Season Updates

2024 SEASON

Match Report: Astely Park (H) - Hateley League - 22nd August '24

We brought the curtain down on our Hateley League season in style this afternoon with a superb win over Astley Park. Building on last week's (probable) record 115-38 victory over North Shields WE and featuring the long-awaited league debut of Mr. Andrew Gibson, the win was never really in doubt after around 7 ends, but securing the final points of the match went to the final bowl of the final end! We love the drama.

Biggest winners were Chris, Sue and Dave Wyatt who played really well (honest, we did) and triumphed 32-13 despite relaxing and losing 7 shots in the final 3 ends. The winning margin could/should have been greater.

On Rink 1 Reg, Ian & Colin also did us proud with an excellent 26-10 win. They were 10-1 up after 6 ends and never looked back.

In his first game as skip Paz led George and Anthony to another good win. This was close throughout and after 16 ends they were behind 13-16 before scoring the last 9 shots and taking the win 22-16.

The drama though was all on Rink 4 (actually Rink 5 as you look at the green). Andrew made his debut and did really well, as did Lynne and Ronnie. The game was close throughout but we went into the final end leading 14-12 and needing the win to take all 14 points. With the final wood in his hand Astley lay 2 and were sitting with a draw until, of course, Ronnie rolled in superbly to take 1 wood out, leave Astley with one, and give us  the win (14-13) and an overall 14-0 victory. The final aggregate score was 94-52.

So that's it for another year. Once we know where we finished we'll post the table here. Well played everyone - another really good Hateley season.

 

Match Report: Gosforth Garden Village (H) - Clegg League - 21 August '24

Amid much sobbing and soul-searching, our relegation back down to Division 4 was confirmed on Wednesday evening. Needing at least a 12-2 win to have a chance of staying up we slumped to a 4-10 defeat.

Our best rink winners were Richard, Reg & Tom who triumphed 24-16 on Rink 1 in a game which was closer than it perhaps sounds. Well played chaps.

Next to them were Chris, Sue and George whose opponents loved the 'idiosyncracies' of Rink 2 [sniggers]. Our trio played well though and took a tight game 17-13.

Alas our teams on Rinks 3 and 4 were less successful with Ron, Ryan & Connor and Neil, Keith & Michael both going down 14-21.

The net result - another agonisingly narrow defeat, this time 69-71. That's our FIFTH defeat by 4 shots or less. Fine margins, with a bit of luck we could easily have won 3 (possibly 5) games and have been comfortably in the middle of the table.

Never mind, we did OK and we weren't bottom - and we can look forward to playing Gosforth GV again next season.

Next season's title campaign begins now!

 

Match Report: Tynemouth (A) - Knott Cup - 19 August '24

We brought our Knott Cup 'campaign' to a close this evening with ANOTHER incredibly narrow  defeat - this time away at the hands of local rivals Tynemouth and in the most unfortunate of circumstances. Played on the most autumnal evening since last autumn and on a green that (being charitable) could be described as 'slow', it was hard work from the off.

First, the good news - we won two rinks. Chris, Connor and Michael took control early on and never really let up, running out convincing 29-7 winners.

Our other winners were Neil and Ian. You'll note just two names - sadly their other man, Geoff, threw his shoulder out on the first end (or it might have been the 3rd) and had to retire from the game meaning we had to play with just two players and would lose 1/3 of our score. Neil and Ian did really well though and going into the final end led 19-9 (so 12.66-9 once the 1/3 was taken off). Happily Tynemouth could only gain 3 on the final end and so we ran out 12.66 - 12 winners. Excellent effort Neil & Ian.

Our other two rinks were losses. Reg, Tony H and Dave Wyatt ran their opponents close on Rink 5 (nearest to the Metro) but eventually succumbed 16-21. Hard lines chaps.

Finally, on Rink 3, Ronnie, Lynne and Sue came up against good opponents who used the full length (width??) of the green and made life very difficult for our trio. Given the length of the grass and the slowness of the green it was occasionally necessary for our team to take a run-up before bowling and, on more than one occasion, they bowled overarm - but it still wasn't enough. Sadly they went down 7-26.

The upshot of all that was an agonising loss by just 1.33 shots (64.66 - 66) and just 4 points gained. Ah well, there's no relegation and we may have finished better than 2nd bottom (which is where we finished last year).

Onwards and upwards!

 

Match Report: New Delaval Knights (H) - Clegg League - 14 August '24

Our penultimate match of the season (in the Clegg League) saw us take on New Delaval Knights (NDK) at home. Last year with did the double over them; this season the tables were turned as we lost 2-12 with a -22 shot aggregate.

Our only winners were Chris, Sue & George who did well to win 26-11 on Rink 1. The NDK trio seemed to 'get' the rink quite early, but from 2-3 down our trio went on a 10 end/19 shot run and the opposition never recovered.

On the other rinks all our teams had a tough night. Richard, Reg and Dave K were leading 9-8 after 14 ends before their opponents pulled away and we suffered a 13-21 loss.

It was a similar story on Rink 3 where Neil, Geoff and Connor took an early lead before their opponents also pulled away and eventually took the game 9-19.

Finally, it was a tough evening for Ronnie, Ryan and Keith on Rink 2. They came up against some excellent bowling and went down 9-28.

All of that meant a 2-12 (57-79) defeat and, sadly, almost certain relegation back down to Division 4. We gave it a good go - we'll just have to win Div 4 next season.

Before that though we have a final match next Wednesday (21st) when we take on Gosforth Garden Village at home. 14 points and positive end to the Clegg season would be nice.

 

Match report: Wallsend Park (A) - Knott Cup - 12 August '24

Played on a beautiful, warm evening on a good green, our penultimate game of the season ended with a fine 13 shot aggregate and 10-4 win.

We had two rink wins with Ronnie, Lynne and Connor doing extremely well to beat good opposition 21-16. The game was tight throughout and we trailed 15-16 after 17 ends before 6 unanswered shots took the victory.

On the adjacent rink Chris, Anthony & Dave Wilson were also in a tight game but found themselves 7-10 behind after 13 ends - at which point Anthony and particularly Dave went into overdrive. 8 ends and a 17-shot run later they'd ran out 24-10 winners. Big grins all round.

Our other two rinks were narrow losses. Reg, Ian and Paz kept things tight throughout before going down 12-17. On the final rink, which finished what seemed like a good hour and a half after the others (!!), it was also very close. With the game tied 15-15 after 20 ends it was all to play for, but the opposition just nicked it and took the game 15-16.

Well played all - an away win at Wallsend Park is not to be sniffed at.

Just one game to go - away at Tynemouth which was postponed a couple of weeks ago due to the biblical deluge. No idea when it is though - watch this space.

 

Match Report: Rockcliffe Rollers (A) - Clegg League - 7 August '24

A night to forget on the Coast as we succumbed to only our second 0-14 defeat of the season. So this won't take long!

For a brief period we looked like we might be in with a shout, but excellent opposition play quickly snuffed that out.

Closest losers were Chris, George & Geoff who kept plugging away and lost narrowly, 17-18. Both trios of Neil, Ryan & Tom and Richard, Reg and Kevin led for periods of their matches and looked well placed to earn points, but it wasn't to be as Neil et al lost 13-19 and Richard et al went down 14-19.

Our final rink (Ron, Keith & Connor) found things difficult from the off and, in the face of accurate and consistent bowling, lost 7-29.

With two games to go we're not relegated yet - but we need two wins. Next up it's table-topping New Delaval Knights at Home next Wednesday (14th). Keep the faith!

 

MATCH REPORTS - w/c 29 JULY '24

Crawford Park (H) - Knott Cup

An 'extra' fixture for us, apparently to make things balance due to other teams withdrawing from the league. Ah well, we lost, by quite a lot.

