|
Club Singles Finals Results |
While many of you are likely already aware of the singles competition
outcomes, I've been away on holiday and am now taking the
first opportunity to provide a detailed account of the
matches and scores.
|
|
Handicap Singles
Championship:
Colin Lihou
secured his first championship title with a hard-fought
21-16 victory over Steve Greenwood. The match began
promisingly for Colin, who took an early lead by winning the
opening four ends. However, the contest quickly evolved into
a much tighter affair. At the eleven-end mark, Colin
maintained a slender 12-9 advantage. He then produced an
impressive sequence, claiming the next four consecutive ends
to establish what appeared to be a commanding 18-9 lead. Yet
as any seasoned competitor knows, those final shots needed
to cross the finish line often prove the most elusive. Colin
faced a testing period, requiring six additional ends to
secure the three shots necessary for victory. His
persistence ultimately paid off, allowing him to finally
claim the championship and shed the unwanted reputation of
perennial runner-up.
|
|
Championship Singles:
Unfortunately,
Colin's fortunes took a dramatic turn in the Championship
Singles, where he encountered defending champion Rob Lewsley.
Playing conditions were challenging following torrential
rain that left the green heavy and difficult to navigate,
compounded by strong winds that made precise bowling
extremely demanding. Colin started encouragingly, taking the
first two ends before the match was tied at 2-2 after four
ends. However, this marked the extent of Colin's success in
the final. Rob assumed complete control from that point
forward, and only allowed Colin to score 2 more shots for the
remainder of the match. Rob secured his consecutive
championship with a convincing 22-4 victory, completing the
match in just 16 ends - a margin of victory that was perhaps
more comprehensive than many had anticipated. |
Many congratulations to our champions and commiserations to
the beaten finalists. |
Posted Sun 14th Sept |
|
|
|
Club Singles Finals |
The dates for both singles competitions have now
been fixed and are aas follows: |
Handicap Singles Final: Colin Lihou (+2) v Steve
Greenwood (+1) on Friday 5th September at 10.30 |
Championship Singles Final: Colin Lihou v Rob
Lewsley on Thursday 11th September at 17.30 |
Please try to support these finals, I'm sure the
contestants would appreciate it in what could be two
cracking finals. Following the championship final, the
President has invited all to have a celebratory / end of
season drink. |
Posted Tues 2nd August |
|
|
|
Club Singles Competitions |
After what seemed like an endless wait, both singles
competitions have finally reached their conclusion, with the
finalists now confirmed for both events. Colin Lihou appears
to have benefited greatly from his summer holidays and
cruises, having reached both finals - perhaps it was all
that sea air.
|
|
Colin's path to the championship final included impressive
early-round victories over Nigel Gainford (21-14) and Dave
Gratton (21-2), before securing his place with a thrilling
semi-final victory over Steve Greenwood, winning 21-20,
denying Steve the chance of competing
himself in both finals. Colin will now face reigning
champion Rob Lewsley in the final. Rob enjoyed the luxury of
a walkover before comfortably defeating Wayne Ames 21-8. In
the semi-final, Robbie Dennison proved no match for the
defending champion, with Rob advancing 21-16.
|
|
Colin faced exactly the same opponents in the handicap
competition as he did in the championship. Once again, Nigel
Gainford (21-14) and Dave Gratton (23-15) found themselves
on the wrong end of Colin's bowling prowess. Wayne Ames put
up more of a fight in the semi-final, but Colin still
managed to squeeze through 21-19. Colin's opponent in the
handicap final will be Steve Greenwood, giving Steve an
early opportunity for revenge and a second bite at the
cherry after being denied championship glory. Steve's path
included a walkover, a solid 21-15 victory over Kevin
Gardner, and then the pièce de résistance - toppling
reigning champion Rob Lewsley 21-19 in what I can only
describe as a match of "tremendous skill" |
|
Now comes the real competition: arranging a suitable date
for both finals before Colin disappears on his next
adventure and before the green
closes for the season. |
Posted Fri 29th August |
|
|
|
Club Pairs Competition Report |
The
club pairs competition finally took place yesterday on the
second attempt,
despite weather forecasters doing their best to dampen our
spirits with dire rain warnings.
Fortunately, apart from a brief shower, the weather held up
well. With exactly 16 bowlers participating, we had the
ideal number for a well-organized tournament split into two
leagues. Each pair was randomly drawn and divided between
the two leagues, with teams playing a round-robin format of
7-end matches. The league winners would then meet in the
final. In Group 1 (Blue), Kevin Hudson and Geoff Dyer
dominated with a perfect record, defeating Wayne Ames/Russ
Durham (6-4), Nigel Gainford/Colin Lihou (6-2), and Martin
Ward/Alan New (10-3) to secure their place in the final.
Group 2 (Red) saw Roger Newman and Steve Sprake emerge
victorious. They recorded the competition's most emphatic
win, thrashing Dave Gratton/Rob Lewsley 17-4 in their
opening match. They also had a comfortable 9-3 win over Mark
Harrison/Robbie Dennison, though Kevin Gardner/Steve
Greenwood managed to puncture their winning streak with a
7-7 draw. The final proved somewhat anticlimactic. Kevin and
Geoff, perhaps still recovering from their earlier heroics,
couldn't find their magic touch and fell 8-2 to the steadier
hands of Roger and Steve. The winning pair was presented
with the Davis Cup—a trophy with special significance for
Steve, who previously won it in 2003 partnering his father
Brian. Congratulations to all competitors, particularly the
finalists, for making this such a successful event. It was
especially encouraging to see our newer bowlers
participating, as the experience will undoubtedly benefit
their future development. It's worth remembering that just a
year ago, Kevin and Roger were first-year bowlers
themselves—perhaps next year's winners are among this year's
newcomers. The competition owes its success to Colin Lihou's
dedication in securing 16 participants at short notice—quite
a feat considering the ongoing struggle to get 16 members to
show up for regular league matches. Full results can be
found on the Competition page of the website, where you can
relive all the glory and despair in detail.
|
Posted Thurs 28th August |
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|
|
Club 4-Wood Pairs Competition |
The
competition is scheduled for Wednesday, 27th August starting
at 14.15. I'm glad to say
that with 16 players now confirmed, we have the perfect
number for an efficiently organized competition that
promises to be both competitive and enjoyable for all
participants. No
drop-outs please.
|
Team
Formation |
- Pairs will be randomly selected before play begins
- Each pair consists of one experienced player partnered
with one less experienced player
|
League
Structure |
-
Teams will be randomly drawn into two leagues: Red
League and Blue League
-
Each league contains 4 teams
-
Teams play all other teams in their league (3 matches
per team)
-
All matches are played over 7 ends
|
Scoring
System |
-
Total shots for and against are recorded for each match
-
League winners are determined by aggregate scores across
all matches
|
Final |
-
The winner of each league advances to the championship
final
-
Final is played over 7 ends to determine the 2025
champions
|
|
The winners will receive the Davis Cup & individual
trophies
whilst the runners-up will receive individual trophies |
|
There will
be an entry fee of £2.00 per player to cover trophy costs.
Dress code is as for league matches ie club shirts with
grey shorts/trousers.
Please could you all be there for 14.00 for a prompt
14.15 start
|
Posted Fri 22nd August |
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|
|
Final Division 2 Match Report |
Star & Crescent 60 (4) Cosham Park 60 1/4 (12)
To lose a match by the tightest of margins is always going
to be a difficult pill to swallow. The game was evenly
balanced throughout, with 2 rinks winning and roughly
balancing the deficit of the other two. So, first in was Rob
Lewsley whose opposition was playing a man short. Winning 12
of the ends and in total control they won 19-11. After the
recalculation (25% deduction) the score was 19-8.25. That
initial lead of 10.75 shots was wiped out by Geoff's rink,
who struggled to win just 6 ends and lose 9-20. Next
in was Bob Weavers boys, who didn't manage to control the
match like normal, but kept it tight, losing by just 3 at
13-16. Finally it came down to Steve's four to try and make
up the 4 shots required. Showing 2 up on the board they
could only get one more shot to fall short, winning the game
19-16 but losing the overall match by 1/4 of a shot. In
reality if any rink could have picked up 1 more shot or
dropped 1 less, then the win would have been ours. So, the
league season comes to an end, with 7 wins in 18 matches and
taking into account how we struggled on several occasions to
get a side out, coupled with all the new boys being chucked
in at the deep end right from the off, I think realistically
we couldn't of expected a lot more. Thanks for all of your
efforts and commitment, enjoy your break and we will go
again next season.
|
Posted Sat 16th August |
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|
|
Combination Division 1 Match Reports - Final
week |
Star & Crescent 37 (0) Waverley Blue 72 (12)
First up on Monday was a home game
against our landlords Waverley Blue who were still in with a
shout for the title.
Sometimes you just have to put your hands up and admit
you've been comprehensively outplayed by a far better team!
The gap in class between Waverley and us was apparent
throughout. We needed everything to go our way and a flying
start to have even a sniff of getting something from this
match - sadly, it was not to be our day. By the fifth end we
were already 15 shots behind and continued to slide steadily
for the remainder of the encounter. Fair play to Robbie
Dennison's rink though - they only won 6 ends but managed to
keep things respectable in their 8-18 defeat, somehow
conceding just 1 shot across 10 ends. Practically a moral
victory! Russell Durham's four looked promising early
doors and even had the cheek to lead 8-7 at one point. Then
Waverley decided they'd had enough and
switched on the
afterburners, and proceeded to score almost at will leaving
Star trailing in their wake before eventually going down
15-31. Steve Greenwood's boys had a shocker of a start,
finding themselves staring at a 13-1 deficit in the early
exchanges. They managed to steady the ship somewhat after
that but still ended up on the losing end of a 14-23 score
line. All in all, a bit of a disappointing day at the office
for us, but sometimes you can only play as well as your
opponents let you - and today they barely let us out of the
blocks! |
|
Alexandra Blue 39 (0) Star & Crescent 59 (12)
At last! Our first away win of the season has finally graced
us with its presence -
though it's bittersweet that it came in our final match.
Still, who cares about timing when there's celebrating to be
done? Break out the bubbly (or crack open a can if that's
more your style) and toast our triumph at the "Alex."
OTT – never! What a turnaround from Monday's
performance. Star seized control early and maintained it
throughout.
Though to be fair, our opponents weren't quite at
Waverley's standard. Steve Greenwood's rink set the
tone, completely dominating
their opponents in a convincing 22-11 victory
while graciously allowing them to win a measly 6 ends.
Russell Durham's team weren't far behind in the demolition
business, keeping things tidy with a solid 21-13 win despite
being generous enough to let their opponents have 7 ends.
How sporting! Robbie Dennison's rink provided the drama
of the day with a much tighter contest. The sides were all
tied heading into the final end and then Robbie delivered
what he'll no doubt call "the shot of the century" but what
the rest of us witnessed as a complete fluke that somehow
worked out. But hey, we'll take it! Final score 16-15.
An interesting statistic: our last 6 matches have all
concluded with 12-0 score lines - apparently we're either
world-beaters or complete disasters - there's simply no
middle ground with this team!
Seriously, excellent work
everyone. This truly exemplified our never-give-up spirit. |
|
On behalf of the captain and selectors, we would like to
thank all players for your efforts and availability
throughout the season. Your commitment was greatly
appreciated.
While the season didn't turn out as we'd hoped and
relegation was disappointing, it was always going to be
challenging competing in the top division. The league table
tells its own story. We find ourselves where we are due to a
lack of consistency and, perhaps, experience at this level.
Once again, thank you to everyone who represented the club
this season. Your dedication, sportsmanship, and
perseverance through difficult matches did not go unnoticed.
