Night League Report

Boston Indoor Bowling Club (Bibc)

Evening League Report – Division Two                                      Week 32: 16 April 2024

Headline: Hotspurs promoted as Division Two champions at bowls club

There was tension in the air as the final round of matches in Cammacks Division Two of the Evening League at Boston Indoor Bowling Club got under way last week.  Both Hotspurs and Optimists, sitting first and second in the table, were hoping to become the division’s champions and get the promotion spot into the Orchard Health Group First Division.

Hotspurs faced Kingfishers and Optimists played Woodpeckers, both having 6-0 victories, leaving Hotspurs top of the table with 133 points and Optimists just behind on 130 points.

Mick Rate’s Hotspurs rink took control of their game after a cagey start to run out winners 30-7.  Mike Long skipped his rink to a close win, 17-16, in an enthralling game.  Special mention should go to the Kingfishers’ rink of Angela Richardson, Sue Holderness and David Richardson who played very well on the night to stay within touching distance throughout the game.

Hotspurs headed the table from October and go back into the top division at the first time of asking.  The photo shows their squad of Mike Long, Janet Woods, Ted Woods, Yvonne Smith, Mick Rate, Pam Rate and captain Rob Druce.  Absent from the photo was Mike Nelson, who played for them until late March when he moved away from the town.

Optimists were a new team last September, comprising a mix of experience and youth, including several bowlers who had started the sport only a few months earlier.  That they were challenging for the promotion spot into the First Division was a credit to all concerned.

On the night, Andrew Reeson’s rink was quickly 19-0 ahead and eventually won 30-7.  Stewart Reynolds skipped the other rink to a 19-9 victory.

Third met fourth as Vikings played Desperados, with Vikings assured of third place whatever the result on the night.  As it happened, Desperados won both rinks, 16-13 and 15-14, in two close games where they established early leads, saw Vikings catch and overtake them, before finishing well to grab the wins.

Both teams finished two places higher than in the 2022-2023 season, with Vikings on 117 points and Desperados on 114, an encouraging improvement.  Both reached a high spot of second in the table around Christmas and into the New Year.

Central ended the season in fifth place on 104 points and Amateurs in sixth on 99, both having had solid seasons.  With a gap of 30 points, Amateurs finished well ahead of Woodpeckers on 69 in seventh place.

In the final round, Central beat Shipmates 4-2, Fred Epton winning his rink convincingly 29-9.  Ian Drury’s Shipmates’ rink fell 4-8 behind, then took control to post a 17-13 win.  Shipmates have struggled this season, but improved results from February onwards moved them off the bottom of the table to finish ninth.

Phantoms and Vectors played out the last match, Phantoms winning 4-2, taking Paul Greenhough’s rink 20-13, while Ollie Tyson won 19-15 for Vectors.  Phantoms finished in eighth, two places higher than in 2022-2023, and Vectors were in tenth.

Boston Indoor Bowling Club (Bibc)

Evening League Report – Division One Week 32: 15 April 2024

Headline: Holland Fen crowned as Division 1 champions at bowls club

After eight months of competition in the Evening League at Boston Indoor Bowling Club, Holland Fen confirmed their status as champions of the Orchard Health Group First Division by beating nearest rivals, Invaders, 6-0 in a top-of-the-table clash.

Holland Fen headed the table from Invaders for most of the season, sometimes only on shot difference, but recent results left them on 175 points, 17 ahead of their rivals.

The photo of the winning team shows, in the back row, Sue Simpson-Shaw, Keith Tointon, Chris Gill, Martin Tomlin and captain Ian Clarke; and in the front, Katie Tointon, George Hardstaff, Helen Butler and Les Feary. Two absentees on the night were Alex Tomlin and Barry Wilson.

Invaders were second on 158 points with Strollers third, a further 23 points behind, occupying the same positions as last season. Both had many good results along the way, but were vulnerable to losing games or the occasional rink which they would otherwise have expected to win.

Strollers faced Breakaways in the last round, winning 4-2. Paul Flatters’ rink won convincingly 25-11, while Mark Brown’s took the other for Breakaways 21-13.

Breakaways ended the season in eighth place, after being fourth last season, and they have struggled for consistency in their results at times.

IBC beat Dynamics 4-2 last week, Jim Gott’s rink taking control from the start to run out 27-14 winners. Ken Burr’s Dynamics rink started and finished well to win 18-11. Overall, IBC finished fourth, three places higher than their position at the end of the 2022-2023 season, a pleasing improvement.

