STOCKPORT METRO LEAGUE

 

VERSUS

 

NORTH YORKSHIRE

 

 

VENUE:                 THE GALTRIES CENTRE, EASINGWOLD, NORTH                                        YORKSHIRE.

 

MATCH RESULT:              NORTH YORKSHIRE:      24 POINTS.   177 SHOTS

                                                STOCKPORT:                    16 POINTS.   156 SHOTS

                                                               

 

 

Stockport and North Yorkshire met on Sunday 29th November, 2009. The match commenced at 11am.

 

 

Representing Stockport in the singles matches was:

 

 

Adam Smith (Avons) and Bernie Fennell (Hazel Grove)

 

Adam opened his account against his old adversary, Gareth Townend, and, as usual both players showed their considerable talent; as at the end of the 5th they level at 5 shots apiece. Gareth, who is once again in the England line-up then took three shots from the next two ends and went into the 11th leading Adam 8 shots to 5. Adam then proceeded to take a solid grip on the game by taking 8 shots without reply, this included a superb 4 shots in the 12th end. It was then Gareth’s turn but he was unable to peg Adam back, although he did take 3 shots from the last 2 ends. The game finished 13 shots to 11 in favour of Adam. This was yet another great game between these two talented young players.

 

Adam’s second game was against Dave Newsome and what a change in fortune awaited young Adam. Dave was in scintillating form and although both players were all square at 4 shots apiece at the end of the 6th, that is where it ended for Adam as Dave racked up another 16 shots to run away with the game 21 shots to Adam’s 4.

 

Bernie’s first game was against Dave and the Yorkshire player took an early grip on the game and by the end of the 7th was leading Bernie 11 shots to 5. Bernie took the next two ends, 7shots to 11. Dave then wrapped the game up over the next 4 ends, scoring another 7 shots to lead Bernie 19 shots to 7 going into the 14th; which Bernie took with a 2. Dave finished the game with a single to romp home 19 shots to Bernie’s 9.

 

Bernie’s second game saw him taking on England’s Gareth Townend and the Yorkshire man showed his form throughout the game, especially in ends 5 to 9 where he scored 10 shots without reply. Bernie then took two singles from the next two ends; which Gareth followed with 4 shots from ends 12 and 13 to lead Bernie 15 shots to 5. Bernie then took the final two ends but only managed 2 singles as the game finished 15 shots to 7 in favour of Gareth.

 

 

Representing Stockport in the pair’s matches was:

 

 

1. Wyn Thomson (Woodley) and Billy Burn (Poynton A)

2. Louise Chadwick (Europa) and Scott Smith (Avons)

 

The first game saw Louise and Scott matched against Roger Green and Pat Beardsley. The game started off with the Yorkshire pair taking an early 3 shot lead which Stockport replied to with 2 shots. Yorkshire then took another 5 shots and went into the 10th end in front at 9 shots to 5. Stockport then took four shots, Yorkshire 2 shots, Stockport 3 shots as the game see-sawed between the teams. As they went into the 15th end the games was all square at 11 shots apiece. A tight last end saw Yorkshire nick it with 2 shots and take the game 13 shots to 11. An excellent game and very keenly played by both sets of players.

 

In their second match Louise and Scott came up against Frank Boatman and Ralph Render. This game was an exact replica of their first game as the scores went for and against them as neither team could force any distance between the other; at the 12th end the game was all square at 9 shots apiece. In the 14th Yorkshire really hit Stockport and took an excellent 3 shots to lead 12 shots against 11 as they entered the final end. Try as they could the Stockport pair couldn’t break Yorkshire’s hold on the game and lost the end by 1 shot. For the second time in the day they went down by 13 shots to 11.

 

Win and Billy faced Frank and Ralph in their first game. Yet again, another game that was nip and tuck as both teams tried to put distance between each other. At the end of the 9th both teams were all square at 8 shots apiece. Stockport took 1 shot in the 10th; 9-8, but then were hit for four in the 11th; 9-12. They hit back straight away with 3 shots; 12-12 and from the last three ends picked up 3 singles to run out 15 shots to 12 winners. This was another excellent game and a great result for Stockport.

 

In their second game they now faced Pat and Roger who quickly settled into the stride and opened up a substantial lead at the end of the 10th; 11 shots to 5. Stockport came back with 2 shots from the 11th, which Yorkshire matched with 2 shots from the 12th. Stockport then took 3 shots from the 13th; but Yorkshire took a very important shot from the 14th to go into the last end with a 14 shot to 10 lead; leaving Stockport to score a maximum to draw the game. Sadly, they just failed to do so, picking up an excellent 3 shots to finish 1 shot down at 13 shots to 14.

 

These were four excellent and hard fought games and the four pairs should be congratulated on the tremendous bowls that they produced.