We look forward to regrouping and coming back stronger next
season. |
Posted Fri 15th August
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|
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Division 2 Match Report |
Cowplain 98 (14) Star & Crescent 41 (2) This was a humiliating defeat on
the artificial surface at Cowplain, but at least the points
guarantee their promotion, which means that we won’t be
playing there again next season. Our only heroes on the
night were the new dream team of Hudson, Newman, Durham &
Weaver. This now inseparable foursome blended perfectly,
with the front two earning public recognition from Big Bob
and his sidekick Russ. Winning 11 ends, they were always in
the match, running out eventual winners 19-15. On Geoff
Dyers rink, they won half of the ends, but never scored more
than a 2 whereas the opposition did. They felt that the game
was actually a lot closer than the score reflected but the
scoreboard showed 13-23. Now we come to the first of the 2
embarrassing rinks. Alan New's boys were never really
off the starting blocks and not a lot more can be said when
you only win 2 ends and the score is 2-27. Finally and
certainly not worth waiting for was Steve Sprake's four.
They never really looked like getting a result and when you
then drop an 8 on the 7th end to go 1-18 down it was game
over. They battled bravely in the 2nd half but nothing went
their way and they lost 7-33. With the season coming near an
end, we finish at home against Cosham Park. We are more than
capable of getting points in this one so let's finish with a
win.
|
Posted Mon 11th August |
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Last Team Selections 2025 |
Combination Division 1 match against Alexandra Blue
(away) on Wednesday 13th August starting at 6.00 pm |
Rink 1
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Rink 2
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Rink 3
|
|
Lead
|
K Gardner
|
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Lead
|
R Newman |
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Lead
|
M Ward
|
Two
|
T Nutland |
|
Two
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N Gainford |
|
Two
|
D Gratton |
Three
|
A New
|
|
Three
|
B Weaver |
|
Three
|
S Sprake
|
Skip
|
R Dennison |
|
Skip
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R Durham
|
|
Skip
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S Greenwood
|
|
Reserve: P Willis |
|
Division 2 match against Cosham Park (home) on
Friday 15th August starting at 6.00pm |
Rink 1
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Rink 2
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Rink
3
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Rink
4
|
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Lead
|
K Gardner
|
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Lead
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S Greenwood
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Lead
|
M Ward
|
|
Lead
|
K Hudson |
Two
|
P Willis |
|
Two
|
N Gainford
|
|
Two
|
D Gratton |
|
Two
|
R Newman |
Three
|
R Dennison
|
|
Three
|
A New |
|
Three
|
C Lihou |
|
Three
|
R Durham
|
Skip
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G Dyer
|
|
Skip
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R Lewsley |
|
Skip
|
S Sprake |
|
Skip
|
B Weaver
|
|
Reserves: T Nutland & G Davies |
Posted Sun 10th August |
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Team Selection |
We have an overload of players available for the
penultimate combination match of the season therefore some
players may be disappointed of not being selected but rest
assured you will be in the team for the final combination
match. The team selected is: |
Combination Division 1 match against Waverley Blue
(home) on Monday 11th August starting at 6.00 pm |
Rink 1
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Rink 2
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Rink 3
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|
Lead
|
D Boulter |
|
Lead
|
K Hudson |
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Lead
|
M Ward
|
Two
|
P Willis |
|
Two
|
R Newman |
|
Two
|
A New
|
Three
|
G Dyer |
|
Three
|
B Weaver |
|
Three
|
S Sprake
|
Skip
|
R Dennison |
|
Skip
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R Durham
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Skip
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S Greenwood
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|
Reserves: K Gardner & N Gainford |
Posted Sat 9th August |
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|
Combination Division 1 Match Report |
Vospers 54 (12) Star & Crescent 43 (0)
Unfortunately, another disappointing away result and an all
rinks wipeout on a green that I believe is unsuitable for
competitive play. Star faced an uphill battle from the start
after a poor opening that the team never fully recovered
from.
Russell Durham's rink endured a difficult beginning, falling
behind 0-9 after 5 ends and trailing 3-15 at the 11th end.
However, credit must go to the rink for their excellent
fightback,
clawing their way back to level terms going into the final
end.
Sadly, it wasn't to be, as the opposition scored the winning
shot to secure victory.
Sometimes the good guys don't win.
While Russell was mounting his comeback, Robbie Dennison's
four were heading in the opposite direction. Despite holding
a commanding 11-4 lead, they suffered a damaging 6-count
that brought Vospers back into contention. A series of long
jacks that didn't favour Star's "touch" bowlers ultimately
led to a frustrating 14-21 defeat. Steve Greenwood's
team also started poorly but showed great character to fight
back and take the lead on the 14th end. However, the
opposition proved stronger in the closing stages, taking the
points with a 17-14 victory.
With no away wins this season, we have one final opportunity
when we visit Alexandra in our last match.
But
don't get your hopes up – the same greenkeeper who "lovingly
tends" this surface also looks after the Naismith green at
Swordsands -
just saying. |
Posted Thurs 7th August |
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Division 2 Match Report |
Star & Crescent 70 (13) Denmead 54 (3)
The high flyers Denmead came to town, no doubt
expecting to take the major haul of points, but left
somewhat disappointed with their promotion hopes in tatters.
With the rinks rearranged and 4 of our newer bowlers
once again making a 1st team appearance, it was a night when
everyone played their part. Fresh back from his holiday was
Captain Steve who took on the aging but very capable Glyn
Jones. They were 4 up at halfway but then got stuck on 13
for 6 ends, to finish up losing 16-19. Next in was Geoff
Dyer's four who managed to get a good 10 shot win over
Mike Wright (who doesn't lose many). Always in control and
winning 11 of the ends to come through 19-9. Then it was Big
Bob Weaver and the boys, who were behind early on, but then
took charge to win 11 ends to set up the inevitable
victory of 19-10. Things were looking good at +16 across the
boards, but hang on we forgot poor old Alan New out on his
favourite rink 6. He battled and scrapped to grind out
a draw and in spite of dropping a 2 on the last they hung on
at 16-16. Friday we are over at Cowplain on their artificial
surface, for what will be another challenging encounter.
|
Posted Wed 6th August |
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Team Selection |
Combination Division 1 match against Vospers
(away) on Wednesday
6th August starting at 6.00 pm |
Rink 1
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Rink 2
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Rink 3
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Lead
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D Boulter |
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Lead
|
M Ward
|
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Lead
|
K Gardner
|
Two
|
T Nutland |
|
Two
|
P Willis |
|
Two
|
N Gainford
|
Three
|
S Sprake |
|
Three
|
A New
|
|
Three
|
B Weaver
|
Skip
|
S Greenwood
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Skip
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R Dennison
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Skip
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R Durham
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|
Reserves: Nil Return |
|
Division 2 match against Cowplain (away) on
Friday 8th August starting at 6.00pm |
Rink 1
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Rink 2
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Rink
3
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Rink
4
|
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Lead
|
D Boulter |
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Lead
|
K Hudson |
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Lead
|
G Davies |
|
Lead
|
M Ward
|
Two
|
T Nutland |
|
Two
|
R Newman |
|
Two
|
K Gardner
|
|
Two
|
N Gainford
|
Three
|
R Dennison
|
|
Three
|
R Durham
|
|
Three
|
P Willis
|
|
Three
|
S Greenwood
|
Skip
|
G Dyer
|
|
Skip
|
B Weaver
|
|
Skip
|
A New |
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Skip
|
S Sprake |
|
Reserves: Nil Return |
Posted Tues 5th August |
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|
Team Selection |
Division 2 match against Denmead (home) on
Monday 4th August starting at 6.00pm |
Rink 1
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Rink 2
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|
|
Rink
3
|
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Rink
4
|
|
Lead
|
K Hudson |
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Lead
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Lead
|
D Boulter |
|
Lead
|
M Ward
|
Two
|
N Gainford
|
|
Two
|
D Gratton
|
|
Two
|
T Nutland |
|
Two
|
K Gardner
|
Three
|
P Willis
|
|
Three
|
R Durham
|
|
Three
|
R Dennison
|
|
Three
|
A New |
Skip
|
R Lewsley
|
|
Skip
|
B Weaver
|
|
Skip
|
G Dyer
|
|
Skip
|
S Sprake |
|
Reserves: Nil Return |
|
Combination Division 1 Match Report |
Star & Crescent 57 (12) Cowplain Red 40 (0)
Victory tastes all the sweeter
when it's been scarce, and last night's comprehensive
all-rink triumph over Cowplain delivered exactly that
-
our third win of the season and one to enjoy.
At the halfway mark, familiar doubts crept in as we trailed
on shots, similar to many previous matches that had slipped
from our grasp. But Star demonstrated remarkable resilience,
raising their game in the crucial final third to turn the
tide and secure a commanding victory.
Steve Greenwood's rink led the charge in spectacular
fashion.
Facing a daunting deficit at the 10th end, they transformed
their game completely, conceding just one more shot
throughout the remainder of the match to claim a dominant
23-10 victory. Steve surprised many by abandoning his usual
drawing game for some brilliantly executed attacking shots -
though perhaps this shouldn't have been unexpected with Rob
Lewsley offering tactical support as his deputy.
The remaining two rinks
battled hard,
with both outcomes hanging in the balance until the final
ends.
Each rink found themselves in second place as the matches
entered their closing stages, setting up tight finishes.
Russell Durham's four began with early promise, posting an
impressive 6-shot haul on the opening end that suggested a
comfortable evening ahead. Reality proved different as they
were quickly overtaken and found themselves trailing for
much of the match. The turning point came on the 14th end
with a crucial 5-shot propelled them back into the match
pickup. By the penultimate end, they had edged into a
two-shot lead, which they defended with determination to
secure a 19-18 victory. Robbie Dennison's rink faced
an equally challenging path to victory.
They managed just three winning ends in the early stages,
scoring a single shot on each in what developed into a
tight, low-scoring affair. Credit due to the rink they then
only lost 2 more ends after that slow start and gradually
clawed their way back into contention. A game-changing
6-shot end on the 12th gave them the momentum they needed,
and like Russell's rink, managed to protect a slender
advantage through the final end, winning 15-12.
A
complete team performance.
|
Posted Thurs 31st July |
|
|
|
Denmead Match |
Just to confirm that Friday's Division 2 home match
against Denmead has been cancelled as we were unable to
raise a team. Arrangements are in hand to reschedule the
match for Monday 4th August. |
Posted Wed 30th July |
|
|
|
Division 2 Match Report |
Naismith 87 (16) Star &
Crescent 53 (0)
With Naismith
sitting at the bottom of the table, Star must have fancied
their chances for another away victory. However, the home
team had other ideas entirely and were not obviously singing
from the same hymn book. Playing on what can only be
described as a dreadful green (understatement and no, that's
not sour grapes talking, honest), Star found themselves on
the receiving end of a shocking defeat that sent Naismith's
secretary frantically dusting off the record books to find
their last 16-0 whitewash. And
to think Star once contemplated making Swordsands their
permanent home - talk about dodging a bullet. Seriously
though, who in their right mind would want to play regular
bowls on this so-called "green"?
As for the match
itself, there was precious little to celebrate. The sole
bright spot came courtesy of Geoff Dyer's rink, who managed
to lose by just one shot at 16-17 - practically a moral
victory in the circumstances. Meanwhile, the other lads
probably spent the evening wondering why they hadn't stayed
home with a nice cup of tea and watching Coronation Street
instead. The damage elsewhere tells its own tale: Bob
Weaver's team got steamrollered 10-29, Alan New's side fell
13-19, and Steve Greenwood's rink lost 14-22. Without a
shadow of a doubt, this represents the lowest point of our
season to date; painful, embarrassing, and something we'd
rather forget.
|
|
Team Selection |
Combination Division 1 match against Cowplain Red
(home) on Wednesday
30th July starting at 6.00 pm |
Rink 1
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|
Rink 2
|
|
|
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Rink 3
|
|
Lead
|
K Hudson |
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Lead
|
M Ward
|
|
Lead
|
W Ames
|
Two
|
D Gratton
|
|
Two
|
P Willis |
|
Two
|
K Gardner
|
Three
|
B Weaver
|
|
Three
|
A New
|
|
Three
|
R Lewsley |
Skip
|
R Durham
|
|
Skip
|
R Dennison
|
|
Skip
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Reserves: N Gainford |
|
Division 2 match against Denmead (home) on
Friday 1st August starting at 6.00pm |
Unfortunately, at this moment we have only 11
players available and are unable to select a team.