For their part, Dynamics were promoted as champions into this division and, while they finished in eleventh place, they coped at this level and achieved some notable results during the year, not least beating Invaders 6-0 in January. Their two strong rinks have achieved enough good results to keep them in this division for next season.

A40 ended the season in fifth place, as last year, and on the same number of points, 105. Recent good results include 6-0 against Strollers and 4-2 against Invaders, but their form has been inconsistent at times.

Their latest encounter against Royal Mail ended 2-4, winning on Sue Hoyles’ rink 18-16, but being well beaten by Royal Mail’s Barbara Kenny, Ted Bloodworth and Geoff Taylor on the other, 23-4, in a commanding display. Royal Mail ended up ninth overall.

Nomads ended in sixth after being fifth for much of the season, only dropping below A40 in the table in the final weeks after some poorer results. The improvement over their eighth-place last year is nonetheless encouraging and should augur well going forward.

Burtons, already relegated, met and beat Golfers 5-1 in their last match, thereby achieving their best result of the campaign. Chris Hill’s rink won 23-13 with a good performance, the other rink being drawn 14-14. Golfers ended the season in tenth, five points ahead of Dynamics.

Next week: the story of the final round of matches in Division Two leading to the champions.

Stephen Boycott

Boston Indoor Bowling Club (Bibc)

Triples Tournament and Evening League Report                  Week 31: 8 and 9 April 2024

Headline: Evening League at bowling club entering the final stretch

The penultimate round of games in the Evening League at Boston Indoor Bowling Club last week left most teams knowing where they will end the season.  Holland Fen will be champions in the Orchard Health Group Division One and Burtons will be relegated to Cammacks Division Two.

The decision regarding which team, Hotspurs or Optimists, will take the Division Two title and be promoted will be resolved in the final round of matches.

Holland Fen beat Burtons for all 6 points, with scores of 28-10 and 22-12 for Martin Tomlin and Les Feary respectively.

Invaders could only manage 2 points from their game with A40, for Nathan Dunnington’s rink, winning 20-15.  The other rink, skipped by Jean Cammack, pulled away from the ninth end to establish a clear lead for A40, winning 23-13, also ensuring the extras for shot aggregate.

Third-placed Strollers and fourth-placed IBC both won 6-0.  Strollers beat Dynamics 24-14 and 20-13, while IBC faced Parthians and won 21-12 and 16-10.

Breakaways’ better form of late saw them beat Nomads, two places above them, on both rinks.  Mark Brown’s rink was only one shot up with three ends to go, but they finished well to win 20-12.  Neil Harrison’s rink was trailing 7-13, but ended the game strongly to post a winning score of 14-13.

Royal Mail faced Golfers and won 4-2.  Ian Smith’s rink established their position early in the game and ran out 21-9 winners.  The other rink was tightly contested and won 12-10 for Golfers by Bob Tingey.

First played fifth in the Division Two clash between Hotspurs and Central, producing two competitive games, Hotspurs taking all the points.  Mick Rate’s rink started well to be 6-1 up before Central pulled back, then kept their nerve to manage the end game and win 15-14.  Mike Long’s rink finished their game well to win 15-9.

Optimists beat Shipmates 6-0, 22-10 on Andrew Reeson’s rink and 15-11 on Yogie Richardson’s, while third-placed Vikings got the better of Amateurs, snatching a 16-14 victory on Doug Staples’ rink and winning 20-15 on John Millership’s.

Surprisingly, perhaps, Vectors took all the points off Desperados, seven places above them, winning 19-12 for Kevin Rockall and 16-14 for Ollie Tyson.

Finally, Kingfishers, tenth, beat Woodpeckers, seventh, for six points, John Fell’s rink winning 21-6 and Scot Gray’s 15-11.

The last triples tournament of the current season attracted a full complement of 72 bowlers to enjoy a fun day of competition.

Generously sponsored by the club and the club’s Bonus Ball, the winners were the team of Dave ‘Yogie’ Richardson, Chris Hoyles and Trevor Coulson, who won their three games convincingly for 30 points and a net shot difference of +31.

Behind them in second place came Phil Wilson, Carol Clarke and Mike Cornish, who had three closer games while scoring 27 points and +10.

Also winning three games during the competition, for 26 points and +14, were the trio of Cathy Moore, Malcolm Hilton and Pauline Atkin who finished in third place.