First, the good news. Well done Chris, Sue & Tom who prevailed 20-17 against good opponents. Also commiserations to Ronnie, Lynne & Ian who went down narrowly 15-18.

Alas our other two rinks suffered heavy defeats 11-25 and 16-26. So it was a 3-11 & 24 shot defeat. Onto the next one.

 

Throckley 'A' (H) - Public Utilities League

The other match played on the green this evening was much better! To cut a long story short, the first rink to finish lost 13-23 - hard lines Eddie, Paz and Dave K. The other rink was going better though, but needed to win by 11 shots to take the match. With the final end in play our triple (Ryan, Dave W and JT) were 9 ahead. For those of you for whom Maths is a challenge, that means we needed to take the final end by 2 shots. And of course we did. Well played chaps - and excellent 1 shot (38-37) victory. Never in doubt!

 

Whitley Bay & Monkseaton (H) - Clegg League

We went into this game, as we will in every Wednesday match until the end of the season, under pressure as we need as many points as possible to have a chance of avoiding relegation. We also went into this game looking to avenge the 0-14 thumping we were given by WBM a few weeks ago.

You'll be delighted to learn, readers, that we gained the victory we needed. Star performers were Tom, Geoff & Reg whose opponents couldn't grasp Rink 1 (playing across the green) and consequently our trio put them to the sword 34-8. A fabulous win.

Not quite as good, but still very good, were George, Sue & Chris who romped home 30-10 on Rink 3.

Our other two rinks were losses. Ronnie, Keith & JT lost unluckily by just 1 shot (14-15) with final bowl of the match as the WBM skip knocked one of his teams woods up to turn a 4 up for us into a 1 up for them. Booooooo!

Rink 4 was a bit tougher as Dave K, Ryan and Richard went down 12-20. A good effort on a tricky rink.

Overall though we enjoyed an excellent 10-4 (90-53) victory which keeps us in touch with Seaton Sluice & Hexham Elvaston.

Now we need to get something from our trip to Rockcliffe next week. The bigger they are, etc .....

 

Willington Quay (A) - Hateley League

And so it was time for our annual trip to Willington Quay to get thumped on a Thursday afternoon. However, this time, on a hot, muggy, sweaty afternoon, we turned in a much better performance - but we still lost.

Our single rink winners were Ronnie, Lynne & Anthony who triumphed 19-14. A '4' at the 18th end put them in control and they comfortably saw out the final three ends. Well played.

On the other outside rink Chris, Sue and George battled through a tight game against irritatingly accurate and consistent opponents. Playing the final end they were 13-16 down, but good bowling from George & Sue had them lying 3. Needing to roll in for a 4th to win the game Chris' final wood looked set to do it before rolling agonisingly through - and so it was a 16-16 draw.

Our other two rinks were losses. Eddie, JT and Keith trailed throughout - after 15 ends it was 6-17 - but kept going and made a mini recovery to only lose 13-18. 

Unfortunately Geoff, Paz and Colin came up against good opposition and went down 12-23.

Overall it was a 3-11 (60-71) defeat. It's been a good season though and we have 3 games left to secure a creditable 5th place in the table.

 

Match Report: Gosforth Garden Village (A) - Clegg League - 24 July '24

What a game and what an ending to our first visit to Gosforth GV. We won 11-3 (narrowly AGAIN, 71-69) but that doesn't begin to tell the full story.

On Rink 4 Reg, John T and Kev were having a close game until they dropped a '6' at the 15th end to go 9-17 behind with only 6 ends to play. To their credit they kept going, earned a crucial '5' at the 19th end and finished with an excellent 19-19 draw.

Rink 3 saw Richard, Ryan and George in a relatively low-scoring game where the lead changed hands half a dozen times. With 2 ends to play they trailed 14-16 and looked up against it ... before winning the last 2 ends and taking another good draw 16-16.

Chris, Sue & Tom started very slowly (!!) on Rink 2 and after 4 ends were 0-7 behind. They tied the game after 8 ends; went on to lead 13-10; but found themselves 14-18 down with 1 end to play. At the 21st end they were lying '1' with another 3 woods close but the opposition were in 2nd ... not enough. Happily Chris managed to take out the opposition bowl to leave them, remarkably, lying '4' and the third draw of the evening was secured- 18-18.

So, 3 games finished, 3 draws achieved, everything was riding on the final game and Ronnie, Geoff and Keith. 

Our intrepid trio led throughout, at one stage by as much as 16-7, but by the final end their lead had been whittled down to just 1 (17-16). With the final wood of the match in Ronnie's hand the opposition were lying 2 shots and therefore would win the match and would take an 11-3 victory. No pressure! Then came a moment which would be replayed endlessly if the match had been televised (yes, I know, it never would be but stay with the point). As calm as you like, with the outcome of the whole match coming down to his final bowl, Ronnie strolled onto the mat and delivered the most perfect of woods right onto the jack much to the delight of his teammates. (NB. Apparently some of us got quite excited and made a lot of noise. Apologies!). All this meant we took the final game 18-16, the match 71-69, and the points 11-3. Wow! 

Coming back down to earth we remain 2nd from bottom in the league but we're by no means out of it. We have four fixtures remaining, three of which are at home, and next week (1 July) we entertain Whitley & Monkseaton. Come on!!

 

Match Report: Hexham Elvaston (H) - Clegg League - 26 June '24

Another excellent night for the club as we did the double over Hexham Elvaston (we won 9-5 away earlier in the season). Tonight it was a 10-4 with a 70-52 aggregate - and it was very nearly 14-0.

We had two rink losses, both by just 1 shot. On Rink 1 Kevin, Richard and Reg initially went 0-7 behind but fought back before eventually losing 15-16 on the final end. A great effort.

The other side of the green (Rink 6) saw a titanic struggle with Tom, Ryan and Neil in a game that never had more than 2 shots in it and which went into the final end 14-14. in the final end Tom led off and had shot, then it was them, then Ryan, then them, then Neil ... and finally, with the final wood of the match ... them. A great game but a 14-15 loss.

On his favourite rink - 2 obviously - Ronnie led Connor and Keith to a superb 20-12 victory which, to be honest, was never in doubt as they had control from the start.

Finally, on Rink 5, Geoff, Sue & Chris also took control early and gradually eased away, ultimately enjoying a convincing 21-9 win.

And excellent win, our second on the bounce - but now a challenging away trip to Westerhope next week.

 

Match Report: Crawford Park (H) - Knott Cup - 24 June '24

Before this evening this seasons' record vs Crawford Park read played 3, lost 3. But this evening that was to change - and with a late dramatic twist which must have left Crawford feeling like Scotland the night before.

In the end we had 3 rink wins and 1 defeat and took a 12-2 victory, with just 3 shots in it (79-76).

First, our only losers were Ronnie, Sue and Dave Wilson who battled throughout to stay in touch with their opponents on Ronnie's favourite [coughs!] Rink 2. This included a '6' at the 13th end and 3 shots in the final two ends to go down narrowly 18-23.

On Rink 3 Neil, Anthony and Dave K also enjoyed a tight game. From leading 10-2 they found themselves 10-13 behind before regaining the initiative and taking the game 21-17, with a valuable 3 at the final end.

Rink 1 saw Reg, Eddie and Paz trail for much of the game, but with just two ends left they'd managed to keep in touch 13-16. However, a superb 4 at the penultimate end plus a further 1 at the last saw them take a superb 18-16 win.