With very little hope of further members making themselves
available, I have no alternative but to seek a postponement
of this fixture with the P&D. Whether we will be allowed to
rearrange or have to concede this match will be in the
hands of the P&D Committee & Denmead BC. |
Posted Sun 27th July |
|
|
|
Combination Division 1 Match Report |
Fareham “C” 71 (12) Star & Crescent 40 (0) Facing
the league leaders was always going to be challenging,
particularly with so many regular players unavailable.
Despite the odds being stacked against us, this depleted
squad gave everything they had, though the outcome was
perhaps predictable given one rink's heavy defeat on the
evening. Steve Greenwood reluctantly stepped up as skip but
endured a difficult night, with his rink unable to match
Fareham's more seasoned players in a comprehensive 7-32
loss. The remaining two rinks showed much greater promise
and remained competitive throughout, only to fall short in
the crucial final moments. Robbie Dennison's team somehow
managed to stay level at the 14th end despite being
outplayed for much of the match. However, conceding seven
shots on the following end proved decisive, ending their
hopes with a final score of 16-20. Russell Durham's four
came even closer to securing a victory. After establishing a
commanding 7-0 lead, they were gradually reeled in by their
opponents and found themselves trailing by the 14th end.
Showing real character, they fought back to take a two-shot
advantage into the final end, only for Fareham to snatch
victory with a four-shot finish, winning 19-17 in
heartbreaking fashion. Despite the disappointing results,
the effort shown by all players throughout the evening was
commendable and thoroughly appreciated. |
Posted Thurs 24th July |
|
|
|
Division 2 Report |
Star & Crescent 65 (13)
Pemroke Gardens 64 (3) Star secured their first double
victory of the season in a thrilling encounter against
Pembroke that remained undecided until the final bowl was
delivered. Despite trailing for much of the contest, Star
rallied to claim victory in dramatic fashion.
The foundation for Star's success
was established by the first two rinks to complete their
matches. Bob Weaver's team returned to form with a
convincing 16-10 triumph, leading throughout most of their
game and finally proving that Rink 6 isn't actually cursed
after all. During this match, Pembroke received a gentle
reminder about player substitution rules—apparently their
interpretation was more creative than the official P&D
regulations would normally allow.
Captain
Steve Sprake's rink delivered the pivotal performance of the
day. Facing a daunting 7-16 deficit, they mounted an
extraordinary comeback worthy of a Hollywood script (OTT?).
They proceeded to restrict Pembroke to just one additional
scoring end while ruthlessly accumulating 13 shots of their
own. Their eventual 20-18 victory was a master class in how
to snatch victory from the jaws of what looked like certain
defeat.
Steve Greenwood, skipping for the first time this season,
encountered an opposition skip in red-hot form. While
Steve's rink played well throughout and managed a promising
13-10 lead after 11 ends, they were then restricted to
scoring on only one more end. Ultimately they were undone by
the exceptional play of Dave Brookes, who seemingly couldn't
miss if he tried, securing a
clinical 21-14 victory for his team. With the overall
match perfectly balanced, all attention turned to Alan New's
rink for the decisive encounter. In a tense finale that
never saw more than a two-shot margin between the teams,
Alan found himself trailing by one shot heading into the
final end. However, with the match all square, it was set
for a last-end shoot-out with the winner taking the spoils.
The climax proved heart-stopping for Star supporters: with
Star holding the decisive winning shot, Pembroke delivered
their final bowl, which struck Star's shot wood but
fortunately lacked sufficient force to claim the end. With
Star holding the crucial shot for overall victory, Alan
wisely chose not to risk his final delivery, settling for a
15-15 draw that secured the match win for his team.
Sometimes discretion really is the better part of valour.
This hard-fought victory at last highlighted Star's
resilience and ability to perform under pressure hopefully
setting a positive tone for the remainder of the season.
|
Posted Sun 20th July |
|
|
|
Team Selection |
With a few of our major players not available this
week, team selection has proved too be a continuing problem.
However, at the moment, we have managed to conjure up two
teams together albeit not as strong as we would hope.
The teams are: |
Combination Division 1 match against Fareham "C" (away) on Wednesday
23rd July starting at 6.00 pm |
Rink 1
|
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
|
Rink 3
|
|
Lead
|
D Boulter |
|
Lead
|
K Hudson |
|
Lead
|
W Ames
|
Two
|
D Gratton
|
|
Two
|
K Gardner
|
|
Two
|
N Gainford |
Three
|
R Newman |
|
Three
|
M Ward
|
|
Three
|
P Willis |
Skip
|
R Durham
|
|
Skip
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Skip
|
R Dennison
|
|
Reserve: T Nutland |
|
Division 2 match against Naismith (away) on
Friday 25th July starting at 6.00pm |
Rink 1
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
Rink
3
|
|
|
Rink
4
|
|
Lead
|
D Boulter |
|
Lead
|
W Ames
|
|
Lead
|
M Ward
|
|
Lead
|
K Hudson |
Two
|
D Gratton
|
|
Two
|
K Gardner
|
|
Two
|
N Gainford |
|
Two
|
T Nutland
|
Three
|
R Durham
|
|
Three
|
R Newman
|
|
Three
|
R Dennison
|
|
Three
|
P Willis |
Skip
|
B Weaver
|
|
Skip
|
G Dyer
|
|
Skip
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Skip
|
A New |
|
Reserves: Nil Return |
Posted Sat 19th July |
|
|
|
Division 2 Match Report |
Purbrook Heath 80 (14) Star & Crescent 56 (2) Same
old story away from home and we struggled in windy
conditions on a longer green that was a little
unpredictable. When one of your more successful rinks are
first in having been smashed by 17 shots you realise that it
is going to be a big ask to win this match. So, Bob Weavers
rink were left on the starting blocks dropping a 7 on the
first end, followed by a five and 2 fours during the game.
They did win 8 of the ends but with lower scoring than the
opposition and finishing at 13-30. Next in was Steve
Sprake's four, who led at half way 10-1, but the lack of big
scores still gave their rivals some belief and they bounced
back to all square going into the last. We did manage to
pick up the single required to win 15-14. Back to Skipping
was Colin Lihou who got off to a slow start and after 7 ends
was chasing 1-14. At the 14th they found themselves trailing
by 6, then won the last 4 ends, but fell short by one,
losing 17-18. Last to finish as usual and out on rink 6 was
Alan New's gladiators. Although they only won 8 of the ends,
they set up a winning opportunity when being level at 11-11
after the 15th end. Disappointingly they lost the last 3 and
with it 7 shots, to lose 11-18. Friday we are back at our
home venue against Pembroke Gardens, when we need to get
back to winning ways.
|
Posted Tues 15th July |
|
|
|
Division 2 Match Report |
Star & Crescent 80 (12) Waterlooville 59 (4) A second visit of the week for
Waterlooville and we ended up beating them on both
occasions. If only bowls was as easy as this then our
position in the league would look a lot healthier. Once
again it was a good team performance with 2 winning rinks
and those losing keeping it tight enough to help see us
through. So, first out of the traps was Geoff Dyer's rink
who had an enjoyable game, winning 12 of the ends to come
through 23-14. Geoff was visibly smiling at the end and if
he is not careful will lose his Victor Meldrew tag. Rob
Lewsley's boys put up a brave fight but failed to come back
with their usual late surge to lose 15-20. At this stage
Star were +4 ahead and it was tightly balanced. Then it
happened, as my regular readers will recall, I forecast that
Bob 'The Assassin' Weaver was going to make someone pay for
an earlier heavy defeat. Well, tonight was the night for Big
Bob's revenge and poor old Derek Holt didn't know what hit
him. They won 13 of the ends which led to a superb victory
of 25-6. Finally out on rink 6 was 'Dads Army' led by Alan
New. Who made it quite clear at the start that rink 6 should
be dug up. They still managed to retain some respectability
(not a word often used in the context of Alan), when being
0-10 down after the first 5 ends, held it together to just
fall short 17-19. Now it’s on to Monday, where we travel to
Purbrook and face another tough challenge.
|
|
Centenary Cup Report |
Star & Crescent 24 Crofton 46
Star entered this match brimming with confidence following
their victories against Waterlooville. However, after
successfully defeating Waverley in the previous round, they
suffered an unexpected heavy defeat that left both home and
away teams smarting from the loss. The home side endured a
particularly difficult morning, with Steve Greenwood, Alan
New, Russell Durham, and Bob Weaver managing just 6 ends in
their comprehensive 8-24 defeat. Meanwhile, at Crofton,
Wayne Ames, Robbie Dennison, Steve Sprake, and Geoff Dyer
had put Star in a promising position, leading 16-11 after
the 14th end. Unfortunately, the familiar pattern of late
collapse emerged once again. Crofton mounted an impressive
comeback, scoring 12 unanswered shots across the remaining
ends to secure a 23-16 victory. As the saying goes in
football, "we can now focus on the league"! |
Posted Sun 13th July |
|
|
|
Team Selection |
There is no combination match scheduled for this
week but we have two division 2 matches; one on Monday
(again) and the other on the normal Friday. Teams are: |
Division 2 match against Purbrook Heath (away) on Monday
14th July starting at 6.00pm |
Rink 1
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
Rink
3
|
|
|
Rink
4
|
|
Lead
|
D Boulter |
|
Lead
|
W Ames
|
|
Lead
|
K Hudson |
|
Lead
|
M Ward
|
Two
|
K Gardner
|
|
Two
|
T Nutland
|
|
Two
|
R Newman
|
|
Two
|
N Gainford |
Three
|
R Durham
|
|
Three
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Three
|
P Willis |
|
Three
|
R Dennison
|
Skip
|
B Weaver
|
|
Skip
|
S Sprake
|
|
Skip
|
A New
|
|
Skip
|
C Lihou |
|
Reserves: None Again |
|
Division 2 match against Pembroke Gardens (home) on Friday
18th July starting at 6.00 pm
|
Rink 1
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
Rink
3
|
|
|
Rink
4
|
|
Lead
|
D Boulter |
|
Lead
|
W Ames
|
|
Lead
|
K Hudson |
|
Lead
|
M Ward
|
Two
|
D Gratton
|
|
Two
|
K Gardner
|
|
Two
|
R Newman
|
|
Two
|
N Gainford |
Three
|
R Durham
|
|
Three
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Three
|
P Willis |
|
Three
|
R Dennison
|
Skip
|
B Weaver
|
|
Skip
|
S Sprake
|
|
Skip
|
A New
|
|
Skip
|
R Lewsley |
|
Reserve: T Nutland |
Posted Sat 12th July |
|
|
|
Combination Division 1 Match Report |
Star & Crescent 66 (12) Waterlooville Gold 38 (0) The team
hadn't tasted victory since April until last night's
fantastic breakthrough! At long last, they claimed the
winner's podium after defeating fellow basement-dwellers
Waterlooville Gold (perhaps we should cheekily call them
Waterlooville Silver now?) across all rinks. Russell
Durham's rink provided the perfect spark, giving Star a
wonderful early boost that spread infectious confidence
throughout the team. They absolutely flew to a commanding
12-0 lead, including a spectacular 7-count on the second
end, and kept their foot firmly on the accelerator to romp
home with a brilliant 26-7 victory. The other two rinks
found themselves in much more closer contests, with both
matches hanging in the balance right until the final ends.