Stephen Boycott

 

Boston Indoor Bowling Club (Bibc)

Easter Tournament and Evening League Report                   Week 30: 2 and 3 April 2024

Headline: Exciting Easter Tournament at the bowls club

The Easter Tournament at Boston Indoor Bowling Club took place on Easter Monday, attracting 20 teams from Boston and clubs around Lincolnshire.

Generously sponsored by Boston Blinds and the BIBC’s Bonus Ball, each team played three matches of ten ends duration during the day.  Points were gained for every end won in each match, with 4 points awarded for each match won.

Winners overall were the team of Rob Druce, Trevor Coulson and Steve Boycott, who won all of their matches, with scores of 17-1, 16-3 and 12-5, for a total of 36 points altogether and a shot difference of +36 overall.

One point behind were a talented trio of bowlers from Stamford, Chris Ballard, Stephen Harris and Tom Newman, who achieved the best result of the day when winning their second match 28-2.  Their shot difference across the three games was +72 in getting 35 points.

In third place was the Boston team of Andy and Nathan Dunnington and Scott Whyers on 32 points and a shot difference of +38.

The Evening League resumed on Tuesday and Wednesday of Easter week with vital matches being played in both divisions that could influence the final standings when the league season finishes in two weeks’ time.

Holland Fen had another tough match, this week against IBC, which ended 3-3.  George Hardstaff’s rink won 20-16 for the Fenmen at the end of a game they were chasing for much of it, having been 8-16 behind with 5 ends to go.

Richard Allam’s IBC rink had the early lead, then fell 9-14 behind, but finished well to win 19-15.

Second-placed Invaders took all 6 points off Golfers, to close the gap on Holland Fen, by winning 27-12 and 20-9.

Strollers, third, beat Parthians 4-2, with Andy Warne’s rink winning 21-15 for 2 points and ensuring the extras for shot difference.  Parthians and skip Ron Moore were quickly 11-2 ahead on the other rink, and they held on to win 15-12 as Strollers closed in towards the end.

A40 beat Nomads 4-2 to move above them in the table.  Jean Cammack’s rink won well, 21-3, while Nomads took the other 21-10.

Breakaways competed with Royal Mail to win 5-1 by the narrowest of margins, taking one rink 15-14 and drawing the other 12-12.

Dynamics, eleventh, beat Burtons, twelfth, 4-2, winning Graham Wilkinson’s rink 17-10, the other going to Burtons and Dave Bailey 18-12.

Top billing in Cammacks Second Division saw second-placed Optimists meet Desperados, third, and win 4-2, taking Dave Richardson’s rink 16-10.  The other rink was closely contested throughout, Colin Louth holding on to win for Desperados 17-16.

Vikings moved up to third after beating Shipmates 5-1, winning John Millership’s rink 26-14 and drawing the other 16-16.

Central took 4 points against Woodpeckers, winning one rink 20-11 and losing the other 11-14.

Amateurs beat Vectors 6-0, winning 12-11, in a game they were chasing from the start, and 18-13.

Kingfishers beat Phantoms 4-2, winning 15-9 on one rink, losing 9-14 on the other.

Stephen Boycott

Photo attached showing Easter Tournament winners, Steve Boycott, Rob Druce and Trevor Coulson

Boston Indoor Bowling Club (Bibc)

Evening League Report                                               Week 29: 25 and 26 March 2024

Headline: Battle for top honours intensifies in bowls league

There were key matches at the top of both divisions of the Evening League at Boston Indoor Bowling Club last week in the latest round of games.

In the Orchard Health Group First Division, leaders Holland Fen were given a tough examination by third-placed Strollers, getting just two points for taking Chris Gill’s rink, winning a competitive game 18-17 with a score of two shots on the last end.

Strollers, skipped by Paul Flatters on the other rink, went ahead early in their contest and dominated the last eight ends to run out convincing winners 26-11.

Invaders in second played Dynamics and won 4-2, leaving them ten points behind Holland Fen with three rounds to go.  Dynamics maybe eleventh, but they have taken 8 points of a possible 18 from their matches with Invaders this season.

Graham Wilkinson’s Dynamics rink won almost twice as many ends in winning 15-11.  The score on the second rink was close until the final ends when Invaders with skip Nathan Dunnington pulled away to win 21-12.