And finally, to the drama on Rink 6. From 5-12 down after 9 ends Chris, Geoff and Ryan rallied to lead 13-12. The lead then swapped hands twice more before a 4 for Crawford at the 19th end followed by 1 at the 20th took our opponents to a 16-20 lead and looked to have sealed the game. With just one bowl remaining at the final end our team had 5 bowls near the jack, but were only counting 1 with Crawford lying 2nd. At the same time, unbeknown to our trio, Crawford were sitting on a 3 shot lead on the aggregate score. However, following discussions with and advice from his teammates, Chris played with a bit of force and, astonishingly, managed to do exactly what he hoped. Striking Geoff's wood perfectly he knocked it into Crawford's wood which popped out of the head and left our trio with a barely believable '6' - turning a 16-20 deficit into a 22-20 win ... and more importantly turning a 3 shot aggregate deficit into a 3 shot aggregate win.

A great effort from all involved tonight - we don't beat Crawford very often so this was an excellent victory.

Next match? We have a free week in the Knott Cup next Monday. So we're next in action in a two weeks' time (8 July) when we make the short trip to The Parks to take on North Shields West End.

 

Match Report: Willington Quay (H) - Hateley League - 20 June '24

Full report to follow

 

Match Report: Seaton Sluice (A) - Clegg League - 19 June '24

Won 12-2, full report to follow ...

Match Report: Percy (A) - Knott Cup - 17 June '24

This won't take long. We took a bit of a pasting this evening in a game which finished in constant drizzle/rain - but at least it wasn't windy! We had 1 rink win with Chris, Sue & Anthony triumphing 16-15 in a really good game, despite a squeaky final end where the opposition gained 3 shots.

All other rinks lost, and the final score was a narrow 45-97 (2-12) loss. 

Next - which happens to be Crawford Park at home on 24 June.

 

Match Report: New Delaval Knights (A) - Clegg League - 12 June '24

Lost 68-71 (4-10), report to follow ...

 

Match Report: North Shields West End (H) - Hateley League - 6 June '24

We suffered a 4-10 loss this afternoon as North Shields West End took a deserved win.

Our two rink wins were both very close affairs. On Rink 3 Chris, Sue & Paz withstood a late fightback from their opponents and held on for a low scoring 14-12 win. Our other winners were Neil, Michael and Keith on Rink 1. They were behind for long periods and trailed 11-16 with just four ends to play - which is when the fightback started. At the final end they were still one behind but took two shots in a very tight end and therefore won 17-16. Excellent stuff.

Rink 2 saw Ron, Lynne and Anthony come up against some excellent bowling and they went down 11-23.

The main drama was on Rink 4 where Geoff and Reg had to play a man down as Eddie was unavailable. So even though they had an extra bowl each, they had to drop 1/3 of their score, and their opponents were also extremely accurate. The outcome was a close 16-21 loss, but adjusted down to 10 2/3 -21.

All that meant a 52 2/3 - 72 loss, but at least we gained four points. And it didn't rain!

Next up is a trip to Seaton Delaval as we face Astley Park on 13 June.

 

 

Match Report: Rockcliffe Rollers - Clegg League - 5 June '24

Same old same old in the Clegg League - we played well but lost another game which was tight throughout but just slipped away from us at the end.

We had one rink win where Chris, Sue and George triumphed 20-11 on Rink 1 (playing across the green). This, however, doesn't tell the full story. With his first wood of the 3rd end George suffered a fairly significant tear of his right bicep. (Diagnosed by a physio playing for Rockcliffe on an adjacent rink). He tried to continue but was unable to bowl right-handed, however rather than leave the green he bowled left handed for the remainder of the match - still managing to earn a couple of shots!! Chris & Sue bowled well to keep it really tight and our three rallied from 5-7 down to 13-7 up and finalely 20-11 at the end. Cheers George!

Our other three rinks were losses. On Rink 5 (numbered 4 for the evening) Ronnie, Connor and Ryan started well but were pipped by their opponents 16-21. 

Rink 3 saw Reg, Kevin and Richard right in it after 18 ends when they were just 14-15 down.  Sadly for us their opponents finished strongly and we went down 14-20

The final game of the evening saw Neil, Keith and Tom sitting 11-9 up after 15 ends, but their opponents also finished really strongly and took the final six ends and turned our lead into an 11-19 loss.

So overall a tight game slipped away 2-12 with a 61-71 shot aggregate.

On to the next one then - when we visit league leaders New Delaval Knights on 12 June. Heads and chins up!!

 

Match Report: Tynemouth (H) - Knott Cup - 3 June '24

The team gained a convincing win over local rivals Tynemouth on Monday night where the match score of 11-3 was backed up by an impressive 81-55 aggregate score.

The foundation for the win was laid by Reg, Ian and Ryan who after 16 ends were 25-0 ahead!! At that point they relaxed slightly but still romped home 30-4. A brilliant result.

Our other winning rink came from Ron, Lynne and Tom who took their game 23-17, while Dave K, Anthony & Tony achieved that rarity, a draw, where they were held 15-15 in what was clearly a very tight game. Another point gained though.

Sadly Keith, Dave Wilson & Colin were our only losers, but only went down 13-19.

However, that's another excellent Monday night win. Well played everyone.

Our next game is in a fortnight (17 June) when we don't travel anywhere but we're still playing away! Yes, it's Percy!!

 

Match Report: Forth (A) - Hateley League - 30 May '24

Another beautiful day at (OK, near) the Coast saw us travel to Churchill Playing Fields to take on Forth - and it was a trip well worth taking as we came away with 12 points.

Leading the way were Neil, Ian and Michael who romped home 33-6! Nearly as good were Ronnie, Lynne and Geoff who took their time to get a grip on the game but once they did, with them trailing 6-7 after eleven ends, they never looked back. From that point they only lost two more ends and finished with a 25-9 victory.

Our other winners were Reg, Keith and Anthony who were 8-9 behind after twelve ends before they too took control, including a '6' at the fourteenth end, and built an 18-10 lead. They finally ran out 20-14 winners.

Our loss came from Chris, Sue and Colin who played a tight game and managed to win eleven of the twenty one ends. Giving up two '4's and two '5's doesn't help a great deal though and they lost 17-28. A bit more consistency would be nice.

Overall, however, we won 12-2 with a 95-57 aggregate - our largest win of the year! 

Next match: Home versus North Shields West End on 6 June.

 

POSTPONEMENT: our Clegg League match versus Whitley & Monkseaton (29 May) was postponed due to the late afternoon/early evening biblical downpour. At one point Noah turned up with his woods but it was too wet even for him.

 

Match Report: Crawford Park (A) - Knott League - 27 May '24

It was our third and (happily) final league visit to Crawford this evening - and again we came away almost empty handed. Nice green, nice setting, nice people, we never win. Maybe next year.

On a green that was slow-ish (unsurprising given the daily and fully anticipated afternoon deluge), we had two rink winners.

Star performers of the evening were Neil (back from his hols), Dave K and Anthony who never trailed and from 10-10 at the thirteenth end eased away to an excellent 19-12 victory. Never in doubt.

Our other winners were Chris, Geoff and Ryan who flew out of the blocks to lead 10-1 after just six ends. At that point their opponents began to bowl and gradually ate into our trio's lead. The game remained tight throughout and going into the final end it was tied at 16-16. After some loose early bowls Geoff rolled one close to put the pressure on the Crawford skip, and Chris then put one even closer. Lying two shots Chris carried his final wood and we won 18-16.

On the adjacent rink Ronnie, Sue and Dave Wilson kept battling and recovered superbly from 8-17 down to just 16-17 after twenty ends. Alas their opponents nicked two at the final end and we went down 16-19.

The final rink had a tough night. Again Reg, Paz and Eddie kept trying but they came up against a Crawford skip (Ray) in great form and subsequently lost 7-29.

4 points gained then in a 60-76 defeat. Two wins and two losses in our Knott campaign so far. After our five games last year we'd only won 1 - so we're making progress.

Next match: Tynemouth (H) on 3 June.

 

Match Report: Gosforth Coxlodge B (H) - Public Utilities League -  23 May '24

Miraculously, the rain stopped (paused maybe) and thankfully the game went ahead with our six intrepid players delivering a huge 59-18 win.