Rob Lewsley's four entered their last end clinging to a
slender 1-shot lead after trailing on the 15th end, but they
finished with a flourish - back-to-back fours to seal a
tremendous 20-15 victory. Robbie Dennison's rink delivered
an equally heart-stopping finale. Trailing 14-16 going into
the 16th end, they responded magnificently with consecutive
3-shots, with Robbie turning back the clock with his final
two woods to secure a superb 20-16 triumph. This complete
victory temporarily lifts the team from the league's
basement - a position we've called home since the season
began. Sure, it's only by a single point and Waterlooville
have two games in hand, but let's not ruin the party with
inconvenient facts! There haven't been many reasons to smile
this season, so massive congratulations to everyone who
contributed to last night's wonderful success and finally
remembering how to win. |
Posted Thurs 10th July |
|
|
|
Division 2 Match Report |
Gosport 73 (14) Star & Crescent 49 (2) It’s a long
trip down to Gosport on a Monday evening, but the one plus
was that the green was bowling a little better than on our
previous visits. With players away, once again our squad was
stretched to the limits, which meant playing out of position
for several of the team. First in was Alan New's rink, who
managed to win 7 ends and were ahead on 12th, but a tough
finish saw them lose 15-18. Next up was Robbie
Dennison's boys who picked up a valuable 2 points. It was
touch and go, but they went ahead on the 12th end and hung
on at the finish to come through 13-12. Steve Sprake had a
new look rink with Martin Ward making his debut at no.3,
Young Ted back at 2 and Kevin Gardner who looked like a
rabbit in the headlights when told he was playing at lead.
They all done their best and were just ahead at the halfway
stage, only to then struggle on the longer jacks to end up
losing 13-15. So, with 3 rinks finished and sitting -4
across the boards there was a glimmer of hope. Unfortunately
our normally reliable rink led by Bob Weaver failed to
deliver on this occasion. They were always chasing, winning
only 6 of the ends, and the last five which included
dropping a 6 pushed them to a 20-shot defeat at 8-28. We
have a chance to redeem ourselves at home to Waterlooville
on Friday.
|
Posted Tues 8th July |
|
|
|
Division 2 Match Report |
Star & Crescent 59.75 (4) Gas Social 72 (12) Once again we were forced to
play without a full team, but this time it was to be 2 men
short. A hasty rearrangement of the side meant that the idea
of settled rinks had to be abandoned and the 2 triples faced
the prospect of losing 25% of their scores. First in
was Geoff Dyer's rink who had a tight match, and in spite of
winning only 8 of the ends, came through 21-18 up, 2 points
and +3 on the board. That was the start we needed, which was
followed by Rob Lewsley's triple. Undeterred they were
relentless in their pursuit of the points, they crushed the
opposition by winning 14 of the ends and even after the
points deduction won 21-11. Two winning rinks and 4 points
in the bag meant that things were looking rosy, but sadly
that is where it all ends. The next triple was led by Ted
Nutland who was out bowled by his opposite number. They
found themselves 11-3 down, to then rally and go 12-11 up,
but fell away at the latter stages to lose. After the
deduction the scorecard read 9.75 - 18, so across the boards
we were just hanging on to a +4.75 lead. Out on rink 6 it
was Alan New's boys and they were struggling badly. Always
chasing the game they only managed to win 6 ends and
defeated 8-25. It’s disappointing to lose and that's 3 games
now where we haven't been able to field a full team, which
shows that with the size of our squad, getting 16 players
out on a Friday night has become an issue. Next week is a
big one for Star & Crescent, with 4 games in the diary,
which starts away at Gosport on Monday.
|
|
Team Selection |
We're facing our usual
challenge of being short-handed for Friday's match—currently
down one player despite ongoing efforts to fill the roster.
Meanwhile, Wednesday presents the opposite situation with
too many available players, meaning some will unfortunately
have to sit out. If only we could redistribute this
abundance to our Friday fixtures.
Teams are:
|
|
Combination Division 1 match against Waterlooville
Gold (home) on Wednesday
9th July starting at 6.00 pm |
Rink 1
|
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
|
Rink 3
|
|
Lead
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Lead
|
W Ames
|
|
Lead
|
M Ward
|
Two
|
R Newman |
|
Two
|
C Lihou
|
|
Two
|
A New
|
Three
|
B Weaver
|
|
Three
|
G Dyer
|
|
Three
|
S Sprake
|
Skip
|
R Durham
|
|
Skip
|
R Lewsley
|
|
Skip
|
R Dennison
|
|
Reserves: N Gainford & K Gardner |
|
Division 2 match against Waterlooville (home) on Friday
11th July starting at 6.00 pm
|
Rink 1
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
Rink
3
|
|
|
Rink
4
|
|
Lead
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Lead
|
D Boulter |
|
Lead
|
W Ames
|
|
Lead
|
K Hudson
|
Two
|
D Gratton
|
|
Two
|
K Gardner |
|
Two
|
T Nutland
|
|
Two
|
P Willis
|
Three
|
R Durham
|
|
Three
|
C Lihou
|
|
Three
|
S Sprake
|
|
Three
|
R Dennison
|
Skip
|
B Weaver
|
|
Skip
|
R Lewsley
|
|
Skip
|
G Dyer
|
|
Skip
|
A New |
|
Reserves: xxxxxxx & ??????? |
Posted Sun 6th July |
|
|
|
Combination Division 1 Match Report |
Priory Black 70 (8) Star & Crescent 46 (4)
A brief moment of
optimism emerged at the halfway point when we held the lead,
offering hope for our second victory of the season and a
double over Priory. However, this being Star & Crescent, we
promptly remembered who we are. Colin Lihou's rink suffered
what can only be described as a spectacular implosion,
conceding 33 shots while managing just one in reply across
the final 11 ends culminating in a 4-39. Rather than dwell
on such score lines (we've all been there, though perhaps
not quite so dramatically), it's worth celebrating the
positives elsewhere.
Robbie Dennison, who
has collected enough traumatic memories this season as skip,
finally secured a much-needed victory with his team.
Well-supported throughout, they controlled their match
effectively to win 20-15, with Robbie even contributing some
decent deliveries of his own. Not before time I hear you say!
Our promising new skip
Steve Greenwood delivered an outstanding performance with
his rink. With his match finely balanced at 16-15, his team
finished strongly to claim a well-deserved 22-16
victory—proof that not all our matches are destined for
disaster.
While our next win surely approaches (we hope), with
only six matches remaining, we're cutting it rather fine in
our search for seasonal respectability.
|
|
Team Selection |
We're
continuing to face some challenges with team availability,
which has been putting additional pressure on our selection
committee. We understand that everyone has competing
commitments, and we're grateful for those
who are able to play. For Monday's match
against Gosport (away), we've managed to conjure up a team
from our available players, though maybe with a
man short again.
|
Division 2 match against Gosport (away) on Monday
7th July starting at 6.00pm |
Rink 1
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
Rink
3
|
|
|
Rink
4
|
|
Lead
|
D Boulter |
|
Lead
|
K Hudson
|
|
Lead
|
K Gardner |
|
Lead
|
W Ames
|
Two
|
D Gratton
|
|
Two
|
N Gainford
|
|
Two
|
T Nutland
|
|
Two
|
M Harrison |
Three
|
R Durham
|
|
Three
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Three
|
M Ward
|
|
Three
|
C Lihou
|
Skip
|
B Weaver
|
|
Skip
|
R Dennison
|
|
Skip
|
S Sprake
|
|
Skip
|
A New |
|
Reserves: Wishful
Thinking |
Posted Sat 5th July |
|
|
|
Centenary Cup |
The next round of the Centenary Cup is against
Crofton on Saturday 12th July starting at 10.00. The
team is unchanged from the previous round which beat
Waverley. Geoff Dyer's rink will play away at Crofton
whilst Bob Weaver's four will be at home |
Posted Tues 1st July |
|
|
|
Team Selection |
Combination Division 1 match against Priory Black
(away) on Wednesday
2nd July starting at 6.00 pm |
Rink 1
|
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
|
Rink 3
|
|
Lead
|
R Newman |
|
Lead
|
W Ames
|
|
Lead
|
M Ward
|
Two
|
D Gratton
|
|
Two
|
K Gardner |
|
Two
|
A New
|
Three
|
B Weaver
|
|
Three
|
G Dyer
|
|
Three
|
S Sprake
|
Skip
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Skip
|
C Lihou
|
|
Skip
|
R Dennison
|
|
Reserves: T Nutland & R Durham |
|
Division 2 match against Gas Social (home) on Friday
4th July starting at 6.00 pm
|
Rink 1
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
Rink
3
|
|
|
Rink
4
|
|
Lead
|
G Davies |
|
Lead
|
K Hudson
|
|
Lead
|
W Ames
|
|
Lead
|
S Greenwood
|
Two
|
R Newman |
|
Two
|
T Nutland
|
|
Two
|
P Willoughby
|
|
Two
|
D Gratton
|
Three
|
C Lihou
|
|
Three
|
R Dennison
|
|
Three
|
P Willis
|
|
Three
|
R Durham
|
Skip
|
A New |
|
Skip
|
S Sprake
|
|
Skip
|
G Dyer
|
|
Skip
|
R Lewsley
|
|
Reserves:
& |
Posted Sun 29th June |
|
|
|
Division 2 Match Report |
Star & Crescent 62.5 (10) Cosham Park 56 (6) It was never going to be an
easy night, on that long green (which actually bowled a
little better than normal) but facing the additional
challenges of gusting winds and the noise from the speedway
track next door made it even tougher. The win came as a
result of a great team performance, because in spite of once
again playing a man short it didn't drastically effect the
eventual outcome. Top rink was that of Geoff Dyers who
endured a last-minute reshuffle, but the skip was soon
smiling when he realised that his new no.3 was Steve G and
not the other Steve from the selection committee. Anyway
they won 13 of the ends (10 consecutive) to come through
23-5. The +18 difference gave us the buffer we needed,
because although we came close on the other rinks, a 2nd win
escaped us. Next it was Alan New, who enjoyed a very tight
match but although leading by one on the 17th end managed to
drop 2 shots on the last and with it went those points. Then
came our last unbeaten skip 'Young Ted' who once again was
thrust into the limelight and playing a man short. The
tactics that worked so well previously just failed to
achieve the same result but they did manage to keep it
tight. At the halfway point they were 3-12 down, but then a
run of ends put them 15-12 ahead, only to be pegged back in
the final stages to lose 18-20. After the 25% deduction it
ended up 13.5 - 20. With one rink to finish and sitting
+10.5 ahead across the boards, Bob 'The Assassin' and his
boys were left firing blanks at the final encounter. Winning
9 of the ends (but only getting more than one shot on a
single end) were up 10-9 on the 15th end, they failed to win
another and finally losing 10-14. Not a costly result for
the team win, just another 2 points that slipped away. Big
Bob was not happy at the
end and I fear that someone is going to pay for this next
week. So its Gas Social at home next and we have a 0-16
defeat to avenge.
|
|
Combination Division 1 Match Report |
Star & Crescent 45 (2) Milton
Park Red 50 (10) This match follows the same
tried-and-tested formula as the previous encounter –
mastering the art of snatching defeat from the jaws of
victory. Our game management strategy clearly needs more
than just a gentle rethink, particularly when holding
commanding positions. Due to Russ Durham's ongoing vision
issues, Derek Boulter took over lead duties while Steve
Greenwood stepped up to the skip role. The rink found
themselves wrestling with a particularly strong Milton side.
