreys in a good team performance. Connaught won thirteen of the ends, containing Forncett to 2 x 1 and 3 x 2 and managing 2 x 3 and 1 x 4 to build up the margin. Like Keith Beavers on the same mat, John found the draw consistently and also put in some good positional woods at the back. Lee was able generally to build on that and to nullify any advantage secured by Forncett. Andrew maintained recent good form with a series of good draws and controlled weight shots. Having a left-hander on that particular mat also helped Connaught considerably. Forncett stuck to their guns and often made things difficult but found three players on good form and combining well.
Forncett away is never an easy match and a 6-4 is not a bad result.

CONNAUGHT ‘A’ v HINGHAM AWAY
Connaught ‘A’ travelled to Hingham on Monday 4 February knowing they needed to win and win well to stand any chance of remaining in a championship race spearheaded by Yaxham and Wymondham. The outcome was very satisfactory as Connaught won 83-50 and 10-0 and found some of its former ruthlessness.
On Mat 1 Ray Wells, Diana Adcock and Sylvia Parsons won 21-14 against M Frost despite losing ten of the eighteen ends. Connaught were indebted to a 5 on end 2 and to 4s on ends 9 and 11 for giving them sufficient margin; after end 12 Connaught led 19-6. The Hingham triple then fought back well to take five ends on the trot and to reduce that margin. The mat swung extravagantly and all the players produced wayward shots at times as woods went off the side or into the block. However, with Diana having her usual steady game at lead and with Sylvia and Ray showing variety of shot, Connaught were able to contain better as Hingham were reduced mainly to single shot wins. Conversely, Hingham seemed generally to blow it when they lost an end.
On Mat 2 Andrew Stratton, John Winup and Lee Fallows played well to win 22-9 against M White. Again, all players found the mat a bit tricky; the problem was not so much swing, although this existed, but runs and lines. Woods went long, off the side or into the block, The mat certainly was playable but demanded very precise weight and line. Having dropped the first end by 2 shots, Connaught then accumulated steadily to take the next eight ends and to lead 12-2 at the halfway stage. The lead increased to 22-3 after fourteen ends, but Hingham then “found it” to win the last four ends and to reduce the margin by 6 shots. For Connaught John had a good game, playing some very accurate shots but putting more into the block than he usually does; guilty later on of being a bit cocky and going for unnecessary killer shots at lead. Lee had a really excellent game, drawing well and threading through narrow gaps almost at will. Andrew likewise played very well, generally finding the weight and using his left-handedness to advantage.
After the break Sheila Bragg, Keith  Beavers and Russell Hales beat K Thomas 20-11. Connaught had the advantage early on to lead 7-3 after six ends but Hingham came back well and the match was level at 7-7 at halfway. An inspired spell then saw Connaught take 3, 5 and 2 to lead 17-7 after twelve ends ands to put the match out of sight. The last six ends were shared, with 3 shots to Connaught and 4 to Hingham. With the exception of Sheila, all the players had trouble with the mat and the match was the most error-strewn of the evening. At one point in the first half Keith was going off long and Russell was going off in all directions; Sheila was having to bowl desperately to save. Once Connaught got it together, they played well as a unit and Sheila was able to dominate from a position of strength. The Hingham skip played well but lacked consistent support.
The second match on Mat 2 saw Bill Adcock, Mike Parsons and Derek Liles pitted against John Higgs and Hingham’s strongest triple. Connaught won 20-16 in by far the best contest of the evening. A 3-0 lead after two ends was illusory for Connaught as Hingham took complete control and the away side found themselves 4-12 down at halfway. Mike was not playing badly but Janet Higgs was getting the better of him, while Derek was having a torrid time at the hands of B Woods. Bill was having to play catch-up against a very good skip. Bill decided enough was enough, moving to 2 after halfway and shunting Derek up to skip. 4, 3, 2, 2 and 1 then ensued and Connaught led 16-12. A bit shell-shocked, Hingham recovered to score 2 and 2 to level the match 16-16 after sixteen ends. Connaught managed 1 on end 17 but played the last end better; John Higgs had to try controlled pace with his two woods and just failed as Connaught held 3 in the 10.45 finish. The switch between Bill and Derek worked very well. The key lay in Bill putting pressure on Hingham’s very useful 2; this seemed to give Mike more confidence and in a good second half he turned the tables on his opposite number. Derek found less pressure at skip as Bill still directed operations. Doing generally what he was told, Derek played some superb running woods on the forehand and also drew with precision.
This was a sound win on testing surfaces and possibly baffling from a Hingham viewpoint. They simply did not take advantage of home territory and Connaught did not look the away side. Now to Wymondham at home on Wednesday.  Return to Short Mat

CONNAUGHT ‘A’ v WYMONDHAM @ HOME
Connaught ‘A’ entertained Wymondham on Wednesday 6 February in a crunch match for the home side and a very important one for the visitors. Connaught pulled off a stunning win, by 79-46 and 10-0, to put themselves much more closely in the frame as far as the league is concerned.
Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Russell Hales opened on Mat 1 against P King, S Archer and S Phillips. Connaught won 21-13 after dominating ends 5 to 15. The early exchanges went slightly Wymondham’s way with Connaught 1-3 down after four ends. A 3 and a 5 then gave Connaught a 6-shot margin which they maintained until halfway with a lead of 12-6. A 4 on end 13 and a 3 on end 15 helped boost the lead to 21-8 before Wymondham came back to take five shots over the last three ends. With Steve Phillips at 2 and Peter King at skip Wymondham had a useful-looking triple, but found themselves up against it as Keith found total accuracy after the opening ends and Russell at last found much of his old form and played some cracking running woods. Sheila is in the form of her life and was utterly ruthless and accurate as she built on the good support.
Andrew Stratton, John Winup and Lee Fallows won 16-12 against A Wood, M Taylor and D Clarke. This was a bit of struggle, Connaught winning only eight of the ends to Wymondham’s ten and thankful for a good 4 and 2 start. The key lay at lead, where M Taylor for Wymondham had an excellent game throughout and where John, despite some good ends and shots, had a poorish game generally. Lee, under pressure at 2, played brilliantly to recover ground against a 2 with a somewhat shaky technique. However, the Wymondham 2 did settle down in the second half and somehow managed to disrupt several ends with some wobbling drives. Andrew played steadily and calmly throughout but the Wymondham skip, A Wood, who had had a nightmare at Watton the previous Friday in the Five Pairs, also had an excellent match. He saved Wymondham several times in the first half, with drives and draws removing 4 and 5 shot advantages, and in the second half continued to play well. The match ended with Andrew drawing last wood to go 1 down instead of 4 down. All players had trouble with pace from time to time but the match overall was a good contest. Connaught were relieved to have slugged it out.
After the break Mat 1 saw Ray Wells, Diana Adcock and Sylvia Parsons taking on C Mann, D Durrant and T Emms. With Chris Mann usually a trump card for Wymondham, the Connaught triple had drawn the short straw and would have to combine very well as a unit to offset one talented player. Connaught won 21-10 after an absorbing match in which they did not pull away until the second half. The first half was even, Connaught scoring 3 x 2 and 1 x 3 to lead 9-7. Wymondham then scored 3 and at 9-10 down Connaught settled in for a battle. They took all the remaining ends, however, including 3 on end 14 and 4 on end 18. Diana had her usual excellent game at lead, although her opponent fought well, and Sylvia also played well to get the better of her opponent. Ray did not always have the advantage, however, when going to the head and often found Chris Mann breaking up the head. Ray reacted very well to the pressure and his own unorthodox game was on song, often confounding his opponent. This was a good team victory with the better-balanced triple applying pressure well.
On Mat 2 Bill Adcock skipped Ralf Ramm and Derek Liles to a 21-11 win against E Tolver, S Foster and D Phillips. The family combination from Wymondham is a very useful one and they got the better of the early exchanges as Connaught went 4-6 down after seven ends. The pace of the mat again caused some problems for everybody. Connaught then found better form with 2, 3 and 2 to lead 11-6 but at 13-10 after fourteen ends the lead was not conclusive. End 15 did prove conclusive, however. After seven woods were bowled Wymondham lay 3 or 4, with the Connaught bowls either very long or very short. Derek had one difficult chance with his second wood, a backhand drive through a narrow gap to take the jack. He played it superbly and Connaught held 3. Eddie Tolver missed with his two attempts at a wide backhand draw and Bill did not, the result being 5 to Connaught and an 18-10 lead which settled the match at that point. For Connaught Ralf played very well against a good lead and Derek, despite misjudging pace on a few ends also held his own against a good player in Debbie Phillips. Bill was very steady and controlled proceedings well.
This win puts Connaught top of the table, but with Yaxham and Wymondham able to overtake them mathematically from matches in hand. A good week has moved them up from a weakish third to one of three sides in even contention. No more than that. Simply continue to win matches and see what happens. The 0-10 defeat at Wymondham had not helped the Connaught confidence level and the team was very happy at reversing that scoreline

CONNAUGHT ‘A’ v BANHAM HOME
Connaught ‘A’ beat Banham at home on Wednesday 20 February by 64-50 and 6-4.
On Mat 1 Bill Adcock, Mike Parsons and Derek Liles lost 12-18 to T Blackburn, S Footer and J Blackburn. Connaught had a reasonable start to lead 5-1 after three ends but Banham quickly found the width and pace of the mat and by the halfway stage Connaught were 7-10 down. Things did not really improve after that; Banham always had the edge as Connaught played catch up and tried switching playing order (Derek managed all three positions). Essentially Connaught were against a competent triple very strong at the drawing game. Connaught did not really compete at the draw and neither did they build up the head to allow an attacking game; their own short woods often provided a safety net protecting Banham woods close to the jack.