Apparently the green was a bit on the [coughs] 'heavy' side and our trios used it to great effect. Richard, Paz and Ryan galloped home 30-9, with Dave K, Eddie and John T galloping only marginally less quickly and winning 29-9.

An outstanding result - well played all of you!

Next match: Centurion Park (A) - played at Innisfree - on 30 May. NB. It's an earlier start than normal (6pm) as the security guard likes to lock up at 9 and get home for his tea. Fair enough. 

 

Match Report: Wallsend Park (H) - Knott League - 20 May '24

After a brief barren spell it was back to winning ways with an excellent, but close again, 12-2 win against our opponents from along the river.

We had three rink wins with Reg, Ian and Paz leading the way 18-12 in a match they led throughout. Just behind them were Geoff, Kevin and John T who won 18-14. They were trailing 6-11 after 10 ends but rallied to lead 18-12 with just 2 ends to play, from which point they comfortably saw the game out.

Our other winners were Chris, Michael and Ryan who won 21-20, but the margin should have been much greater. They led 18-8 and then 20-12 but allowed their visitors to pull level at 20-20. The final end saw our opponents lying 1, but Ryan produced a superb bowl to trail the jack and Wallsend were unable to recover.

The final match saw Ronnie, Dave Wilson and Connor go down 13-19. A '4' at the 16th end had them right back in it at 12-13, but their opponents snuck away winning four of the final five ends.

It was a really good result though, beating Wallsend Park is no mean feat.

Next match: Crawford Park (A) on 27 May '24.

 

Match Report: Crawford Park (A) - Hateley League - 16 May '24

No sooner had we escaped, suitably chastened, from Crawford Park on Wednesday evening, we were back there approximately 17 hours later - and we lost again. This time it was a bit of a thumping - 0-14 and 55-80 on aggregate.

Best losers were Chris, Sue and George who succumbed 15-17.

We'll leave it there. I'm sure we're all looking forward to our final league visit to Crawford, this time in the Knott League, on Bank Holiday Monday. Smashing.

The next Hateley game sees us at home on 30 May to last year's champions Willington Quay. So another easy one then!

 

Match Report: Crawford Park (A) - Clegg League - 15 May '24

Our first of three visits to Crawford this season (in different leagues) saw us come away with a 4-10 defeat.

We had two rink winners with Ronnie, Connor and Kev performing superbly to take the win 25-14. They were behind 11-13 after fourteen ends, but a run of 13 shots over the next five ends saw them take complete control and a comfortable win.

Our other winners were Richard, Tom and Ryan who had to bowl well to come through a tight game 17-14. Excellent stuff.

Our other two rinks were less successful with Chris, Sue and George just coming up short at 16-20, while Reg, Ian and Keith came against some superb bowling and went down 11-34.

The final aggregate was 69-82 - but at least we secured 4 points.

Our next Clegg match is at home vs Gosforth Garden Village on 22 May.

 

Match Report: North Shields West End (H) - Knott League - 13 May '24

Only our second Knott game of the season saw us take on nearby rivals North Shields WE - and like virtually every other game this season it was a close affair ... which sadly, in the end, went the wrong way!

We had two rink wins with the biggest margin being achieved by Chris, Geoff and Ryan. Playing on Rink 1 (away from/towards the Pavilion) they were 9-10 down after 11 ends with the game balanced on a knife edge. Happily they decided to get their fingers out and romped away to a comfortable 23-13 win (which was made to look a bit easier than it was by a '5' at the final end).

Our other winners were Reg, Ian and Eddie on Rink 4. In an even tighter affair they found themselves 13-14 down with just 5 ends to play - at which point they too took control and scored the final 8 shots to get an excellent 21-14 win.

Rink 2 saw a match in which the lead changed repeatedly and remained close until the final end. At 19-21 down after 20 ends, Dave K, Anthony and JT did their best to turn things round, but alas the opposition had other ideas and took a '5' and the game 19-26.

On the final rink (No. 3) Ronnie, Dave Wilson and Sue were right in it at just 7-8 down after 10 ends. At that point they began to find things tough and slipped to a 9-25 loss.

The result was a 4-10 defeat, but just 6 shots on the aggregate (72-78). Close again, but not close enough.

Next match: we welcome Wallsend Park (H) to the Northumberland Park Arena on 20 May.

 

Match Report: Springbank (A) - Public Utilities League - 09 May '24

And so our first foray into the Public Utilities League commenced in the West End of Newcastle - and our team emerged with the win.

It was clearly, again, incredibly close throughout as over 42 ends of bowling just 62 shots were scored. For those of you who can't be bothered to do the maths, that's an average of 1.47 shots/end. 

Nonetheless our 'teams' of Richard, Dave Wilson & Kevin, and Dave K, Eddie & Ryan held their nerve and achieved 1 rink win and 1 draw (no idea who got what!). But it's the aggregate that counts and we took the 2 points with a 33-29 win. Well done team, what a start!

Our next game is in two weeks when we take on Gosforth Coxlodge (H) on 23 May.

 

March Report: Whitley & Monkseaton (H) - Hateley League - 09 May '24

We went into this game unbeaten, but another really close match went against us by just 4 shots.

First, the good news. It wasn't just warm, it was hot. What a lovely summer Thursday was! And the heat helped (most of us) as we claimed three rink wins.

Chris, Paz & George triumphed 20-15 on Rink 1, largely thanks to the efforts of George who adjusted best to a much quicker green.

On the adjacent rink it was the turn of Ronnie, Lynn & Keith who won 21-19. It sounds very tight, but the game was never really in doubt as our trio led throughout and went into the final end with a 6-shot lead.

Our third winners were Reg, Sue & Anthony who came home 19-15 in a game which was close until the 17th end where we began to establish a commanding lead.

Sadly in the final game Neil, Colin and John T went down 7-22 against a very strong opposition skip.

The end result was 6 points for the 3 rink wins, but a 67-71 loss on aggregate - and therefore a 6-8 match result.

While it looks like the loss was a result of the 7-22 loss, the other three rinks gave up 14 shots in the final two ends showing the importance of scrapping for every shot. All in all though, a good loss (if there is such a thing) against strong opponents. If all of our losses are this close we'll not do too badly this season.

Next match: Crawford Park (A) on 16 May.

 

Match Report: Percy (H) - Knott Cup - 29 April '24

Monday evening saw a successful opening to our Knott Cup season with a narrow win in the home 'derby' against Percy. In another game that was really tight throughout, we lost three rinks but took the aggregate, and so an 8-6 win.

Star performers were Ronnie, Dave Wilson and Connor on Rink 1. They were in control throughout and after 18 ends were actually  24-10 ahead. Their opponents then staged a mini comeback but our trio still ran out excellent 24-17 winners.

On Rink 2 Reg, Dave Wyatt and Ian kept battling and pulled a 12-18 deficit after 17 ends back to a narrow 17-19 defeat - vital scrambling for shots that made a difference in the end.

The other two rinks were even closer, with the lead seesawing between the teams in both games. On Rink 3 Chris, Dave K and Ryan won the first end and then gave up 10 shots in four ends! At that point they then went on a 12-shot run to lead 13-10 after 11 ends before finally going down 19-20.

That left just Rink 4 where Neil, John T and Kevin (plus 2 ends at the start featuring Keith as Kev hadn't arrived). There was never more than 4 shots in it at any point, but in a high quality match which saw the reverse situation of what was occurring on Rink 3, our trio pulled a 15-19 deficit after 18 ends back to a 20-21 defeat.

The upshot was a 6-2 deficit on rinks, but we took the aggregate 80-77 and therefore an 8-6 win. 

That's three wins out of the last four matches versus Percy, and we play them again on Saturday (4 May, 1pm start) as we try to hold onto the Caush Cup.