By the halfway stage, our team was trailing by 10 shots – a
deficit that would make even the most optimistic wince.
However, with renewed focus they managed to claw back some
respectability, though ultimately couldn't prevent a 13-16
loss. Rink 4 experienced a late casting change with the
now-available Rob Lewsley taking his rightful place as skip.
For a glorious while, it was indeed plain sailing as they
cruised to a comfortable 15-7 lead. Then came what can only
be described as a nightmare finish, watching helplessly as
the opposition accumulated 11 shots without reply, turning
triumph into a 15-18 defeat. Debutant skip Colin Lihou's
team found themselves locked in mortal combat throughout
their match, remaining competitive and holding the lead
entering the final stages. A painful 5-shot concession on
the 16th end threatened to derail their efforts, but they
showed excellent resolve by winning the final two ends to
secure a narrow 17-16 victory and valuable rink points.
|
Posted Sat 28th June |
|
|
|
Club Competitions |
The draw has been made for this year's Club
Competitions and are shown on the relevant page of this
website. The good news is that in the Handicap Singles the
number of entrants has gone up. The bad news, however,
is that entrants for the Championship Singles have
fallen dramatically with only 13 bowlers wishing to
participate. Very disappointing. |
Posted Tues 24th June |
|
|
|
Dress Code Reminder |
I have received a "complaint" from another club
regarding our dress code, specifically shorts, which
contravene P&D rules. Can I ask all members to only
wear approved bowling shorts or smart tailored short. Cargo
shorts and similar casual wear are
not permitted. The
other gripe received is concerning the colour of
shorts. All team members must wear the same colour.
For Star & Crescent this means grey trousers/shorts only.
While some shade variations are debatable, there has been
clear infringements. If anyone needs help determining whether
their shorts are "grey enough" I'll be available with my Dulux colour chart! Seriously though, clubs can
legitimately refuse to let non-compliant players on their
greens. Unfortunately, this issue may be discussed
at the next P&D Executive Meeting so let's resolve this now
rather than face any consequences later. We don't want to
resort to kit inspections before matches (LOL) so please ensure you're properly dressed within the P&D
rules from now on. Thank
you in anticipation for your cooperation (and future
compliance). |
Posted Mon 23rd June |
|
|
|
Division 2 Match Report |
Star & Crescent 66 (4) Cowplain 69 (12) This
was always going to be a tough encounter but in the end
proved to be a little bit closer than anticipated. The main
talking point revolved around how many of their players
played with straight woods, which reflected the fact of
playing their home matches on an artificial surface. At the
halfway stage we had 2 winning rinks but down on the game
-7. Geoff's rink was one of these, winning 11 ends and never
behind to come through 23-15. The other was Big Bobs boys
who incredibly won 13 ends to smash the opposition 21-10.
Then came squeaky bum time with the 2 losing rinks trying to
keep the deficit to the minimum. Alan's four kept it as
tight as they could but ended up going down 12-19. Everyone
was now frantically looking at the scoreboards which
revealed that Star were ahead by +12. A healthy lead until
you see that Captain Steve's rink were -13 going into the
last end. Then with both skips only having one wood left
each, Star were holding shot (a draw overall). But alas
their skip played ours out to hold 2 and Steve was unable to
change the outcome. Demoralising, but none of us had played
well on the night and probably got what we deserved. It was
letting your team mates down which was the worst feeling
when you realise it was so close. Next we are off to Cosham
where we got beaten last year in the rain. So eat your
Weetabix lads because we know its long, bumpy and heavy
green.
|
|
Centenary Cup Report |
Star & Crescent 31 Waverley 27 What a way to
start the weekend, when you overcome our landlords on the
home green. Whilst they put out a side missing a few of the
big names it was still a strong Waverley team which they
thought was more than up to the challenge. That will teach
them to underestimate the boys from S&C who were fearless
and delivered on the day. It was a 2-rink challenge,
combining the scores of both rinks to get the final result.
Up against Ollie Mew, Big Bob and his sidekick Russ (The
Kray brothers) plus Alan & Steve G were
always in this game. Never more than 4 behind, they took
control on the 11th end to finish up winning 15-13. The +2
was carried over to the adjacent rink who were still playing
the 17th. The hand-picked 4 of Mr Grumpy,
Captain Steve, Old Robbie Dennison and new kid on the block
Wayne Ames blended perfectly on the day. At the halfway
stage they were 6 shots down but had a final surge to pick
up 10 shots in the last 6 ends, the crucial one being a 4 on
the 17th, to win 16-14. So, on to the weekend of the
12/13th July, the date of the next round, we don't know who
and we don't know where so just bring them on we don't
care.
|
Posted Sun 22nd June |
|
|
|
Team Selection |
Combination Division 1 match against Milton Park Red
(home) on Wednesday
25th June starting at 6.00 pm |
Rink 1
|
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
|
Rink 3
|
|
Lead
|
W Ames
|
|
Lead
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Lead
|
M Ward
|
Two
|
P Willis
|
|
Two
|
N Gainford
|
|
Two
|
K Gardner |
Three
|
G Dyer
|
|
Three
|
B Weaver
|
|
Three
|
A New
|
Skip
|
R Dennison
|
|
Skip
|
R Durham |
|
Skip
|
C Lihou
|
|
Reserves: D Gratton &
D Boulter |
|
Division 2 match against Cosham Park (away) on Friday
27th June starting at 6.00 pm
|
Rink 1
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
Rink
3
|
|
|
Rink
4
|
|
Lead
|
D Boulter |
|
Lead
|
M Ward
|
|
Lead
|
W Ames
|
|
Lead
|
S Greenwood
|
Two
|
K Gardner |
|
Two
|
T Nutland
|
|
Two
|
N Gainford
|
|
Two
|
D Gratton
|
Three
|
C Lihou
|
|
Three
|
R Dennison
|
|
Three
|
P Willis
|
|
Three
|
R Durham
|
Skip
|
A New |
|
Skip
|
S Sprake
|
|
Skip
|
G Dyer
|
|
Skip
|
B Weaver
|
|
Reserves: & |
|
Combination Division 1 Match Report |
Star & Crescent 56 (2) Alexandra Blue 59 (10)
Star looked destined for another
disappointing result after finding themselves trailing
Alexandra by twelve shots at the halfway stage. However, a
spirited revival saw the home side claw their way back into
contention, establishing a good lead with only three ends
left to play. What followed was nothing short of
catastrophic. In a devastating turn of events, Star
hemorrhaged thirteen shots across all rinks on the crucial
16th end, surrendering their hard-earned advantage and once
again stumbling at the final hurdle.
Rob Lewsley's
four
emerged as our sole victorious rink, securing a convincing
21-14 triumph. Despite conceding five ends - three of which
were substantial losses - they maintained their form
throughout to deliver the only bright spot of the evening.
Russ Durham's
Rink endured a sluggish opening, falling
twelve shots adrift early on. A determined second-half rally
saw them mount a creditable recovery, ultimately narrowing
the deficit to just two shots in a respectable 19-21 defeat.
Geoff Dyer's Team faced a tough mountain to
climb after a disastrous start left them trailing 2-16 at
the halfway mark. Their recovery almost completed an
improbable comeback, drawing to within two shots of their
opponents. However, a perfectly executed take-out by the
Alexandra skip on the 16th end yielded a match-defining
six-shot count, sealing a 16-24 loss. Having reached the
season's midpoint, Star find themselves anchored at the foot
of the table. Our report card would undoubtedly read "must
do better" - a harsh but
accurate assessment of our campaign thus far. If we harbour
ambitions of retaining our status in this division, a
dramatic improvement is essential. We can only hope this
proves to be a tale of two halves, with a stirring
second-half performance propelling us up the league. |
Posted Sat 21st June |
|
|
|
John Bell |
The funeral for John has been arranged for Tuesday 15th July
10.45 at Porchester crematorium and then to the Waverley for
the wake. |
Posted Thurs 19th June |
|
|
|
In Memory of John Bell |
It is with profound sadness that we announce
the peaceful passing of John Bell last Friday
evening at Queen Alexandra Hospital.
John became a valued member of Star &
Crescent in 2001, joining us from the Civil Service
BC. From the outset, he threw himself wholeheartedly
into club life, contributing actively both as a
player and in various management roles.
In 2004, John first joined our committee,
beginning what would become decades of dedicated
service. Throughout his time with us, he held
virtually every key position: serving as President
on two occasions, Treasurer for five years, Captain,
and taking on the often-thankless roles of Catering
Manager and Green Steward for several years. His
commitment to excellence in each role was
unwavering.
|

|
|
|
During our years at Canoe Lake, John became
deeply involved with the Canoe Lake Bowling
Association (CLBA), first representing our club and
later serving as their Treasurer until the
association's final days. His work there
demonstrated his broader commitment to the bowling
community.
When our maintenance contract was
terminated, John stepped forward to champion our
club's interests. He tirelessly corresponded with
local councillors and MPs, expressing our concerns
about the excessive costs the council's proposals
would impose on us. Though his efforts ultimately
proved unsuccessful, his support demonstrated his
fierce loyalty to our club.
The subsequent relocation in 2013 saw John
once again at the forefront, heavily involved in
planning our move to Swordsands. When the club made
a last-minute decision to relocate to Waverley
instead, John was deeply hurt by this change of
direction—a reaction that was entirely
understandable given his investment in the process.
What truly speaks to John's character is
that despite this disappointment, he never wavered
in his commitment to Star & Crescent. He remained an
active member until his final days, continuing to
serve on the committee in his role as
Past-President.
Our club owes John an enormous debt of
gratitude. His tireless work, generous spirit, and
steady leadership helped ensure that Star & Crescent
remained on solid ground throughout his twenty-three
years of membership. We have lost not just a
dedicated committee member, but a true friend and
stalwart of our club.
John was, quite simply, a lovely man who
will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
Rest in peace, John.
|
|
|
Posted Tues 17th June |
|
|
|
|
Team Selection |
Combination Division 1 match against Alexandra Blue
(home) on Wednesday
18th June starting at 6.00 pm |
Rink 1
|
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
|
Rink 3
|
|
Lead
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Lead
|
M Ward
|
|
Lead
|
K Hudson |
Two
|
T Nutland
|
|
Two
|
K Gardner |
|
Two
|
N Gainford
|
Three
|
B Weaver
|
|
Three
|
A New
|
|
Three
|
S Sprake
|
Skip
|
R Durham |
|
Skip
|
R Lewsley
|
|
Skip
|
G Dyer
|
|
Reserves: C Lihou &
W Ames |
|
Division 2 match against Cowplain (home) on Friday
20th June starting at 6.00 pm
|
Rink 1
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
Rink
3
|
|
|
Rink
4
|
|
Lead
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Lead
|
M Ward
|
|
Lead
|
W Ames
|
|
Lead
|
D Boulter |
Two
|
D Gratton
|
|
Two
|
P Willis
|
|
Two
|
K Hudson |
|
Two
|
P Willoughby
|
Three
|
R Durham
|
|
Three
|
R Dennison
|
|
Three
|
S Sprake
|
|
Three
|
C Lihou
|
Skip
|
B Weaver
|
|
Skip
|
A New |
|
Skip
|
G Dyer
|
|
Skip
|
R Lewsley
|
|
Reserve: T Nutland & K Gardner |
|
Centenary Cup against Waverley (home) on Saturday
21st June starting at 10.00 am |
|
Rink 1
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
|
Lead
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Lead
|
W Ames
|
|
|
Two
|
A New |
|
Two
|
R Dennison
|
|
|
Three
|
R Durham
|
|
Three
|
S Sprake
|
|
|
Skip
|
B Weaver
|
|
Skip
|
G Dyer
|
|
|
|
Posted Sun 15th June |
|
|
|
Combination Division 1 Match Report |
Waverley Blue 72 (12) Star & Crescent 31 (0)
So our poor run in the top combination division
continues. Without a win since the second match of the
season, chances of winning this match disappeared early in
this contest. Getting turned over by the "landlords" is bad
enough, but the score lines make for painful reading. At the
start of what proved to be a nightmare week for Robbie
Dennison, his rink was completely
out bowled
by the Waverley lads. Although they started well, it was
their inability to prevent their opponents from scoring
heavily throughout the match that resulted in a heavy 13-30
defeat. Even Bob Weaver's reliable four had a rare slip-up,
losing in this encounter 10-19. They were in with a chance
up to the 13th end, but their opponents finished much the
stronger to seal the rink points. Geoff Dyer's men had a
terrible start, finding themselves 1-16 down at the halfway
stage, but they recovered in the second half. Although they
didn't make any headway on the deficit, they finished 8-23
on the wrong side of the scoreline. The statistics make for
grim reading - just
5 rink
victories since the campaign began tell their own story.