IBC beat Breakaways 4-2, Steve Skelton’s rink winning with relative ease, 19-6.  Mike Rymer’s Breakaways rink led from the off and built a healthy 17-3 advantage, holding on as IBC closed in towards the end, to post a 20-15 win.

Nomads beat Golfers 5-1 by the narrowest of margins, taking the shot difference by just one.  Chris Starsmeare’s rink won 16-15, holding off a late surge by Golfers, while Derek Smith and Graham Scarboro’s rink ended 16-16 in dramatic fashion.

Both A40 and Parthians had 6-0 wins against Burtons and Royal Mail respectively.

Sue Hoyles’ A40 rink quickly went 14-2 ahead, but Burtons fought with determination to limit the final score to 22-15.  Bill Exton’s rink won 22-14.

Parthians were too good for Royal Mail, winning 21-11 and 19-13.

Top of Cammacks Second Division saw Hotspurs extend their lead to seven points over Optimists, with Hotspurs winning 6-0 and Optimists 4-2.

Hotspurs controlled both rinks against Vectors, winning 34-8 for Pam and Mick Rate and skip Mike Nelson, and 27-7 for Janet and Ted Woods with skip Mike Long.

Optimists faced fifth-placed Amateurs.  Andrew Reeson’s rink built their score steadily to win 29-6.  Amateurs were 2-9 behind on the other rink, but then found some form to catch up, the scoreline remaining close as Amateurs ran out the winners 18-16.

Vikings took four points from their game against Woodpeckers, leaving them tied on points with Desperados in third.  Doug Staples’ rink won 22-12.  David Fox skipped his Woodpeckers rink to a good 18-13 win.

Shipmates completed a 6-0 win over Kingfishers, moving them off the foot of the table into ninth, their highest position since last autumn.

Walter Parker’s rink mostly had control of the game to win 20-16.  Steve Todd’s rink was 2-10 down after seven ends, then they dominated the scoring, winning 20-15.

Central moved up one place into fifth after beating Phantoms 6-0, with wins of 22-8 for Fred Epton and 17-8 for Sandra Copeland.

Stephen Boycott

Photo attached showing the Victorious Hotspurs rinks against Vectors with Mike Nelson, Mike Long, Pam Rate. Mick Rate, Janet Woods and Ted Woods

 

Boston Indoor Bowling Club (Bibc)

Evening League Report                                               Week 28: 18 and 19 March 2024

Headline: Holland Fen increase their lead in bowls Evening league

Top place in the Orchard Health Group First Division of the Evening League at Boston Indoor Bowling Club became more secure after last week’s games.

Leaders Holland Fen were too good for Royal Mail, taking both rinks with relative ease, winning 31-7 on Martin Tomlin’s rink and 29-6 on Les Feary’s.

Behind them, second-placed Invaders lost two points against Breakaways while winning 4-2, and Strollers, third, lost both rinks to mid-table A40.

Invaders dominated Rod West’s rink from the off, taking the game 29-4.

The other rink showed the form that Breakaways have lacked for large parts of this season as Neil Harrison, with Carol Dowse and Debbie Harrison in support, won a competitive game 20-13, pulling away decisively over the last three ends.

A40 have run into form during March, but even they might not have expected to take all the points in their match against Strollers.  Jean Cammack’s rink, with Nick Whitmore and Andy Scotney, started slowly to be 1-7 down, but then took control to run out 21-12 winners.

Pauline Atkin, Arnold Bennett and skip Sue Hoyles built an 11-5 lead on the other rink, which Strollers reduced to 11-11 with three ends to go, then finished a tight game to win 14-11.

IBC, fourth in the league, took both rinks against Golfers.  Jim Gott’s rink started well to go 11-1 up, eventually winning 15-11.  Golfers were 12-9 ahead on the second rink, but Dave Gill finished well to win 19-15.

Nomads beat Dynamics 4-2.  Keith Wilson’s rink started slowly to be 4-13 behind, but then dominated the scoring to win 24-15.  The other rink was closely fought throughout, Ken Burr pulling ahead at the end to win 15-12 for Dynamics.

Parthians won 6-0 against Burtons, Richard Keeling’s rink controlling the game to win 23-9, and Keith Nix winning a close game 13-11.

Top billing in the Cammacks Second Division went to the clash between first and second, Hotspurs and Optimists, which Hotspurs won 4-2.