No match (again!) in the Knott Cup next week, so we're next in action in this league on 13 May when we're at Home to North Shields West End.

 

Match Report: Hexham Elvaston (A) - Clegg League - 24 April '24

We got our longest trip of the season out of the way in just our second game - and achieved our first win at the same time. A strong team performance all round earned a 9-5 victory with a 69-59 shot aggregate, and like the previous week we were so close to making it even better.

Our only rink winners were Neil, Keith & Tom who took control from the 5th end and eased away to a comfortable 23-10 victory. On the adjacent rink Connor, Richard and Ronnie also looked set for victory but their opponents played an inspired final end to grab 3 shots and a 16-16 draw.

The other two rinks saw very narrow defeats. Chris, Sue and George were 6-16 down after 12 ends but then remembered how to bowl and staged a great comeback to lose by just 1 shot, 17-18. 

It was similarly close on the final rink which, after an opening 0-5 run to their opponents, saw Alan, Dave K and Reg keep it close throughout and eventual go down by just 2 shots, 13-15.

So 1 rink win, a draw and the aggregate meant 9 points earned and a healthy middle-of-the-table spot after just two games. This one could easily have been 14-0.

The conclusion has to be we've started well and we're a long way from being out of our depth!

Next week (1 May) we're back at home as we welcome Westerhope to the Northumberland Park Stadium.

 

Match Report: Tynemouth (H) - Hateley League - 18 April '24

What a lovely afternoon. About 7 degrees and constant rain. Just what you need for the opening of the Hateley (over 50s and therefore more likely to feel the cold) League.

However the team didn't let the conditions put them off and turned in a superb performance to deliver a thumping 12-2 (70-31) victory over local rivals Tynemouth.

Biggest winners were Reg, Colin (home debut) and Kev who won 26-3 on Rink 1. Strong wins also came from Chris, Paz and George who romped home 21-4 on Rink 3, and from Neil, Ian and John T on the delightful Rink 2 who triumphed 15-7.

Our only losers came on Rink 4 where Ron, Lynn and Keith found themselves up against Tynemouth's strongest 'three' and went down 8-17.

Overall it was a really good afternoon, and if the conditions had been better we'd have played full games instead of 15 ends and we'd (probably) have won by a lot more. 

There's no game next week, so we next play on 2 May when we travel to Rockcliffe Rollers. Let's keep up the good start to the season.

 

Match Report: Seaton Sluice (H) - Clegg League - 17 April '24

And so it begins!!

Our first season up in the dizzy heights of Division 3 began with a 2-12 loss to Seaton Sluice (who had dropped down from Div 2 last year - so to put it mildly, they were no mugs!) There was no shame though as we ran them close and lost by just 2 shots on the aggregate 66-68. So near and yet so far.

On a cold but mercifully dry evening we began with shade at the Pavilion End and bright sunshine at the Old Pavilion End - where it was about 5 degrees warmer. Sadly this only lasted for about 4 ends as the sun soon scuttled behind the houses, at which point the whole green plummeted into relative gloom.

In terms of the play, we learned how much a jump in standard this might be this season. We had just 1 winning rink on the night with Chris, Sue and Kev running out 20-12 winners (the opposition only had 2 players so they lost 1/3 of their score). The other 3 rinks, however, were very tight.

Neil, Keith & Tom went down by just 1 point (16-17) and Ronnie, Richard and Connor were just one worse at 15-17. In the final game Alan, Geoff and Reg found themselves 1-11 down after 8 ends but then staged a strong comeback. Alas it wasn't to be and they eventually went down 15-22.

So, a defeat but an honourable one. Let's hope we can gain our first win next week (24 April) when we're Away at Hexham Elvaston.

 

 

 

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2023 SEASON

 

Match Report: Heaton Victoria (A) - Knott Cup - 4 September '23

Our Knott Cup campaign, and with it our league bowling season, finally drew to a close on a muggy evening in Heaton as we claimed our third successive Knott Cup victory.

We played just 15-end games due to the fading light after 8pm (a good decision as we'd never had managed 21 ends) on a green which was much quicker than it looked. Our only losers were Chris, Anthony and Michael who allowed themselves to fall 3-13 behind after 11 ends. Fortunately they then woke up and managed to claw 8 shots back in the final four ends and lost 11-13. If only they'd woken up 2 ends earlier.

Biggest winners were Ron, Ryan and Dave K who also gave themselves a mountain to climb (a recurring theme of which there is more later). Trailing 2-9 they then went on a 13 shot run to charge into a 15-9 lead with one end to play and eventually ran out 15-10 winners.

The closest game of the night saw Alan, Dave Wyatt and Tony H just pip their opponents 12-11 in a game which was close throughout.

Last off the green were Neil, Connor and Tom who also managed to find themselves with a sizeable deficit, not helped by the '6' they gave away at one end. However, they remained focused and after 13 ends had still managed to build a 14-13 lead. Losing 1 at the 14th, they needed a strong final end to take the game, which is what they did. Two great lead bowls from Tom were backed up by Connor meaning Neil just needed to protect the end to take the game - which of course he did, meaning we actually took 4 shots and the game 18-14.

The final result was an excellent 12-2 win with a 56-48 shot aggregate - and a special mention to Ryan who played really well on his debut and made a great contribution to the rink and team wins.

We finished the season with 5 wins out of 12, an improvement on last year, and we secured 6th place in the league.

 

Match Report: Willington Quay (H) - Hateley League - 28 August '23

Our Hateley (Thursday) League programme came to an end on Bank Holiday Monday with a rearranged home match against potential champions Willington Quay, who needed a minimum of ten points to pip Crawford Park and claim the title. We'd lost 1-13 to them earlier in the season, so a Linskill victory always looked a tough task - and so it proved.

Our only winners were Chris, Sue and Dave Wilson (on a 'moist' Rink 6) who needed to bowl well to win 26-21. In truth it could have been by a larger margin against good opponents but they relaxed and gave up 4 shots on the final end. Still, a win's a win.

On the other side of the green Rink 1 saw a close struggle with John T, Tony H and Paz initially building a big lead before being pegged back. Going into the final end they trailed 18-19 but managed to pick up 1 shot and draw the game. Well played.

That, sadly, was as good as it got and we were unable to do Crawford a favour. Ron, Lynne and John C enjoyed a close game but in the end went down 16-24; and Eddie (in his 1st game as skip), Anthony and Kevin found themselves up against what was probably WQs best trio. Despite their excellent efforts they finally succumbed to a heavy defeat.

Overall Willington Quay took the match 3-11 (68-103 shots) and won the title. Congratulations to them, well deserved, but we've made great strides this year and we're not too far behind them.

We finished the season with 8 wins and 8 defeats, 108 points and 5th place in the league - bang in the middle. Well done to all who played, we now have a target for next season.

 

Match Report:  Heaton Victoria (H) - Clegg League - 23 August '23

Close, but not close enough! Wednesday evening saw another really good performance in our final Clegg League match of the season, but a resounding 13-1 victory was not quite enough to grab 2nd place in the league.

Playing away from/towards the clubhouse, and in the context of the previous evening at Tynemouth, it was nice to play on a green that didn't require bowlers to have muscles like The Hulk to get the bowls from one side of the green to the other!

We went into the game knowing only the full 14 points and a shot aggregate of at least +52 would be enough - and we came very close.

We had three really good rink wins with pride of place going to Ron, Sue and John C who enjoyed a thumping (and high speed) 31-8 victory. Well played.

Strong results also came from Keith, Connor and George and from Neil, Sean and Tom. Neither team ever looked in trouble and both eased to excellent 22-10 victories.