If we can find improved consistency
with
everyone raising their game, better results are bound to
follow. Keep the faith and trust that our luck will change. |
|
Division 2 Match Report |
Denmead 76 (13) Star & Crescent 51 (3) Well, all good things come
to an end and after 3 wins on the trot we finally lost out
to the league leaders on their green. With 3 of our new boys
in the team and one rink playing with a man short it was
always going to be a big ask at a ground where we have had
few successes. The match itself started under the threat of
impending rain, which briefly passed by without
interruption. The big gamble was on rink one, with a hasty
rearrangement of the line up due to only having 3 players
and losing 25% of their final score. Lihou led with Sprake
playing at 2 in the hope of building a decent head for
'Young Ted' to protect. The plan worked to a treat, winning
11 of the ends and always in front. After the shot deduction
it all came down to the last end and we won 15-13 and a
valuable 2 points. Alan New's boys had a tough match winning
9 ends each, although losing by 5 shots to go down 16-21.
Robbie Dennison's rink struggled badly, only winning 4 ends
and paying the price at 4-26. Finally, out at the far side
of the green 'The Silent Assassin Bob Weaver' and his hitmen
failed to kill off the opposition when they had the chance
and paid the price. Dominating a game where they won 12 of
the ends, they managed to drop a 5 & a 6 to find themselves
10-16 down with 4 ends left to play. Without conceding
anymore they levelled the outcome at 16-16 and another point
earned. Next up are Cowplain down at The Waverley and a
chance for us to start another winning run.
|
Posted Sat 14th June |
|
|
|
Team Selection |
Combination Division 1 match against Waverley Blue (away) on Wednesday
11th June starting at 6.00 pm |
Rink 1
|
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
|
Rink 3
|
|
Lead
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Lead
|
W Ames
|
|
Lead
|
G Davies |
Two
|
P Willoughby
|
|
Two
|
K Hudson |
|
Two
|
P Willis |
Three
|
R Durham
|
|
Three
|
C Lihou
|
|
Three
|
A New
|
Skip
|
B Weaver |
|
Skip
|
G Dyer
|
|
Skip
|
R Dennison |
|
Reserves: R Newman & K Gardner |
|
Division 2 match against Denmead (away) on Friday
13th June starting at 6.00 pm
|
Rink 1
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
Rink
3
|
|
|
Rink
4
|
|
Lead
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Lead
|
K Gardner |
|
Lead
|
W Ames
|
|
Lead
|
D Boulter |
Two
|
D Gratton
|
|
Two
|
R Newman |
|
Two
|
T Nutland
|
|
Two
|
N Gainford
|
Three
|
R Durham
|
|
Three
|
P Willis
|
|
Three
|
C Lihou
|
|
Three
|
P Willoughby
|
Skip
|
B Weaver
|
|
Skip
|
A New |
|
Skip
|
S Sprake
|
|
Skip
|
R Dennison
|
|
Reserve: G Davies |
|
We can't afford any drop outs for this match - as
Harry Redknapp would say, "we are down to the bare bones"
(and frankly, some of those bones are creaking a bit). So
please make your absolute best effort to drag yourselves to
Denmead. The blood pressure monitor is already giving me
worried looks, and I'd rather not give it any more
excitement by trying to chase down last-minute replacements
or explain to the opposition why we're fielding a man short.
Thank you. |
|
Waverley Memorial Triples |
Waverley BC will be running their charity triples
again this year on Saturday 6th September between 09.00
-18.00. Entry is £30.00 per team. The winning team
will receive £300.00 & a trophy whilst the runners-up will
receive £150.00. If any one is interested please could you
contact me or Tom Payne on 07846 400892. |
Posted Sun 8th June |
|
|
|
Division 2 Match Report |
Star & Crescent 87 (16) Naismith 36 (0)
Well, what an evening of bowls. Three wins now on the bounce should see us
start to climb the table and the mood in the camp was high.
Naismith can be a tricky fixture for us and after 2 of our
players withdrew from the starting line-up plus the
President & Secretary both nursing bad backs, the outcome
was unpredictable. Our 2 late replacements of 'Gareth
the Mad Welshman' and 'Young Ted' from the youth team both
played their parts. Top gun this week was 'Whispering Rob
Lewsley' whose rink managed to smash the opposition,
unbelievably winning 15 of the ends by a shot difference of
+23, to come through 27-4. Next up was Alan New's Dads Army.
Always ahead in this match, they won 10 ends and 8 of them
by more than a single shot. 24-10 was another excellent
result. Our man on a mission 'Bob the Assassin' Weaver
bounced straight back from his first loss earlier this week.
Once again we were always ahead, winning 10 ends and
comfortably coming through 9 shots ahead to win 19-10.
Finally, out on rink 6 Geoff Dyers boys decided to play a
proper bowls match winning 9 ends each. A tight game
throughout we never got ahead until the 11th end but
eventually won by +5 at 17-12. The rumour was that someone
saw our skip smiling at the end of the game, which bodes
well for the future. So, well done everyone, a 16-0 win is a
great result whoever the opponents might be. However, let's
not get too carried away because next up is Denmead.
This will be a tougher match particularly on their green,
and they are flying high top of the table. We may go in as
the underdogs, but its all down to who plays best on the
night. |
Posted Sat 7th June |
|
|
|
Combination Division 1 Match Report |
Star & Crescent 38 (1) Vospers 54 (11)
We thought that this division was going to be hard going and
points would be at a premium but the task ahead was probably
underestimated by all.
Despite having high expectations with a strong lineup on
home ground against high flying Vospers, this was undeniably
a very disappointing result.
The frustrating thing is Star were genuinely close to
nicking it on two rinks for a while.
Geff Dyer’s rink led with a couple of ends to go but
had to settle for 14-14 draw in what was obviously a tight
match throughout.
Looking at the scorecard it seems a
fair result with both teams having identical
rink
scores. Rob Lewsley’s four were also with a shout of victory
but just lost out 15-18 to their more consistent opponents. The
dependable Bob Weaver suffered his first defeat as skip when
his rink, after a solid start, had a mid-match collapse -
losing 7 consecutive ends and 14 shots before ending up on
the wrong side of 9-22 score line. At least Star got
that point on board and with more consistent performances
better results should follow - we hope! |
Posted Thurs 5th June |
|
|
|
Centenary Cup |
The Centenary Cup match against Southsea Waverley
has been confirmed for Saturday 21st June starting at 10.00 |
Posted Tues 3rd June |
|
|
|
Division 2 Match Report |
Pembroke Gardens 51 (3) Star & Crescent 72 (13)
Following on from last week’s win, the momentum continues
and the confidence is creeping back. Whilst we fancied
getting the result, saying it and doing it are 2 different
things, particularly away from home. Top gun this week was
Mr Grumpy Geoff Dyer, the only man who can still find
something to complain about when he has won by 18 shots.
Winning 12 ends and crushing the opposition to come through
25-7 was an excellent result. No doubt he will reflect over
the weekend and have a little smile to himself. Next up was
he who says little and another one crossed off the list for
Big Bob Weaver. After falling behind early on they went
ahead on the 11th end and never looked back to win 21-12 and
another 2 points for the team. Then came probably our
oldest rink on the night, led by QA Hospitals most regular
client Alan New. In a tight match (which wouldn't have done
Alans blood pressure any good) they managed to go into the
last end 1 shot ahead, only to get pegged back to draw
14-14. Still, the win for Star was looking good although if
anyone was going to lose it on the night it was Steve
Sprake’s boys who found it a lonely place out on rink 6. The
talk was all about playing David Brookes and what a good
reputation he had. So, we didn't bother to turn up until the
5th end, by which time we were already 12-0 down and Brookes
was one happy man. Consistency was our main problem, but in
spite of that we did manage to win 10 of the ends, keeping
the score close but losing 12-18. Next week’s game is
against Naismith who we are more than capable of beating,
but they always prove to be tricky opposition playing heavy
woods in preference to the gentle draw. It would be good to
make it 3 wins on the bounce so let’s make sure that we are
mentally prepared. |
|
Club Pairs Competition |
Just a reminder that the club pairs competition is
on this Saturday 7th June starting at 10.00. More
details to follow soon. |
Posted Sun 1st June |
|
|
|
Combination Division 1 Match Report |
Cowplain Red 45 (3) Star &
Crescent 45 (7) Star appeared set for
a notable away victory on the Cowplain carpet before a
familiar collapse in the closing stages saw them surrender a
commanding position. The visitors lost 10 shots across all
three rinks in the final two ends, ultimately having to
settle for a draw despite outperforming their hosts for much
of the contest. Geoff Dyer's rink
maintained their advantage throughout most of the match but
experienced late difficulties, eventually securing a narrow
17-15 victory. Steve Sprake's four endured a challenging
evening, trailing consistently and finishing on the wrong
end of a 19-11 scoreline. The overall
result hinged on Bob Weaver's rink, who produced an
impressive comeback to establish what appeared to be a
match-winning 17-9 advantage. However, Cowplain's skip
delivered a crucial second shot with the final bowl of the
match for a final rink score of 17-11 and levelling the
match scores at 45-45. Star were left to wonder how they'd
managed to snatch a draw from the jaws of victory.