On Mat 2 Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Russell Hales had an equally torrid time in losing 7-17 to B Francis, V Footer and S Francis. Connaught never really threatened and were behind for the entire match. In a mirror image of the events on Mat 1 Banham played a very accurate drawing game and were rarely challenged by Connaught. Keith had one of his few bad games in a brilliant season for him; he could not match Val Footer, his opposite number. The problems were compounded by Russell also having a bad night while Shirley Francis at 2 for  Banham bowled superbly throughout. Sheila played some spectacular shots to save or occasionally win an end but generally got little change out of Bill Francis. Reshuffling of the playing order, as on Mat 1, did nothing for Connaught as a rather bedraggled outfit came away lucky to be only 10 behind.
On Mat 1 after the break Andrew Stratton skipped Ralf Ramm and Lee Fallows to a 22-10 win against J Williamson, R Dunning and C Smith. Leading from end 1 Connaught faltered only once, when dropping 3 on end 8 and seeing the lead cut to 7-5. Thereafter there was a steady accumulation of shots. Ralf played well against a Ronnie Dunning familiar with the mat and after a good battle came out on top. As ever Lee consolidated well or retrieved the advantage for Connaught with his range of shots. Andrew played really well all night against a good skip and thought that he had never played better on Mat 1.
On Mat 2 Ray Wells, Diana Adcock and Sylvia Parsons had an even more emphatic win, by 23-5 against J Delaney, M Seager and J Goodey. With Diana showing what leading is all about and shutting Mike Seager out of the game, Connaught had an upfront advantage. Sylvia and Ray likewise got the better of their opponents, using the draw and pace to win fourteen of the eighteen ends. In truth this was not Banham’s strongest triple, but you still have to beat what is in front of you and Connaught were under pressure after the two losses before the interval. If they were nervous the Connaught players did not show it.
Without being patronising to Banham, who have some good players, Connaught expected to do better than 6-4 at home after winning 8-2 in the away fixture. It was a game of two halves, as mentioned by Tony Blackburn in his short speech afterwards. Banham’s strongest triples played Connaught’s weakest and vice versa; different combinations might have made a difference but that is conjecture.Connaught had more depth to secure two points for overall shots but it was that close. A win is a win but Connaught really needed a bit more. Return to Short Mat

CONNAUGHT ‘A’ v CONNAUGHT ‘B’ HOME
Connaught ‘A’ “hosted” the return fixture on Saturday 23 February and won by 96-43 and 10-0.
On Mat 1 Ray Wells, Diana Adcock and Sylvia Parsons beat Alan Marshall, Heather Winup and Stan Groom 19-14 in a hard-fought match. The ‘B’ players had the better of the early exchanges to lead 10-5 at the halfway point. At or about this stage Ray and Sylvia swapped positions, and not for the first time the move did the trick with 3, 2 and 2 taking them into a 12-10 lead. However, at 12-12 after thirteen ends the match was still open. From then on Connaught ‘A’ exerted more pressure and Connaught ‘B could not really take it. Nevertheless this was a genuine contest. Heather played well against Diana, generally matching her on the backhand draw but again showing lack of control on the forehand delivery. Stan had a mixture of the good and indifferent. Alan had a good match and showed that he can play. Sylvia and Ray, however, had more variety of shot to make the difference.

On at 2 Andrew Stratton, Ralf Ramm and Elaine Oatway beat Alison Rush, Moira Eades and Joanna Barnes 34-11 in a match where Connaught ‘A’ turned the screw to win the last five ends 15-0. A 4 to the ‘A’ on end 1 and a ‘4’ to the ‘B’ on end 2 made for an unusual start! The ‘B’ led 6-5 after six ends but then dropped 4 and 3 to be some way behind. At 11-19 after thirteen ends the ‘B’ were in a respectable position but could not withstand the late surge. Ralf was very accurate against Moira in a reasonable contest and Elaine gradually got the better of Joanna and played with increasing confidence. Joanna had some good shots but seemed out of sorts and showed her lack of recent match play. Against most skips Alison would have had a much better return. She played pretty well but Andrew was in walking on water form and nearly everything he did came off. Nice to hear comment from Alison “I like playing against Andrew. He was far too good, but was always pleasant and encouraging; he always applauded our good shots”.
Mat 1 after the break saw a massacre as Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Russell Hales won 27-5 against Ken Lurcock, Joyce Catling and Kevin Noble. With Kevin, brought into the side the night before and struggling both technically and through no recent play, having severe problems at 2, a well-oiled Connaught ‘A’ machine needed no second bidding and amassed the shots. Joyce tried her best at lead and Ken, with little support, battled away to little avail at skip. Keith won at lead and Russell used the opportunity at 2 to bowl under no pressure; Sheila simply bowled on remorselessly as she had to do. A not very satisfactory match for either team, but obviously better for Connaught ‘A’.