In the final match Chris, Geoff and Michael came up against what was probably Heaton Vic's strongest trio (look, it's true and it's not just because I'm writing this!). Quickly falling 0-6 and then 2-9 behind our three began to fight back against some really good bowling but still found themselves 11-16 down with three ends to play. However, Chris trailed the jack with his final wood of the 19th end to turn 2 down into 3 up - 14-16. Unbelievably the 20th end was tied, so still 14-16 down. The final end, now being played in proper darkness, saw excellent woods from Michael & Geoff, but also from our opponents, meaning we lay 1 up with just the skips to play. Chris rolled in to make it two but was unable to make it three and the game was tied 16-16.

So, we finished on 13 points with a 91-44 shot aggregate (+47 shots) - 1 point and 5 shots shy of what was needed. We couldn't really have come any closer.

All this means we finished 3rd in the league, 1 point behind Crawford Park. Over the season we played 56 rinks and won 36 of them. Had we won one more we'd have finished 2nd. Tiny margins! We now have to wait for the league AGM for confirmation of the number of teams getting promotion. If it's two we'll play in Division 4 again next season - but we will have lower petrol costs!

Onwards and upwards - it's been a good Clegg season.

 

Match Report: Tynemouth (A) - Clegg League - 22 August '23

Well that wasn't in the script! A difficult evening on a slooooowwwww green resulted in a 2-12 defeat (-23 shots) to local rivals Tynemouth. 

The good news? Well played Keith, George and Connor who bowled well to win 18-13 and secure our only points of the evening.

The bad news? The rest of us couldn't cope with good opponents and the pace (or lack of it) of the green.

This means we have one game left - tomorrow vs Heaton Vic at home. We have to win all 4 rinks and achieve a shot aggregate difference of at least +53. Difficult, but far from impossible. If we do it we'll finish second and be assured of promotion to the dizzy heights of Division 3. Fail to do it and we'll be left waiting for the league decision about how many clubs go up - two or three.

At least we have something to play for - time to stand up and be counted. Gulp!

 

Match Report: Tynemouth (A) - Hateley League - 17 August '23

The 'sort of rehearsal' for next Tuesday's crunch Clegg League match vs Tynemouth didn't quite go to plan this afternoon as we slumped to a second successive 2-12 defeat.

Our top performers were the Clarkes, Geoff and Anthony, ably supported by Dave Wyatt, who claimed our only points of the afternoon with a solid 25-16 win. Well played chaps.

Chris, Sue and George also ran their opponents close and were just 13-14 down after 18 ends. However, they proceeded to give 3s away at the next two ends a1nd despite getting two back at the final end they lost 15-20.

Our other two rinks also lost with John T, Tony H and Eddie losing 12-22; and Keith, Lynne and John C losing 12-27, despite a spirited late comeback.

Ah well, not to worry, it was just a bit of fun in the occasional sunshine on a Thursday afternoon. Lovely views of the sea though. And on to next Tuesday night when we could really do with winning!

We have just one Hateley League match left this season - a rearranged fixture on 31 August vs Willington Quay (H) who are top of the league and who at the last count had won 13 out of 13 fixtures. Dead easy then!

 

Match Report: Crawford Park (A) - Clegg League - 16 August '23

We suffered only our second defeat of the season this evening as we went down 2-12 in a tight game away from home.

Despite Monday's monsoon the green was lovely and surprisingly quick - and at the halfway point we were still in with a good shout on all four rinks; however, our opponents finished strongly and eased away from us.

First the good news; Chris, Michael and Geoff bowled really well to take their game by just one shot. With Michael leading strongly, Geoff backing him up well and Chris coming up with the odd good shot when needed they managed to keep themselves in the game in the face of some excellent opposition bowling. After 19 ends they were 13-14 down, but took 1 shot at the 20th to tie 14-14. Finding themselves 2 shots down at the final end, Chris drew his first wood to about 12" away to take shot. Happily for us the opposition skip unable to respond we took the two points.

In their game Neil, Connor and Tom were in with a chance of winning until the final end. Trailing 15-16, Neil needed to take out the shot wood but was unlucky to miss by a whisker, meaning instead of taking the 2 shots we were looking for we lost one and thus the match 15-17. Really close.

Our other two rinks battled to the end but were unable to match some excellent Crawford bowlers. Ron, Sue and John went down 13-20; and Keith, George and Alan lost 8-24. Just one of those nights.

The result was a 51-75 shot aggregate and a 2-12 loss. Disappointing but all is not lost. We have two games left and we need 17 points to be certain of 2nd place. In the games played against the same opponents earlier this season we took 25 pts.; we can do the same again.

So onto next week and our two final matches.

On Tuesday (22 Aug) we have a rearranged fixture vs Tynemouth (A); and our season comes to a close the following evening (Wed 23 Aug) when we face Heaton Victoria. 

Calm!

 

Match Report: Whitley Bay Monkseaton (H) - Hateley League - 10 August '23

Well that was fun! A great team performance this afternoon saw us gain our first win over Whitley Bay Monkseaton for many a year.

The team coped well with the sticky, muggy weather (let's be honest, the nylon shirts don't help!), a damp-ish green (due to the watering) as well as the holes dug by the s***ing birds (we need a scarecrow - any volunteers/suggestions?). Having said that, the green was in lovely condition - and we took full advantage.

Biggest winners were Neil, Michael and Anthony who played on Rink Neil, started very strongly and strolled to a superb 32-11 victory.

On the adjacent rink (No. 2) Chris, George and Sue started similarly strongly and bowled consistently well to gain their 27-9 win.

As is common now we avoided the middle of the green so Ron, Lynne and John C found themselves using Rink 5 (marked up as 3) and had to bowl well to earn their 20-13 win.

Our final team of John T, Tony H and Paz (Rink 6 marked up as 4) couldn't quite keep up with their opponents and went down to a 14-27 defeat. A good effort though on an unfamiliar rink.

All of that meant a resounding 12-2 victory, 93 shots to 60. That's 8 wins out of 14 for the season; 4 out of the last 5; and a really strong end to the season.

We now have just two games to go - so it's Tynemouth (A) next Thursday (17 August).

 

Match Report: Innisfree (H) - Clegg League - 9 August '23

Well, that was tense, but we got there in the end with a 12-2 win. Of course, it wasn't tense for everyone  - just a few of us.

In full-on relaxed mode were Neil, Sean and Tom (Rink 4, 33-8 winners) and Ron, Sue and John C (Rink 1, 33-12 winners). Excellent performances from all and two big aggregate victories which made the overall team victory secure.

On Rink 3 (Rink 5 normally), Chris, Geoff and Michael found themselves in a tough game and after 14 ends they were 11-14 down - squeaky bum time. However, End 15 yielded a crucial and match-breaking '5' and they went on to build a 21-15 lead with just one end left before finally grabbing a valuable 21-18 win. Phew!

On Rink 2 Keith, George and Alan also came up against tough opponents and fought back from an early deficit to be within a point; however, their opponents, particularly the 'skip', pulled it out when it mattered and our trio fell to a 14-22 defeat.

All in all, it was a good night. We took the match 12-2 (which was what we were looking for) with a 101-60 (+41) shot aggregate. Our 10th win of the season from 11 games.

(Interestingly, we've hit the 100 shot mark twice this season - both times against Innisfree, both times with a 12-2 win).

This puts us on 121 points, just 6 points behind Crawford Park. We have 3 games left; they have 1 - and we play each other next week. Whatever happens next week, if we're to finish 2nd we need 21 points (possibly less depending on next week's result) from 3 games. What a finish to the season.

Next week - Crawford Park (A) on 16 August. Big game!

 

Match Report: Wallsend Park (H) - Knott Cup - 7 August '23

The penultimate Knott Cup match of this season saw the team take on Wallsend Park at home on (for once) a dry and bright, if a little nippy, evening. On paper this looked like a tough fixture as we'd lost heavily in the reverse fixture in Richardson Dees Park, but happily the evening turned out to be highly satisfying.