While the team will rue the missed opportunity
for a rare away victory, they can take satisfaction from
winning two of the three rinks and taking home the larger
share of points. The result extends our recent competitive
form, though the late collapse will provide food for thought
ahead of future fixtures.
|
|
Team Selection |
Combination Division 1 match against Vospers (home) on Wednesday
4th June starting at 6.00 pm |
Rink 1
|
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
|
Rink 3
|
|
Lead
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Lead
|
W Ames
|
|
Lead
|
D Boulter |
Two
|
R Newman
|
|
Two
|
P Willoughby
|
|
Two
|
C Lihou
|
Three
|
R Durham
|
|
Three
|
S Sprake
|
|
Three
|
A New
|
Skip
|
B Weaver |
|
Skip
|
G Dyer
|
|
Skip
|
R Lewsley
|
|
Reserves: R Dennison & N Gainford |
|
Division 2 match against Naismith (home) on Friday
6th June starting at 6.00 pm
|
Rink 1
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
Rink
3
|
|
|
Rink
4
|
|
Lead
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Lead
|
M Ward
|
|
Lead
|
W Ames
|
|
Lead
|
K Hudson |
Two
|
D Gratton
|
|
Two
|
P Willis
|
|
Two
|
R Newman
|
|
Two
|
N Gainford
|
Three
|
R Durham
|
|
Three
|
R Dennison
|
|
Three
|
S Sprake
|
|
Three
|
C Lihou
|
Skip
|
B Weaver
|
|
Skip
|
A New |
|
Skip
|
G Dyer
|
|
Skip
|
R Lewsley
|
|
Reserves: T Nutland & K Gardner |
Posted Sat 31st May |
|
|
|
Division 2 Match Report |
Star & Crescent 82 (16) Purbrook Heath 47 (0) At last there was
a change in our fortunes, with everyone playing their part
in a huge 16-0 win. So commanding was the performance that
we weren't behind on any rink at any stage of the game. A
big pat on the back for everyone but in order of merit here
we go. He doesn't smile a lot, but the ‘Silent Assassin’ Bob
Weaver and his sidekick Russ are not out to make friends,
winning 13 of the ends and cruising to 26-10 win. Next out
on rink 6 was ‘Whispering Rob Lewsley’. Our man at the
Waverley doesn’t let us down very often and today was no
exception. He encouraged his men onto a creditable 24-10 win
and another 2 points to the tally. Captain Steve Sprake and
his old boys were always in control, although winning 9 ends
each. They managed to drop a 5 late on which got the nerves
jangling but came through by 4 shots to win 17-13. Last but
not least is our skip who likes to live on the edge Alan
New. He is right in that it is all about winning, but really
these fine margins and last end deciders are not good for
the nerves. 15-9 up with 4 ends to play, turned into 15-13
going into the last. Well they held it together to win
15-14. Getting maximum points will hopefully kick start us
on to greater things. We now move on to Pembroke away, which
we know will be tough on their green, but a game that we are
more than capable of winning.
|
Posted Sun 25th May |
|
|
|
Team Selection |
Combination Division 1 match against Cowplain Red
(away) on Wednesday 28th May starting at 6.00 pm |
Rink 1
|
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
|
Rink 3
|
|
Lead
|
G Davies
|
|
Lead
|
D Boulter
|
|
Lead
|
S Greenwood |
Two
|
P Willoughby
|
|
Two
|
P Willis
|
|
Two
|
R Newman
|
Three
|
C Lihou
|
|
Three
|
R Dennison
|
|
Three
|
R Durham
|
Skip
|
G Dyer |
|
Skip
|
S Sprake
|
|
Skip
|
B Weaver
|
|
Reserve: T Nutland |
|
Division 2 match against Pembroke Gardens (away) on Friday
30th
May starting at 6.00 pm
|
Rink 1
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
Rink
3
|
|
|
Rink
4
|
|
Lead
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Lead
|
D Boulter
|
|
Lead
|
M Ward
|
|
Lead
|
W Ames |
Two
|
K Hudson
|
|
Two
|
T Nutland
|
|
Two
|
P Willis
|
|
Two
|
R Newman
|
Three
|
R Durham
|
|
Three
|
C Lihou
|
|
Three
|
R Dennison
|
|
Three
|
P Willoughby
|
Skip
|
B Weaver
|
|
Skip
|
S Sprake |
|
Skip
|
A New
|
|
Skip
|
G Dyer
|
|
Reserves: D Gratton & K
Gardner |
Posted Sat 24th May |
|
|
|
Combination Division 1 Match Report |
Star & Crescent 42 (0) Fareham "C" 69 (12) Star's
league troubles continued last night with another
frustrating defeat at home, leaving us empty-handed once
again despite some good moments throughout the evening.
Rob Lewsley's four had the
worst of it, getting buried 8-0 in the opening ends and
never really recovering. They managed to get on the board
just four times all night, eventually going down 7-25. Once
you're that far behind early on, it's an uphill battle
against decent opposition.
Geoff Dyer's team looked to
be heading for trouble too, finding themselves 2-17 down
early on. But fair play to them they dug in and played some
great bowls for the rest of the match. The final score of
15-20 doesn't tell the whole story of how well they fought
back. They left themselves too much to do, but showed real
character getting it that close. On Alan New's rink is where
most of the drama happened. Alan's boys came flying out of
the blocks, winning the first five ends to go 10-0 up then
it all went wrong. They completely lost their way and
dropped the next five ends, leaking 17 shots in the process.
Credit where it's due though they pulled themselves together
and won the next five ends to set up a nail-biting finish.
With scores level entering the final end, the match
hung in the balance. Unfortunately, it was the visitors who
held their nerve when it mattered most, securing the crucial
winning shots that completed a clean sweep for the
opposition. Another blank night makes
tough reading, but there were definitely positives to take.
|
|
Club Pairs Competition |
The Club Pairs has been arranged for Saturday 7th
June starting at 10.00.The good news is that Colin has 16
players confirmed to play. Format will be the same as last
year's successful tournament. |
|
Centenary Cup |
Just a reminder that in the inaugural Centenary Cup
we have a tie against Southsea Waverley. Not that it
matters to this match but the format
is: 2-rinks, 1 playing at home the other away over 18-ends. The club with the highest
overall shot difference will be the winner of the match.
Match is to be played over the weekend of 21st/22nd June.
Please add this date to your diary. |
Posted Thurs 22nd May |
|
|
|
Rowland Cup |
Unfortunately, we couldn't get enough players
together for our away game against Fareham in the Rowland
Cup on Monday, May 26th, so we've had to concede the match.
|
|
Bowls Hampshire Competitions. |
Our Bowls Hampshire campaign came to a quick end
with none of our competitors advancing past the first round.
In the pairs competition, Russell Durham & Rob Lewsley
conceded their match against Vospers' John Sutherland, while
Paul Willoughby & Geoff Dyer narrowly fell to Gosport's Ken
Stanbury 14-18. The triples team of Geoff, Steven Greenwood
& Russell Durham also suffered a close defeat, losing 12-15
to Lewis Vosey from Purbrook Heath. Alan New chose to
concede his triples and fours matches as a matter of
principle. |
Posted Tues 20th May |
|
|
|
Team Selection |
Combination Division 1 match against Fareham "C"
(home) on Wednesday 21st May starting at 6.00 pm |
Rink 1
|
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
|
Rink 3
|
|
Lead
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Lead
|
M Ward
|
|
Lead
|
D Boulter
|
Two
|
P Willoughby
|
|
Two
|
P Willis
|
|
Two
|
R Newman
|
Three
|
C Lihou
|
|
Three
|
B Weaver
|
|
Three
|
R Durham
|
Skip
|
G Dyer |
|
Skip
|
A New
|
|
Skip
|
R Lewsley
|
|
Reserves: R Dennison & W Ames |
|
Division 2 match against Purbrook Heath (home) on Friday
23rd
May starting at 6.00 pm
|
Rink 1
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
Rink
3
|
|
|
Rink
4
|
|
Lead
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Lead
|
M Ward
|
|
Lead
|
W Ames
|
|
Lead
|
D Boulter
|
Two
|
K Hudson
|
|
Two
|
D Gratton
|
|
Two
|
R Newman
|
|
Two
|
T Nutland
|
Three
|
R Durham
|
|
Three
|
R Dennison
|
|
Three
|
P Willis
|
|
Three
|
C Lihou
|
Skip
|
B Weaver
|
|
Skip
|
A New
|
|
Skip
|
R Lewsley
|
|
Skip
|
S Sprake
|
|
Reserves: G Davies & K Gardner |
|
Division 2 Match Report |
Waterlooville 67 (12) Star & Crescent 59 (4) Although we didn't
manage to win the match, it was probably our best
performance on that surface and picking up a valuable 4
points. The top performers were Alan New's rink, who won 12
ends with a +10-shot count. Having dropped a 5 early on,
they never looked back to win 22-12. This was followed
by Bob Weavers boys, who won 10 of the ends and picking up
10 shots on the last 4 ends. The 20-14 score gave us a
running total of +16. Then came the collapse. Firstly it was
Captain Steve Sprake’s four, who got their backsides kicked
by the skip Stan who was bowling from the hip and a lead who
was bowling with deadly accuracy by using some mechanical
appliance. Well, that is enough of the excuses, because when
you only win one of the first 13 ends what else can you
expect. In spite of winning 4 of the last 5 they had left
themselves too much to do losing 7-19. Finally Geoff
Dyers rink had a similar story winning just 7 ends. It was a
good start and a good finish, but they got punished in
middle to finish 10-22 down. So, the match was lost by just
8 shots and we remain seated at the bottom of the league.
|
Posted Sun 18th May |
|
|
|
Team Selection |
Unfortunately, there is only one match this week as
the combination team is without a fixture. This game
is against Waterlooville (away) which is to be played on
Friday 16th May starting at 6.00 pm. The team selected
is: |
|
Rink 1
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
Rink
3
|
|
|
Rink
4
|
|
Lead
|
G Davies
|
|
Lead
|
M Ward
|
|
Lead
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Lead
|
D Boulter
|
Two
|
W Ames
|
|
Two
|
P Willis
|
|
Two
|
K Hudson
|
|
Two
|
K Gardner
|
Three
|
P Willoughby
|
|
Three
|
R Dennison
|
|
Three
|
R Durham
|
|
Three
|
C Lihou
|
Skip
|
G Dyer
|
|
Skip
|
A New
|
|
Skip
|
B Weaver
|
|
Skip
|
S Sprake
|
|
Reserves: D Gratton & T Nutland |
Posted Sun 11th May |
|
|
|
Division 2 Match Report |
Star & Crescent 57 (0) Gosport 80 (16)
Our second match of the season ended disappointingly
with Star
again failing to trouble the scoreboard leaving us
as pointless in the league standings. While we
matched our opponents by winning an equal number of ends
across three rinks, our tendency to concede large scores on
losing ends proved costly. This
pattern was particularly evident on Robbie Dennison's rink,
where they surendered 14 shots across just three ends,
contributing to their eventual 12-20 defeat. Geoff Dyer's
team was once again our strongest performer, but
unfortunately lost out on the final end for the second time
this week, finishing with a 15-19 score
line. Alan New's four
showed commendable resilience, scoring 10 shots in the final
two ends to achieve a respectable 19-22 result after facing
what had looked to be a significant defeat. Rob
Lewsley's rink managed to draw level at 10-10
mid-match, but their opponents finished considerably
stronger to claim a 19-11 victory. |
Posted Sat 10th May |
|
|
|
Combination Team Result |
Waterlooville Gold 67 (12) Star & Crescent 43 (0)
So the wait for a Star victory on the Waterlooville
artificial "green" goes on after last night's loss on all
rinks. Though Star had the better of the first 5-ends,
it wasn't long before the home team overhauled the deficit
and ran out as clear winners. There was a glimmer of
hope on Geoff Dyer's rink for a win when leading until the
final stages. Unfortunately, the home team finished
the strongest and secured a 21-13 victory despite both
teams winning the same number of ends. Robbie Dennison's
four also shared the same number of winning ends but could
not prevent losing big scores. Though 14-shots down at
one stage they rallied round to lose by only 16-23. It
was looking a bit brighter on Alan New's rink when all level
at the half-way stage but again Waterlooville had the better
of the final ends resulting in a 14-23 loss. Thanks
must go to Gareth Davies & Dave Gratton for standing in at
short notice. |
Posted Thurs 8th May |
|
|
|
Team Selection |
Division 2 match against Gosport (home) on Friday 9th
May starting at 6.00 pm
|
Rink 1
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
Rink
3
|
|
|
Rink
4
|
|
Lead
|
M Ward
|
|
Lead
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Lead
|
K Hudson
|
|
Lead
|
D Boulter
|
Two
|
W Ames
|
|
Two
|
D Gratton
|
|
Two
|
R Newman
|
|
Two
|
T Nutland
|
Three
|
R Durham
|
|
Three
|
P Willis
|
|
Three
|
P Willoughby
|
|
Three
|
C Lihou
|
Skip
|
G Dyer
|
|
Skip
|
A New
|
|
Skip
|
R Lewsley
|
|
Skip
|
R Dennison
|
|
Reserves: TBA |
Posted Mon 5th May |
|
|
|
Division 2 Match Report |
Gas Social 93 (16) Star & Crescent 53 (0) Although it is great to be back in division 2 , the reality is
that it is going to be a very tough season. With reduced
numbers and experience there is going to be a heavy reliance
on our new bowlers. So, for the match itself it was a
disappointing outcome, against a side that we would expect
to pick up some points. I think it was a combination of
struggling to get a side together on a green which at times
was bordering unplayable. If you could pick out a star
performance it was probably Robbie Dennison's rink who lost
by just 2 shots. Next up was Steve
Sprake's rink who lost by 9 shots, then Alan New who went
down by 11 shots and finally Russ Durham who ended up 18
shots behind. There was nothing positive to take from the
game, other than allowing 3 of our new recruits to gain some
match day experience. Remember, it is
early in the season and we have many more matches to put
things right. |
|
Team Selection |
Combination Division 1 match against Waterlooville
Gold
(away) on Wednesday 7th May starting at 6.00 pm |
Rink 1
|
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
|
Rink 3
|
|
Lead
|
M Ward
|
|
Lead
|
D Boulter
|
|
Lead
|
S Greenwood
|
Two
|
P Willoughby
|
|
Two
|
R Newman
|
|
Two
|
W Ames
|
Three
|
R Durham
|
|
Three
|
C Lihou
|
|
Three
|
P Willis
|
Skip
|
G Dyer |
|
Skip
|
R Dennison
|
|
Skip
|
A New
|
|
Reserves: TBA |
Posted Sun 4th May |
|
|
|
Combination Matches Reports |
|
Milton Park Red 60 (8) Star & Crescent 38 (4)
It was a first match disappointment for the team.