Mat 2 by contrast saw a tremendous scrap between Bill Adcock, John Winup and Bob Oatway (‘A’) against Ty Musk, Ollie Allen and Christine Musk (‘B’). The ‘A’ triple had an enormous struggle to win by 16-13. Connaught ‘A’, 4-0 up after two ends, dropped 4 on end 3 through a superb drive from Ty to waiting back woods but just gained the edge to lead 11-6 at halfway. The lead was extended to 14-6 after eleven ends, but about this time Ty switched Chris to lead and Ollie to 2 and the move worked. Connaught ‘B’ won the last seven ends 7-2 and had the senior side sweating. The mere statistics do not tell the whole story, because this was a quality match. The leading generally was very good, with John (not enough back woods) just losing out to Ollie and then to Chris. Bob had some trouble with weight on the draw but his heavier woods paid dividends. One backhand take near the end of the match turned 3 down into 2 up and several drives demolished carefully-constructed heads. Bill had another splendid match playing some superb skip’s shots under pressure; the backhand draw turning 3 down into 1 up is the prime example. Everybody played well in the ‘B’ triple. Ollie led well and did a good stint at 2; but Bob’s power game is beyond him at present (Ollie impressed Bob but he is not county material yet). Chris showed that probably her best position is lead and Ty had one of his best matches. His forehand play was tremendous and as skip he got better results by generally letting his players get on with it.
Return to Short Mat

CONNAUGHT ‘A’ v WAYLAND AWAY
Connaught ‘A’, after a Saturday evening match against Connaught ‘B’, moved on the next day to a Sunday afternoon match at Wayland on 24 February. Connaught ‘A’ won 75-51 and 9-1 but the mere figures do not tell the true story. This was another match of sweat and blood.
On Mat 1 Andrew Stratton skipped John Winup and Lee Fallows against J Frary. Connaught came through by 15-14 but probably were a little careless in letting in Wayland at key points in the match. Connaught played steadily from the outset to build up a lead of 8-2 after seven ends. A dropped 3 on end 8 and a dropped 4 on end 10 then brought the scores level at 9-9; not good. Applied concentration from Connaught saw them win five successive tightly-fought ends to lead 15-9 with three ends to go. Wayland won those three ends, scoring five shots in the process and playing well, but got closer than they should have done. For Connaught John led steadily and probably just bested an opposite number who sent off several woods; not much in it. Lee had a very good match, mastering the draw on both hands in both directions, but Eric Frary did not let him get away. Andrew was a bit hard on himself afterwards, because he played some good pressure shots and because Jane Frary is a lethal opponent on her own mats.
On Mat 2, the more tricky of the two, Bill Adcock, Mike Parsons and Derek Liles survived another battle to win 15-10 against M Hector. Connaught won twelve of the eighteen ends but were contained to 9 x 1s and 3 x 2s; Wayland had 1 x 3 and 2 x 2s in their tally. Leading 8-5 after ten ends, of which they had won seven, Connaught dropped 3 on end 11 to put themselves back to square one. The scores were still level, 10-10, after fourteen ends. Connaught ‘A’ then took 3 x 1s and 1 x 2 to clinch the match. The entire match was one of great variety of shot and of constantly changing heads; in general all six players played well together. For Connaught Mike lost many of this season’s demons to have a very good game at lead and against Beryl Goldsmith he needed to. Derek had a shaky start but got it together well after that; he can play a running wood on either hand and is settling down to the 2 slot. Bill had another excellent match, mixing weight with the draw and reading the head very precisely. He again played the pressure shots well.
On Mat 1 after the break Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Russell Hales won 30-12 against A Baldry. Despite dropping 3 shots on the first end Connaught soon asserted control against opposition which could not match the all-round game facing them.  Connaught accumulated steadily and 5 on end 9 followed by 4 on end 11 put them ahead by a massive 22-5. Wayland came back a little, evening up the last few ends, but were never really in the match. When a triple wins so easily it is tempting to say that “they did not play the strongest block” but that did seem to be the case here. All three Connaught players did very well, no mistake about that; Keith was steady at lead, Russell played with more confidence and Sheila never relaxed for one moment. But they were not quite challenged and tested as the other triples were.
On Mat 2 Ray Wells, Diana Adcock and Sylvia Parsons forced a last-gasp 15-15 draw against T Rugg in another nail-biting match. The scorecard shows a perfect symmetry: 5 x 1s, 2 x 2s and 2 x 3s to each side just about sum up the match. Connaught twice led by 2 and Wayland twice led by 3; outside of that there was rarely more than one shot in it. On the more difficult mat, as in the Bill Adcock match, there was a great variety of shot; precise draws were followed by running woods and ditched jacks and chalkers were knocked in. All six players contributed to a very entertaining match and nobody can be singled out. From a Connaught perspective the last end bears some description. 12-15 down, Connaught really went for it. Diana drew two good woods to gain the advantage and Sylvia was there or thereabouts. Wayland also drew near the jack. Connaught held one with the skips to bowl. Ray drew in another shot and Wayland missed with two. With his third wood Ray had to draw in again on the backhand and to nudge out two Wayland woods. He did the draw and nudged out one but on a measure Wayland held fourth. All quite amazing.
Wayland did not play like a side near the bottom of the league and Connaught were very relieved to get 9 points. 6, 10 and 9 points in five days is not a bad return (although 8 against Banham would have been better still) and in the old sporting cliché “we have got the points, over to you”. Whether they are enough remains to be seen – matches still to play and keep on winning!   Return to Short Mat

CONNAUGHT ‘A’ v CARLETON RODE
On Wednesday 5 March, two days after the Five Pairs Final against Banham played at Carleton Rode and organised by the host side , Connaught ‘A’  this time entertained Carleton Rode in a league fixture. Connaught ‘A’ won by 78-51 and 6-4, well on top in two matches but losing two close ones.