Playing towards the houses/park (depending on your perspective), Rink 3 (No. 5 really) saw our only losers of the night. Keith, Dave Wilson and Tony Hall kept their game tight but ultimately lost narrowly 14-18.

Rink 4 looked like being a valuable win for Ron and the Daves (Wyatt and Keillor). A slow start saw them behind but they quickly took control and led until the final two ends before their opponents pinched 3 shots and managed to sneak an 17-17 draw. Still, a valuable point gained.

Our closest win of the evening was on Rink Neil where Neil (how strange), Sue & Michael took on what was probably the opposition's strongest team. However, thanks to some excellent bowling by our team a safe 24-15 lead was taken into the final end where the opposition took a '4' to give the game a more respectable look but nonetheless a 24-19 win for us.

Finally, playing on Rink 2, Chris, Anthony and John C began steadily and after 5 ends were just 5-3 ahead. John and Anthony quickly realised that a long jack was a good idea - and so it proved as our trio built an unassailable lead, including the Holy Grail of a '6' at one end, and finally ran out 30-7 winners.

So 2 rink wins, 1 draw and and a shot aggregate of 85-61 in our favour - and so an 11-3 win. 

Our final Knott Cup game of the season is next week (14 August) where we travel to Heaton Victoria in search of a third successive win and a strong end to the season.

 

Match Report: Percy (A) - Knott Cup - 31 July '23

Amazingly, given the appalling weather, we managed to play our much-anticipated return fixture vs Percy on Monday evening, and how glad we were! Despite playing under a leaden sky in almost constant drizzle, the green (playing away from/towards the Clubhouse) ran well and helped the match become a tight affair throughout ... but we won!

Starting with the not so good news; Keith, John T and Dave Wilson came up against a strong Percy trio who led throughout, eventually taking the game 12-24 ... but the 12 shots for our trio were crucial. (See later).

A particularly squelchy Rink 4 saw Ron, Sue and Dave K take an early lead which they held until the final end. 15-14 up, they held 2 shots until the Percy skip (Mick Brodie) rested on the jack. (His bowl that is, not him). Ron tried his best but was unable to shift him and the game was tied 15-15.

On Rink Neil (No. 1 to the rest of us), Neil (obviously), Tom and Kevin took on a strong Percy team of Amy, Tracey and Gill. Our trio bowled well from the first end and deservedly took the game 20-14.

Finally, our biggest win of the evening came on the delightful Rink 2 where Chris, Anthony and Michael took the honours in a relatively low-scoring affair. Trundling into a 7-0 lead after 6 ends our team never looked back and secured a comfortable 22-5 win. Special mentions for Anthony and particularly Michael whose 'leading' was exceptional and which placed our opponents on the back foot at virtually every end.

The final score was a 69-58 (+11) win - meaning the 12 shots gained by our only losers were absolutely vital. Overall we gained an excellent 11-3 win, reversing the 3-11 defeat to Percy in May. 

However, there will be no triumphalism here. Other than to say that in league games this season, as noted above, we stand level 1-1 with Percy. But of course, we won the Caush Cup in April, so in reality we're 2-1 up and can claim bragging rights. Not that we'd brag, we're above that sort of thing [sniggers].

There are only two more Knott Cup matches remaining, and the penultimate one in vs Wallsend Park (H) on 7 August. Lets finish the 'Monday' season on a high.

 

Match Report: Forest Hall (A) - Knott Cup - 29 July '23

There was disappointing news from Forest Hall today as a lovely warm afternoon playing on an excellent green in a lovely sheltered setting was marred slightly by the thumping defeat we incurred!

We found ourselves in the unique circumstances of playing a Monday evening match on a Saturday afternoon. Clutching at straws desperately, the subconscious confusion this caused is probably/possibly/not at all (delete as you see fit) the reason why we lost.

There were honourable losses for Geoff and the two Tonys who went down 18-21 and for Dave K, John T and Michael whose game was even closer at 20-22.

Sadly it was a different story on the other two rinks as Chris, Eddie and Dave Wyatt (13-29) and Ron, Dave Wilson and John C (11-28) came up against players who were just too good for them.

We'll write this one off as just a bad day and look forward to the Percy rematch on Monday evening. 

Next match, therefore, is Percy (A - but still at home) on 31 July. COME OOOONNNN!

 

Match Report: Crawford Park (H) - Hateley League - 27 July '23

Mission accomplished this afternoon as we lulled Clegg League promotion rivals Crawford Park into a state of false security by going down to a 2-12 (61-74) defeat.

Only Neil, Geoff and Michael missed the briefing as they enjoyed the delights of Rink 2 and took a convincing 25-14 win. It's fair to say their opponents didn't really enjoy the rink quite as much.

Our other three mini-teams remembered the script and duly lost. Ron, Lynn and  Anthony by 11-24; Chris, Sue and Eddie by 10-16; and John T, George and Tony H by 13-21. 

Our opponents thus went away full of confidence for when we meet in the Clegg League in three weeks' time. Ha!

Next match: Astley Park (A) on 3 August.

 

Match Report: Astley Park (H) - Clegg League - 26 July '23

Another superb win tonight against Astley Park, the team one place below us in the table.

In brief, everyone played well and secured the points on all four rinks which resulted in a resounding win - 14-0 and 98-54 on shots scored.

Neil, Tom and Sean played their usual rink (obviously!!) and built a big lead before their opponents mounted a comeback of sorts. It was all in vain though as our team eventually won 27-14.

It was a similar story on Rink 2 where Chris, Geoff and Connor started really well, gaining two '5s' in the first five ends. The game settled down after that and a bit of late relaxation from our trio allowed their opponents to get a few shots back - but they still won 25-16.

Rink 3 (Rink 5 in reality) saw Keith, Kevin and Alan shoot into an 8-0 lead which they also never looked like giving up and they romped to an excellent 25-11 victory.

The story of the night was on Rink 4 where Ron, George and John C began by going 7-0 down. After a few more ends they were still behind but following what appears to have been some highly effective (and direct) motivational speaking from Sue, they roared back to take a convincing 20-13 win. A brilliant effort from a tough start.

So, 14 more points to add to our promotion bid. 4 games to go.

Next week ... a tough one, Tynemouth (A).

 

Match Report: Forth (A) - Hateley League - 20 July '23

An excellent, if a little damp, afternoon at Forth this afternoon where we came away with a well-deserved 12-2 win ... but it was very close throughout.

First off the green with a win were Ron, John C and Lynn who took control late in their match and were leading by 6 with just one end to play. They lost 2 shots at the final end but that didn't take the gloss off an excellent win.

Chris, Sue and Anthony were losing 5-2 early in their game but then took control thanks to the superb play of Anthony and Sue. At every end if one of them wasn't close the other one was. The outcome was they took 9 or 10 ends with no reply and established a good lead which they never looked like relinquishing and eventually took an 18-12 win.

On Rink 1 it was close all afternoon but Keith, Michael and John T looked to be in charge with a 2-shot lead after 20 ends. Alas the opposition had other ideas and took 3 at the final end, meaning a 15-16 defeat for us.

The final game was also close but there was no panic and Geoff, Kevin and Tony H continued to play well to hold off pressure from their opponents and take their game 21-19.

12-2 to Northumberland Linskill (73-62 aggregate) and another W in the result column.

Next match - Crawford Park (H) on 27 July and an opportunity to avenge a 14-0 thumping earlier in the season!

 

Match Report: Heaton Victoria (A) - Clegg League - 19 July '23

The Northumberland Linskill machine rumbled along successfully again on Wednesday evening as we gained 13 points and maintained the pressure on the top two.

The game began in gloomy conditions which turned to irritatingly steady drizzle before brightening up - which perfectly matched our mood. Unfortunately Heaton Vic were two players short so they played two triples and two pairs - which appeared to help as their 'pairs' played well. More of that later.