 

 

 

Representing Stockport in the triples was:

 

 

 

(1) John Lax (Woodley) Graham Edwards (Woodbank) and Bernie Thorley (GMMC)

(2) Charlie Cooper (Denton A) Paul Mason (Poynton A) and Lesley Fennell (Hazel Grove A)

 

John, Graham and Bernie started against Jim Almond, Ralph Parsons and Andrew Mather: The Stockport lads hit top form from the start and by the end of the 8th they had the Yorkshire trio reeling at 10 shots to 1. Yorkshire then came into the game and took the last three ends to take their total shots to 4; Stockport getting home 10 shots to 4.

 

Their second game came against Joseph Newsome, Richard Lochman and Alan Banthorpe and yet again this proved to be a very tight affair, although Stockport got away to a tremendous start and led 5 shots to 1 at the end of the 3rd; Yorkshire steadily pegged them back scoring 5 single shots to go into the 9th leading by 6 shots to 5. Stockport took that end with 2 shots to lead 7-6. Yorkshire took 1 shot from the 10th and, going into the last end the match was all square at 7 shots apiece. Stockport picked off the last end with a single shot to take the game 8 shots to 7. From what appeared to be a walk-over for Stockport at the end of the 3rd, thanks to some Yorkshire grit we all witnessed a great game with the narrowest of wins for Stockport.

 

Charlie, Paul and Lesley opened their account against Jim, Richard and Alan and quickly swept into a 6 shots to 1 lead at the end of the 3rd. Yorkshire then took 3 shots from ends 4 and 5 followed by 2 for Stockport in the 6th. The game then stood at 8 shots to 4 in favour of the visitors. 1 shot for Yorkshire in the 7th was followed by an excellent 4 shots for Stockport in the 8th. Yorkshire took a single in the 9th and then the game was put to bed by Stockport in the 10th as they took a tremendous 5 shots from the Yorkshire trio. Stockport finished the game with a single in the 11th and an overall 18 shots to 6 shots victory.

 

Stockport’s second game saw them taking on Jim, Ralph and Andrew and for the first four ends it was pretty even with the score being 2 shots apiece going into the 5th.  Stockport then took 3 shots from the 5th and 6th ends. Yorkshire followed up with 3 shots from the 7th and 8th leaving the game all square again 5 shots each going into the 9th. Stockport then saw the game out taking 6 shots from the last 3 ends to close the game down at 11 shots to Yorkshire’s 5. Again, this was a tremendous result from the triples teams giving Stockport a marvellous 10 point haul. Four wins for eight points and the extra two points for the aggregate score.

 

 

Representing Stockport in the fours was:

 

  1. Paula Moores (Queensgate) Jan Wilson (Smithy Green) John Pajak (Woodley) and Bob Thomson (Woodley)
  2. Louise Smith (Avons) Chris Bates (Gt. Moor) Allison Boulton (Denton A)  and Barrie Chadwick (Europa).

 

 

Paula, Jan, John and Bob’s first game was against the Yorkshire four of Jean Calvert, Derek Beardsley, Denis Jarvis and Rose Haynes; and at the end of the 4th Stockport trailed by 6 shots to 3 which was thanks to an excellent 4 shots taken by the Yorkshire four in the 3rd end. Yorkshire then went on quite strongly and scored another 5 shots to Stockport’s 2 singles. The game then finished 11 shots to 5 in favour of the Yorkie four.

The Stockport four were then matched against the Yorkshire four of Jacinta Townend, Denis Mather, Barry Simmonite and Gordon Raggett. Stockport made a slight change in their line-up with John Pajak taking over as skip and Bob Thompson going in as number three. This game started off a pretty tight affair as the score at the end of the 5th showed, Stockport holding a very slight advantage at 3 shots to 2. That emphatically disappeared in the 6th as Yorkshire hit them with an excellent four shots and followed that up with a single shot in the 7th and 3 shots in the 8th to lead by 10 shots to 3. Stockport went into the 9th end needing 7 shots to draw and a maximum 8 to snatch the result. A very big ask which proved too much in the end, but they did have the satisfaction of taking 2 shots from the end finally going down by 5 shots to Yorkshire’s 10.

 

Louise, Chris, Allison and Barrie faced Jacinta, Denis, Barry and Gordon in their first game and really took the Yorkshire four apart as they ran up a 10 shots to 1 lead at the end of 7th. The 8th saw Yorkshire fighting back with a good 3, but Stockport took the final end with 2 shots to see them home 12 shots to Yorkshire’s 4; a tremendous result for this four and 2 excellent points.

 

Their second game saw them against Jean, Derek, Denis and Rose and the paragraph above just needs the teams names reversing and you have the result of this game. Yorkshire scored steadily throughout the game and at the end of the 6th was leading by 8 shots to 2. Stockport then tried hard to get back into the game and took 2 shots from the 7th and 8th ends to trail by 4 shots going into the 9th. Unfortunately, that was where the challenge ended as Yorkshire scored four shots to romp home winners by 12 shots to Stockport’s four.

 

 

Stockport’s next game is at home against Derbyshire. The team will be announced later and all players and reserves will be contacted by the captain, Allison Boulton.

 

 

 

 

Ron Hamilton (Stockport)

8th December, 2009.