On Mat 1 Ray Wells, Diana Adcock and Sylvia Parsons won 27-11 against R Baker, M Baker and D Eastleigh. Connaught had a nervous and edgy start, 2-6 down after five ends and with Ray asking Sylvia to swap positions. She had the good sense to decline at that early stage and she and Diana started to control the heads and allow Ray to settle into the match. Connaught had a good run of winning ends to lead 17-6 after twelve ends. A dropped 4 on end 13 caused some fluttering but Connaught reasserted control from then on. The pattern was the usual one for this triple, with Diana a very accurate lead and Sylvia having all the shots as a natural number 2. When they click Ray grows in confidence.
On Mat 2 a very different tale unfolded as Andrew Stratton, Ralf Ramm and Lee Fallows lost 14-19 to R Davidson, G Davidson and M Newby. Connaught held the lead only once in the match, 3-2 up after three ends, and this was a fair reflection. Carleton Rode combined very well in a sensible and determined display, building up solid heads and giving nothing away. Gill Davidson had a good game at lead, just edging out Ralf Ramm and then Lee Fallows for a spell. The key to the match was at 2 where Mike Newby played out of his skin to get the better of firstly Lee, then Ralf and then Andrew as Connaught shuffled playing order. For Connaught Ralf was his usual steady self at lead but out of his depth when moved to 2 for a few ends. For the first time this season, Lee had a bad match by his standards. Playing immediately after finishing heavy physical work and after a monstrous working week in two businesses was simply too much (that takes nothing away from Carleton Rode who beat what was in front of them). Andrew had a reasonable game but met his match on the night in Russell Davidson. It is unfair always to expect Andrew and Lee to lead a banker triple, but there is no doubt that Connaught had expected to win this one. But it was not to be.
On Mat 1 after the break Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Russell Hales lost 13-16 to N Ramsbottom, P Rush and T Newby. This was always going to be a match hard to call; if Neil Ramsbottom was on form then even Sheila would need Connaught’s lead and 2 to give her some advantage. The match was always close and usually low-scoring; a 4 to Carleton Rode on end 5 and 3s to Connaught on ends 7 and 17 were the exceptions. Keith had a slowish start against Pam Rush but gradually applied pressure and in the second half was playing very well against an opponent who still kept in touch. Russell was a mixture of the good, very bad and indifferent and Terry Newby, under strict guidance from Neil, did enough to keep Carleton Rode in it during the second half. With what she had Sheila still would have beaten most Breckland League skips and she played well. However, she found Neil Ramsbottom in excellent form and absolutely determined to win the match. He was confident on the mat and played all the shots.
On Mat 2 Bill Adcock, Mike Parsons and Bob Oatway won 24-5 against T Colley, B Evans and A Evans in a match where Connaught simply had too much in the bank for their opponents. The home side played a very steady and disciplined game, evidenced by winning eight ends by 2 shots. Nothing spectacular but a steady accumulation. Mike faced a Connaught member in Beryl Evans, who with Roll Ups and internal leagues probably plays more on the home mats than he does. The two had a good scrap but Mike played well over the 18 ends to take the honours; even when Beryl won the end Mike stayed well in touch and generally avoided bowling short woods. Bob certainly plays less at Connaught than does Alan and initially had trouble with pace. Alan was playing well but when Bob found the radar he let his head drop a bit. Bill, in fine form at present, had some problems with pace at the start (Mat 2 remains a psychological problem for the home side) but Terry Colley could not capitalise and later swapped with Alan to try to break the mould. 9-4 only to Connaught at half time but growing control and accuracy then saw the points mount up.
A realistic look at the four triples beforehand would have given Connaught two almost certain wins, one probable win and one possible loss. What transpired was the best outcome for the visitors and the worst for the home side. 8-2 would have been welcome but 6-4 remained a win. Everything was mollified by news of Wymondham’s 3-7 defeat against Watton; there is still all to play for by the three leading clubs. Return to Short Mat

CONNAUGHT ‘A’ v HARLING RECREATION AWAY
Connaught ‘A’ travelled to Harling on Wednesday 19 March for the last match of the Breckland League season. Connaught knew that a 10-0 victory would mean retaining the league title but it was not to be. After a hard struggle Connaught won but by 73-58 and 7-3.
On Mat 1 Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Russell Hales drew 18-18 with R Meek. For the early part of the match Connaught simply could not get it together and dropped 4s on ends 3 and 5 put them 3-9 down. Things had not really improved at halfway when the score was 5-11. However, by this time Keith Beavers had found line and length at lead and was outbowling his opposite number. This led to a good run of winning ends and after end 14 Connaught led 16-11, seemingly on the way to a good win. Disaster then struck on end 15 with 5 shots dropped. Connaught held 2 after Sheila’s first wood but a good running wood from Robert Meek took the jack through to waiting woods and Connaught were 4 down. Sheila had no real way in and Robert drew his last wood for 5. Connaught immediately got 2 back but dropped the last two ends by single shots. On the last end Sheila had to play a very accurate nudging shot on the backhand to save 1. An inspired spell from ends 9 to 14, when everybody played very well, had saved Connaught.