Although winning on 2-rinks this could not compensate for
the heavy loss on the other rink. Unfortunately, Alan New's
rink didn't turn up on the day & were totally out bowled in
all positons before losing 7-38. Geoff Dyer's four
were involved in a tight battle with nothing between the
2-sides throughout proceedings but the Star men got their
noses in front to win a low scoring match 12-10. Steve
Sprake's quartet had a very comfortable lead before long
jacks got the better of them reducing the advantage to just
3-shots. However, they dug in and won the remaining ends to
win 19-12. |
|
Star & Crescent 52 (8) Priory Black 47 (4) In
a reversal of fortunes, it was the home team that only won
on 1-rink but it was enough for the overall victory.
It was the Steve Sprake rink that led the way scoring
heavily over the last ends of the match to secure a 25-13
win. Both of the other rinks were finding it difficult
to score in the opening stages before getting on the score
board on their 6th ends. Geoff Dyer's four managed to
claw back their deficit only for the opposition to finish
the more stronger to clinch the rink 16-12. Rob
Lewsley's men found themselves lagging by 11-shots but a
great comeback just failed to overhaul their opponents
before losing 15-18. |
Posted Sat 3rd May |
|
|
|
Team Selection |
Finally, we have mentioned to get a full complement of
players for our division 2 match against Gas Social (away)
on this Friday. As you can see from the team below, it
does include 3 of our new bowlers. Although not
really prepared for league bowls at this stage, they have
agreed to help us out in this difficult patch. Please be
patient with them and give them loads of encouragement &
help throughout the match; after all they could be the
future of the club. We are indebted to Colin who has
managed to "persuade" these members to turn out for us on
Friday. To be on the safe side, can you all bring
3-woods just in case of any last-minute hiccups.
|
Division 2 match against Gas Social (away) on Friday 2nd
May starting at 6.00 pm
|
Rink 1
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
Rink
3
|
|
|
Rink
4
|
|
Lead
|
M Ward
|
|
Lead
|
W Ames
|
|
Lead
|
K Hudson
|
|
Lead
|
D Boulter
|
Two
|
D Gratton
|
|
Two
|
M Harrison
|
|
Two
|
K Gardner
|
|
Two
|
T Nutland
|
Three
|
C Lihou
|
|
Three
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Three
|
R Newman
|
|
Three
|
P Willis
|
Skip
|
S Sprake
|
|
Skip
|
A New
|
|
Skip
|
R Durham
|
|
Skip
|
R Dennison
|
|
|
Reserves: I Wish |
Posted Tues 29th April |
|
|
|
Team Selection |
Combination Division 1 match against Priory Black
(home) on Wednesday 30th April starting at 6.00 pm |
Rink 1
|
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
|
Rink 3
|
|
Lead
|
K Hudson
|
|
Lead
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Lead
|
D Boulter
|
Two
|
P Willoughby
|
|
Two
|
B Weaver
|
|
Two
|
P Willis
|
Three
|
R Durham
|
|
Three
|
C Lihou
|
|
Three
|
A New
|
Skip
|
G Dyer |
|
Skip
|
S Sprake
|
|
Skip
|
R Lewsley
|
|
|
Reserves: R Dennison & T Nutland |
|
Unfortunately, we are still not in a position to
select a team for our opening division 2 match on Friday
against Gas Social (away). As it stands we have only 14
players available and 2 of them aren't 100% of making it.
We're working on it to fill the shortfall. |
|
Friendly Match Result |
Southsea Waverley 82 Star & Crescent 50
As probably expected Star were well beaten by our
illustrious & more experienced neighbours.
However, they didn't have it all their own way, step forward
Geoff Dyer & his men who beat the John Biggs rink 18-14.
Now the season starts in earnest next week with the opening
of the league bowls fixtures. Best of luck everybody &
I wish you an enjoyable season with good bowling. |
Sat 26th April |
|
|
|
New Members |
Thanks to the efforts of Colin Lihou & Roger Newman,
the club might be in the happy position of recruiting 5 new
valuable members which I have registered with the P&D for
league bowls. |
|
Team Selection |
I won't lie but selecting teams for the first games
of the season has been very difficult to say the least. We
knew that it would be a challenging season for the club
after losing so many players from last year but didn't
envisage the number of players unavailable for these
matches. However, we have managed to select sides for
the tomorrow's friendly v Waverley and Monday's combination
match v Milton Park Red which are as follows: |
|
Friendly match against Southsea Waverley on Friday
25th April starting at 5.45 pm |
Rink 1
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
Rink
3
|
|
|
Rink
4
|
|
Lead
|
W Ames
|
|
Lead
|
D Boulter
|
|
Lead
|
K Hudson
|
|
Lead
|
S Greenwood
|
Two
|
K Evans
|
|
Two
|
T Nutland
|
|
Two
|
P Willoughby
|
|
Two
|
R Newman
|
Three
|
P Willis
|
|
Three
|
R Dennison
|
|
Three
|
C Lihou
|
|
Three
|
R Durham
|
Skip
|
R Lewsley
|
|
Skip
|
A New
|
|
Skip
|
G Dyer
|
|
Skip
|
B Weaver
|
|
|
Please could you all be there nice and early
tomorrow in order for a 5.45pm prompt start. |
|
Combination Division 1 match against Milton Park Red
(away) on Monday 28th April starting at 6.00 pm |
Rink 1
|
|
|
|
Rink 2
|
|
|
|
Rink 3
|
|
Lead
|
D Boulter
|
|
Lead
|
S Greenwood
|
|
Lead
|
W Ames
|
Two
|
P Willoughby
|
|
Two
|
B Weaver
|
|
Two
|
T Nutland
|
Three
|
R Durham
|
|
Three
|
C Lihou
|
|
Three
|
R Dennison
|
Skip
|
G Dyer |
|
Skip
|
S Sprake
|
|
Skip
|
A New
|
|
|
Reserves: K Hudson & P Willis |
|
The team for Wednesday's combination match v Priory
Black (home) should be finalised tomorrow. Any player not
selected in the 1st combination match will definitely be
playing in this game. Team selection for Fridays's
match v Gas Social (away) is proving to be a difficult task
with so many players not available in so much that at this
stage we are unable to select a full complement team.
Hopefully, again the shortfall will be filled with new
members. Fingers crossed!! |
|
Your patience and more importantly your cooperation
for the forthcoming season will be very much appreciated.
I wish you all the best and good bowling for the season |
Posted Thurs 24th April |
|
|
|
Friendly Matches |
There seems to be some confusion on what (if any)
pre-season friendly matches Star are playing so let me
clarify the situation. The proposed friendly match
that was originally pencilled in for Saturday 19th April
against Priory has been cancelled. However, there is a match
against Waverley on the evening of Friday 25th April.
Hopefully many of you will be available before the season
starts in earnest the following week. |
|
Availability |
It's getting near the time that the season starts
and the selectors go about their task of choosing the teams
for the first week league matches. Therefore, could you
please let me now if you are available for the following
matches: Combination games on Monday 28th April v Milton
Park Red (away) and Wednesday 30th April v Priory Black
(home) plus the division 2 league fixture on Friday 2nd May
v Gas Social (away). As you are probably aware are
resources are down to the bare bones so we ask of you please
make yourself available for as many matches as you are able.
It will be so important to our season. Thank you for your
valuable support, it is much appreciated. |
Posted Sun 13 Apr 25 |
|
|
|
Opening of the Greens |
Just a reminder that the greens open this Sunday.
Looking forward to seeing many of you there. |
|
P&D Competitions |
P&D Competition Entry Forms are available with
closing date of 30th April 25; so not much time to get your
entries to me that is if you wish to enter. Entry fee are as last year - £1.50 per person per
entry.
|
|
We have been drawn to play Fareham (away) in the
Rowland Cup on Monday 26th May. It doesn't get any better.
In the inaugural Centenary Cup we have a tie against
Southsea Waverley. What are the chances! The format
is: 2-rinks, 1 playing at home the other away, both starting
at the same time and over 18-ends. The club with the highest
overall shot difference will be the winner of the match.
Match is to be played over the weekend of 21st/22nd June. |
Posted Fri 11 Apr 25 |
|
|
|
Richard Wallbridge |
It is was such a shock to learn that Richard
Wallbridge had passed away this Monday after a short
illness. Richard joined Star & Crescent in 2016 and
soon established himself as a popular member of the
club. A lovely
kind
gentleman with a permanent smile on his face.
Richard will be greatly missed by us all.
RIP Richard you
will be a sad loss to the club.
After learning of
Richard’s illness, Alan cut short his Australian
holiday to return to England & managed to say
farewell to his best & great friend. Richard’s
family have invited all members to celebrate his
life at the Spice Island pub on
Saturday 5th
April 2.00 pm for buffet & drinks.
|

|
|
Posted Wed 5 Mar 25 |
|
|
|
Half Yearly Meeting |
The club's Half Year Meeting has been scheduled
for Tuesday 18th March at the Waverley BC starting at
7.00 pm.
This meeting is predominantly for
members to submit their registration fees for the
forthcoming season which have to be paid by 1st April. It is hoped to see as many members there as
possible. I will be e-mailing the relevant paperwork
for the meeting to you all a bit nearer to the date. |
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Bowls Hampshire Online |
Bowls Hampshire has invested in an Online Management
System to allow clubs initially to both affiliate their
members and to enter competitions. The new system is
now live. To access the Online system you must go to the
Bowls Hampshire website and click on the Bowls Hampshire
Online button where you will find guides to assist you: Club
Affiliation Guide & User Access Guide. Members will only use
the User function whereas the Club Affiliation can only be
accessed by 2 nominated members, in our case myself & Steve
Sprake. I have affiliated the club and all our members
plus competitions to the system so you should have no
trouble using it. Famous last words!! |
Posted Sun 23 Feb 25 |
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2025 League & Combination Draft Fixtures |
The draft league fixtures for next season are shown
on the relevant pages on this website. The League team have
an away start to the new look Division 2 season when
they visit Gas Social on Friday 2nd May. Our
Combination side also have an away match when Milton
Park Red are our first opponents in Combination Division 1.
Unusually this match is on a Monday on 28th April. |
Posted Mon 6 Jan 25 |
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2025 STARTS HERE |
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