Mike Nelson, playing with Yvonne Smith and Mick Rate, got away after a slow start to win 22-9.  Andrew Reeson, with Lucy Allerton and Judith Richmond, skipped his Optimists’ rink to victory by 22-13.  Hotspurs now lead the table by 5 points.

Central, sixth, met Desperados, third, taking four points, with Sandra Copeland’s rink dominating the scoring over the second half of the game to win 21-12.  Desperados with skip Dean Harris started well on the other rink to lead 12-4, then held on as Central closed in at the end to leave the score 13-11.

Vikings, fourth, were too good for Phantoms, winning 29-9 and 25-12 for six points.

Kingfishers had their best result of the season when beating Amateurs, who are fifth, for all the points.  Malcolm Hilton, Bill Faunt and Scott Gray won convincingly 25-10, while John Fell with Rod and Trish Dunn, won 16-12.

Shipmates’ better form continued when beating Vectors 5-1.  Steve Todd’s rink controlled the game to win 27-4, while the other rink was shared 12-12.

Stephen Boycott

Photo attached showing the victorious A40 rinks against Strollers with Sue Hoyles, Nick Whitmore, Jean Cammack, Arnold Bennett, Pauline Atkin and Andy Scotney

Boston Indoor Bowling Club (Bibc)

Evening League Report                                               Week 27: 11 and 12 March 2024

Division 1’s top teams have a good week at bowling club

Five of the top six teams in the Orchard Health Group First Division of Boston Indoor Bowling Club’s Evening League took maximum points in the latest round of matches.

Holland Fen’s opponents, Parthians, played well for the second week running but ended up with nothing to show for their efforts.  Ron Moore’s rink battled to keep the score close, Holland Fen having a three-shot lead with three ends to go, but a good finish from Alex Tomlin’s bowlers saw them win 28-16.

On the other rink, Parthians were also only three shots down at the half-way point before Les Feary’s team pulled away decisively to win 26-13.

Invaders beat fifth-placed Nomads on both rinks.  Initially close on Ian Tebbs’ rink, they gradually pulled ahead to win 18-11.  Scott Whyers’ rink, with Nathan Dunnington and Sandra Tebbs in support, was in ruthless form as they controlled the game and won 22-5.

Strollers took all the spoils against Burtons.  The score on Clare Britchford’s rink was tied at 15-15 after 14 ends but, when Strollers then changed their playing order, they dominated the rest of the game, the final score being 32-17.

Strollers took the other rink 20-11, finishing more strongly over the final ends to ensure victory.

The most competitive game in either division saw IBC with skip Dave Gill beat Royal Mail 21-20 on the final end, Royal Mail having caught up to be 20-20 after trailing 20-8.  The other rink went to IBC 20-11.

A40, who are in sixth spot, beat Dynamics convincingly 22-9 on Sue Hoyles’ rink, and also won 17-14 on Bill Exton’s after coming back from 3-10 behind at eight ends.

The game between Golfers and Breakaways ended 3-3 in two closely contested rinks.  For Golfers, Graham Scarboro’s rink was victorious 17-13, while for Breakaways, Neil Harrison’s won 16-12.

Seven points now separate the top three teams in the Cammacks Second Division, with Hotspurs top, Optimists second and Desperados third.

Desperados faced Hotspurs and won 5-1, winning Adan Hodgson’s rink in convincing fashion, 26-13.  The second rink was drawn 11-11, Hotspurs coming back from being 6-11 down with five ends to go.

Optimists beat Vectors 4-2, with Dave Richardson’s rink, Lucy Allerton and Petra Wood in support, leading 14-0 very quickly and eventually winning 23-6.  Vectors took the other rink 15-8, starting well and building their lead steadily, for Eric Blissett, Harry Allerton and skip Kevin Rockall.

Vikings and Kingfishers played out two close games, Vikings winning 4-2 with a net shot difference of one.  John Millership’s rink was 18-10 ahead and held on to win 19-16.  David Richardson for Kingfishers won 13-11 having led for most of the game.

Amateurs and Shipmates contested two competitive games, Amateurs winning both for 6-0.  Mick Greet’s rink came back from 8-12 to win 14-13 at the end.  Trevor Coulson’s rink won the final ends to go 13-11.

Woodpeckers beat Phantoms 6-0, Kelvin Hallam winning a topsy-turvy battle 20-19 and Dave Fox being in control throughout to win 16-10.

Stephen Boycott

Boston Indoor Bowling Club (Bibc)