On the very difficult Mat 2 Bill Adcock, Mike Parsons and Derek Liles lost 14-21 to R Buffery. Connaught were 2-2 after three ends but then dropped 4, 3 and 2 on the next three and at 2-11 down were playing catch-up. The problem for Connaught was not that they played particularly badly but that the opposition generally played that much better. The Harling lead, although sending off several woods on the tricky surface, quite often produced a very accurate shot to put Connaught under pressure. The Scottish lady at 2, M Stevens, had a very good match and played well against all three Connaught players as the visitors changed playing order. Connaught did seem to be on the way back at one point, scoring 1, 2 and 3 on ends 12 to 14 and reducing the margin to 12-16 but they could not sustain it. All three Connaught players have had better days but this was an evening for the other side.
On Mat 1 after the break, Andrew Stratton, John Winup and Lee Fallows won 25-7 against R Stevens. The Connaught players had seen the Sheila Bragg match and taken note. They mastered the mat from the outset, taking 4 on the first end and leading 11-0 after five ends. The lead increased to 17-3 at halfway and to 22-4 after thirteen ends. Harling, who never gave up, then came into it a little more to score 3-3 in the finishing straight. John had an excellent match at lead, relieving immediate pressure from Lee and allowing him to consolidate. Andrew had one of his best games of the season at skip against an opponent who managed to put him under pressure on quite a few ends. Harling had stuck with it all the way and forced Connaught into playing good shots. The match was by no means as easy as the score suggested and the three Connaught players were quietly satisfied.
On Mat 2 Ray Wells, Diana Adcock and Sylvia Parsons beat B Knappett 16-12 after what became a desperate struggle on a surface which is notoriously difficult to master. The adjoining Mat 1 is tricky but predictable and rewards accurate play, but Mat 2 is something else! The line and pace have to be exact and if they are not players can look very silly. Harling players should be familiar with it but they also have problems. Connaught started to fall away at the start and were 4-8 down after seven ends. A 4 on end 8 gave them parity and more confidence. Connaught edged ahead to 11-9 after eleven ends, but of the next four ends one was a”no score” and Harling won the others by singles shots. 11-12 down, Connaught scored an invaluable 3 on end 16 to secure a margin and held on to win the last two ends. The score does not tell the entire story of a match in which the heads constantly changed as the two sides slugged it out.
Clearly Connaught were hoping for a 10-0 but knew from previous years that Harling would not be an easy ride. There is no mileage in rueing the 3 points dropped in this match. Despite a good record of 17 wins and 3 defeats, Connaught have dropped points all season when scraping narrow 6-4 victories. Yaxham now have to get at least 8 points at Connaught ‘B’ in their last match next week. If they do so and take the title, good luck to them because they have had a storming finish to the season. Wymondham are now out of it after seeming unstoppable at one stage and came apart a bit towards the end.
Yaxham secured the 8 points needed against Connaught 'B' and thus pipped Connaught 'A' by one point to win the Breckland League for the first time for several years after a long run of Connaught success. Many congratulations to them, although Connaught naturally are disappointed. Any analysis of a season like this will mean a bit of controversy and possibly opponents saying "sour grapes", but so be it.
Undoubtedly the side did lose its way a little after the sudden death of Keith Banks early in the season. There was the personal factor - Keith had been club chairman (entire club, outdoors and in) for three years and was a very popular character; the entire club was shocked by the sudden circumstances. At a playing level Keith was a big loss to Connaught 'A', because he was a natural number 2 and filled a pivotal slot in both the Breckland and South Norfolk sides. Connaught 'A' did lack depth in that position, particularly in the ability to play the running wood when needed. Nevertheless the side rallied well and in terms of wins and losses actually did better than both Yaxham and Wymondham. As stated before, however, vital points were dropped in several matches and there is no going back on that.
Connaught 'A' had to lose the league at some point but Sylvia Parsons, that most competitive of players, was a bit distraught that it happened in her captaincy! She tried desperately hard all season to find the right combinations etc and largely succeeded, but she could not plug every gap or put in what simply wasn't there. The Breckland League season was still a very successful one, with the Five Pairs won once more and the Dennis Moore tournament won emphatically. Added to that the team spirit remained excellent, with availability very good and players supporting at matches after being dropped.
With the league title lost and both Lee Fallows and Andrew Stratton taking sabbaticals,  Connaught 'A' may be seen as less of a threat next season. That does not mean the club's own expectations will be lower - far from it. The numbers will be there and there are some useful players coming through. Sylvia - and nobody expects her to give up now - will have to assess  the total playing strength as the side regroups. The Breckland League title can be regained - no doubt about it.
One gripe at other clubs (makes a change from people sniping at us!). The merry-go-round of players playing for different clubs is becoming farcical. Recruited as a result of contact on the county circuit, talented players are appearing in crucial matches for second or third clubs without being true members of those clubs. All within the registration rules, but it leaves a nasty taste. But surely Connaught do the same thing? No, we do not. Anybody joining Connaught has to pay a sub of £30/£35 - showing the SMBA registration card is not enough - and the club does not try to poach from the many small village sides it meets in the leagues.
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Breckland  'B' Team

Alison Rush again captains  Connaught ‘B’ and will be hoping to maintain last year’s improvement. Connaught ‘B’ had become almost an institution as bottom team every season in the Breckland League, a nonsense given the club’s playing resources. With Ty and Christine Musk available fulltime last year and Elaine and Bob Oatway available subject to First Bus commitments, the team had players less inclined to accept losing and were harder-nosed as a result.
This year Elaine and Bob move up to Connaught ‘A’, still parttime,  but Alan Marshall and Heather Winup move down on a fulltime basis. Chris Taylor, Joyce Catling and Ken Lurcock are back fulltime but Mary Fallows currently is unavailable. There are a number of newer players in the squad, some of whom seem much better bets than others but Alison must make that call. Target not finishing bottom and take it from there!
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CONNAUGHT ‘B’ v YAXHAM
Connaught ‘B’ travelled to Yaxham for a tricky fixture on Tuesday 9 October and went down by 44-79 and 2-8.
 Ty Musk, Joyce Catling and Chris Musk combined well to beat Owen Secker 14-13. The scorecard shows the match veering first one way and then the other. Connaught 0-4 after four ends, 7-5 after nine, 7-12 after thirteen  and 13-13 after seventeen. A single shot to Connaught on end 18 gave them victory. Joyce played very well after the previous night’s SNL disaster and both Ty and Chris, back to bowls after holiday, showed their value to this side.
 Chris Taylor, Stan Groom and Ken Lurcock faced John and Chrissie Turner and were outclassed. Connaught conceded 4 x 4s in a succession of losing ends and were 6-31 down after sixteen ends. A 1 and a 3 put slightly more respectability on the score, which finished at 10-31. Changes in the playing order did not help Connaught at all; against players of this ability try to dig in and contain. Perhaps easier said than done.
 Alan Marshall, Heather Winup and Phil King played with determination against Denny  Cross & Co. They did contain well to lose by 11-15. Heather, having a good season, again drew in well at lead, Phil was steady and Alan expressed himself as much happier after a nightmare performance last season at Yaxham for Connaught ‘A’. Denny Cross earned Yaxham the victory with some good “taking out” shots.
 Kevin Noble skipped Moira Eades (lead) and Alison Rush (2) in an experimental combination which went down 9-20 to R Harris. Conceding 5 on end 1 Connaught were 0-9 down after three ends, but started to pull up only to drop 4 on end 11 to make the score 6-15. Connaught still managed to win eight of the ends but were never in with a shout. Moira, good at 2 the previous night in the SNL, had another very good match. Alison was steady but Kevin had a baptism of fire. His stabbing delivery action will catch him out at short mat by inhibiting the wider draw.
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CONNAUGHT ‘B’ v HARLING REC
Connaught ‘B’ had an excellent win at Harling Rec on Tuesday 23 October, losing 56-70 on shots but taking three of the triples to win 6-4 on shots. Only bare details are available for this report
Joyce Hazel, Ollie Allen (in his debut match) and John Mitchell lost 6-30 and seemed to have had a torrid time. The block also seemed to have had a sacrificial look about it. Alan Marshall, Stan Groom and Kevin Noble won 16-15. Joanna Barnes (skipping on debut), Moira Eades and Alison Rush won 18-16. Ty Musk, Joyce Catling and Christine Musk won 16-9.
With Phil King and Heather Winup stood down to give others playing opportunity, this was a very good performance on a surface notoriously difficult for the away side.
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CONNAUGHT ‘B’ v FORNCETT
 Connaught ‘B’ played Forncett at home on Wednesday 31 October and went down by 51-69 and 2-8.
On Mat 1 Joyce Hazell, Ollie Allen and Alison Rush went down by 10-19 to A Aldridge. Connaught had a steady start to lead 6-2 after five ends but then lost the middle session heavily to fall behind 6-16 after 12 ends. They came back in the closing stages to win the last six ends 4-3. Ollie had an uneven game in the first half but played the last nine ends or so very well. Alison was finding the line but had problems with pace all through the match. Joyce had a steady game, both at skip and at 2 when she and Alison swapped positions.
 On Mat 2 Ty Musk, Christine Ross and Christine Musk lost 12-18 to D Rumsby. The match was even for the first fourteen ends, at which point Connaught led 12-11. The Forncett triple, probably their strongest, then came through strongly to take the last four ends. Unfortunately Chris Ross had an erratic game at lead, sometimes getting in well but more often losing length and line and losing woods. Chris Musk was under more pressure and more inconsistent than usual. Ty played extremely well but could not overcome Joan and Dennis Rumsby in the closing stages. Ty was affected by the pressure and the atmosphere was a bit fraught.
After the break Chris Taylor skipped Ken Lurcock and Phil King in a 13-17 defeat against M Humphreys. Connaught led 10-8 after nine ends and 12-11 after thirteen ends. A dropped 3 on end 15 put them behind but at 13-14 after sixteen ends it was anybody’s match. Forncett came through better with a 1 and a 2. Chris had a good game at skip and Phil at 2, although sometimes too heavy, showed both drawing skill and aggression at 2. Ken Lurcock was unhappy at lead, as his body language and general demeanour showed, and had a patchy game. Mat 1.
Alan Marshall skipped Heather Winup and Kevin Noble on Mat 2 to Connaught’s only victory, by 16-15 against K Humphreys. First half the match was very tight with the score 7-7 after nine ends, but a 4 on end 10 and a 3 on end 12 helped give Connaught a 15-9 cushion after thirteen ends. They needed this badly as Forncett came back well; Forncett scored 3 on end 18 to narrow the defeat to one shot. Both Heather and Alan had brilliant games and have relished the regular play in the Breckland League after being fringe members of the ‘A’ squad last season. Heather was on the jack end after end and Alan played some superb draws and drives. Kevin was erratic and very nervous; this caused him to revert to stabbing deliveries and wobbling bowls.
Alison is trying to give matches to all squad members and as a result Stan Groom, Joyce Catling, Joanna Barnes and Moira Eades were not playing (in fairness there might have been one unavailability). Connaught probably would have won another triple if one of these had been playing. It is a dilemma but the answer is not to spread the strength to get even blocks. Ty Musk and Alan Marshall, with full support, will win more than they lose. Leave them with settled blocks and bank on them. Lose with one weak block and try to get something with a mixed-strength fourth. 

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CONNAUGHT ‘B’ v CONNAUGHT ‘A’
The next “home” match for Connaught ‘B’ was the derby against Connaught ‘A’ on Saturday 3 November. Connaught ‘B’ lost by 42-83 and 2-8.
On Mat 1 Alan Marshall, Heather Winup and Stan Groom were pulverised by Ray Wells, Diana Adcock and Sylvia Parsons to the tune of 6-24. Leading 3-1 after three ends, Connaught ‘B’ then lost every end until picking up 3 shots on end 17. There is little to say from a ‘B’ team viewpoint; the three players all tried and all had their moments but individually and collectively lost all the battles going. The ‘A’ team players drew better, played better forcing shots, read the head better and in truth rather humiliated a triple which had been going well in other matches. In an Autumn League match the score would have been closer; but this was for real and the ‘B’ triple did not rise to the occasion. End of story.
A similar story ensued on Mat 2 where Joanna Barnes, Joyce Hazell and Alison Rush went down 5-27 to Bill Adcock, Mike Parsons and Bob Oatway. With Mike Parsons outdrawing firstly Joyce Hazell and then Alison Rush and Bob Oatway having too good an all round game for either opponent at 2, Bill Adcock had the luxury of a pressure free existence and against an inexperienced skip in Joanna Barnes. He exploited this to the full. For the ‘B’ Joyce played with determination at both lead and 2 although wilting just a little in the closing stages and Alison seemed to have her usual problems with pace on home mats. Joanna had some good shots and showed promise but was never going to alter the flow of play. At 5-13 after eleven ends the ‘B’ triple had contained reasonably well but could not maintain their level of play.
Things brightened up considerably for the ‘B’ team after the interval on Mat 1, when Chris Taylor, Phil King and Ken Lurcock beat Andrew Stratton, John Winup and Derek Liles 16-10. The key here was in a brilliant display by Phil King at lead; she drew consistently to the jack and bowled good positional woods. Against initially John and then Derek she always had the advantage against players who did no more than bowl steadily at best. Ken Lurcock started well against an off-form Derek Liles but started to waste woods later on; he nevertheless maintained the knack of bowling vital woods from time to time. Chris Taylor had one of her very best games and Andrew conceded that she had got the better of him. Several times the ‘A’ triple held 3 or 4 shots when she went up to bowl but she always cut these down to 1 or 2. The statistics are revealing. Each side won nine ends in the match but the ‘A’ players were contained to 8 x 1 and 1 x 2; the ‘B’ triple had 5 x 1, 2 x 2, and crucially 1 x 3 and 1 x 4.
In an amazing match on Mat 2 Sheila Bragg, Ralf Ramm and Keith Beavers beat Ty Musk, Joyce Catling and Christine Musk 22-15 but only after a hard struggle. At 1-10 down after eight ends Connaught ‘B’ seemed to have blown it but nevertheless they were bowling steadily. The tide then turned with a vengeance with Connaught ‘B’ scoring 5 on end 9, 4 on end 10 and 1 on end 11 to take the lead 11-10. Relief probably set in at that point because they promptly dropped 5 on end 12. With a 1 and then a 2 the score became 14-15 after fourteen ends but the ‘A’ players took control from that point. There were tactical switches by both sides; when Keith Beavers was moved to lead to counter Joyce Catling, Chris Musk was moved also. Joyce therefore maintained her advantage generally against a rather nervous Ralf Ramm. Ty had a good scrap with Sheila Bragg and continued his run of good form.
Connaught ‘B’ have lost more heavily against Connaught ‘A’ in recent years but still seem to succumb to pressure when playing the senior side.