Biggest winners of the evening were Chris, Geoff and Connor who led from the off, never gave their opponents a sniff and won 28-8. Special mentions for Geoff's laser-like accuracy and Connor's graceful, languid style which had the opposition skip waxing lyrical at virtually every end!

On Rink 1 Keith, Kevin and Geoff found themselves up against one of the pairs and had to bowl well to win 19-17 (19-11.66 once they lost 1/3 of their score).

On the next rink Neil, Sean and Tom had to work even harder to gain the points. Also facing a pair, they found themselves 15-6 down against two good bowlers - a perfect example of when being 1 player short can help - before mounting a comeback. After 20 ends they were 16-17 behind but a superb delivery from Sean saw them lying shot. The opposition skip came close but couldn't beat Sean, leaving Neil to roll his final wood to within 12" and to ensure we took 2 shots and the game 18-17 (but again, 18-11.66 after the 1/3 penalty).

And so to the final rink where Ron, Anthony and John C led for much of the game; however, an opposition 4 on the 19th end made the score close, just 18-17 up. Two shots on the 20th seemed to have settled things as we then led 20-17, but a '3' for Heaton at the final end saw them tie the game 20-20. 

The net result was an excellent 13-1 win (85-51.33 on aggregate).

Next up - Astley Park (H) on 26 July.

 

Match Report: Walker St. Peters (A) - Knott Cup - 17 July '23

Sadly this was the opposite of a fruitful night (fruitless maybe?) as we suffered a 0-14 defeat to a good team. And while our initial reaction to a green that won't win any prizes for its looks was one of trepidation, we can't use this as an excuse as it ran well.

It wasn't all doom and gloom as Neil, Connor and Geoff did really well to be 14-18 behind after 20 ends. They were then lying 4 with the Walker skip having 1 bowl left. And of course, he rolled it in the settle next to the jack and turn a probable 18-18 draw into a 14-19 defeat. Tough to take.

Similarly narrow losers were the Daves (Keillor & Wilson) and John T who made a spirited comeback to eventually go down 19-23. Again, hard lines, it was a great effort.

On Rink 3 Ron and the Tonies (Clarke & Hall) actually won 12 of their 21 ends but lost 12-27. Four ends where they lost 16 shots did the damage. That leaves just Rink 4 where Chris, Sue and Eddie went down 10-27 despite some sparkling play by Sue. In our defence, the opposition were on it from the 1st end and never let up.

The result was a 55-91 thumping, but it could have been much closer. No, honest, it could.

One final point, Walker Park is worth a visit to see the parakeets. We have about 6 in Northumberland Park. They must have close to 100 and they all seem to like the two trees next to the green. It's quite a sight!

We have a bye next Monday (24 July) but we then have two games in three days: 29 July (SATURDAY!!) v Forest Hall (A); and then the rematch with Percy on Monday 31 July. May the best team win (and we all know who that is!!).

 

Match Report: North Shields West End (H) - Hateley League - 13 July '23

A baking afternoon (not in a Mary Berry way mind) saw our third home fixture of the week, this time against local rivals NSWE - and has happened on two or three other occasions this year, it was a real nail-biter.

Once again the big winner was Neil (again playing on Rink 1 - if this continues we're going to ask for a thorough investigation), partnered by George and Kevin, who romped to a convincing 26-9 win. So, +17 pts to help the aggregate. Remember the number.

On the adjacent rink Ron, Lynne and John C found things tough and went down 13-21 while on Rink 3 (really Rink 5) Chris, Sue and Kostas found their opponents similarly tough and also went down by 8 shots - this time 12-20. It has to be said, they weren't helped much by Chris who was, to be truthful, hopeless.

So we go to Rink 4 (6 really) where Keith, John T and Dave Wyatt had a ding-dong struggle which never had more than 2 or 3 shots in it. With one end to play they were 13-14 down meaning we were just 1 shot ahead on the aggregate, so they HAD to take the final end. Our hero was Dave Wyatt whose second wood finished about 6" wide of the jack. Try as they could their opponents got close but not close enough and we took the end to claim a 14-14 draw - and therefore the match by just 1 shot.

A good and really enjoyable afternoon's work with a 65-64 win, 9 points to us as a result of taking the aggregate + 1 rink win + 1 rink drawn. Happy days.

Next match is Forth (A) on 19 July.

 

Match Report: Centurion Park (H)- Clegg League - 13 July '23

After two  blank weeks we were back in action in the Clegg League and once again the NLBC superstars had a successful evening.

Biggest winners of the night were Neil, Sean and Tom who triumphed 39-5 thanks to excellent play by all three, but with a special mention for Tom whose 'leading' was exceptional, regularly giving Sean and Neil a perfect platform.

Chris, Alan and George also won well (30-8) after taking control from the fourth end and never letting it go.

Ron, Sue and John C went down 11-23 as they came up against the strongest opposition trio who played very well. Our three did well to stay in touch in the face of some excellent bowling.

On the final rink Keith, Kevin and Dave K started strongly and at one point had a good lead. However, their opponents mounted a late comeback and, after 19 ends, we led by just 17-15. The 20th end saw 1 shot to Centurion and despite our lads' best efforts the final end yielded two more and a 17-18 defeat. 

In the end though it was a strong 97-54 aggregate in our favour and a 10-4 win. With the other results last night, including a surprise 2-12 defeat for Crawford Park to our friends from Tynemouth, the top of the league table looks like this.

                                 Plyd    Pts   Max Pts

1  Crawford Park        11     113      155

2  N Delaval Knights  10     112      168

3  N'land Linskill           8       82      166

4  Astley Park             11       66      108

5 Tynemouth              10       58      114

Promotion is still in our hands - but a big win would be nice for either Crawford or New Delaval when the play each other in three weeks' time!

Next match is Heaton Victoria (A) on 19 July. Come oooonnnnn!!

 

Match Report: Forth (H) - Knott Cup - 10 July '23

It was another tough Monday night at the 'office' as a good Forth team beat us for the second time this season. Although the recent rain made for a slow-ish green this was no excuse - our opponents just played it better.

Our only winners were Dave K, John T and Michael who played superbly to win 29-12. Alas that was as good as it got.

Narrow losers were Chris, Dave Wyatt and Keith who managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory as they lost 3 shots on the 21st end and went down 19-21.

On Rink1 Neil, Kevin and Alan came up against a really good trio and lost 10-23, and it was a similar story on Rink 4 where Ron, Lynne and Dave Wilson had a really good game but fell to a 12-23 defeat.

So overall we secured just 2 points and a relatively narrow 70-79 aggregate defeat - thanks to Dave, John and Michael.

One final point of note - Neil predicted the rain would stop at a specific point and was only about 30 seconds out! If you're at the green on Wednesday evening he'll be handing out next Saturday's winning lottery numbers as well as naming the winner of the 15.10 at Doncaster on Thursday.

Next match is Walker St Peters (A) on 17 July. Oh great.

 

Match Report: Rockcliffe (A) - Hateley League - 29 June '23

Hateley League action returned on Thursday after a two-week hiatus with a short trip up the coast to Rockcliffe. Alas, things didn't go as hoped and we succumbed to a 4-10 defeat.

On Rink 1 Keith, Michael and JT found themselves up against it from the off and despite bowling well they couldn't match an inspired opposition '1' who was on the jack repeatedly. As a result they slipped to a 9-23 defeat.

It was the other story on the next rink where Geoff and Tony C with Tony H led from the start but had to withstand a late fightback to claim a valuable 18-14 win. This, however, was cancelled out by a 16-20 loss for Chris, George and Kevin who also bowled well but were beaten by marginally better play by their opponents. And a bit a bad luck.

The final rink saw the closest game with Ron, Lynn and John C heading into the final end 14-14. Lying one with the final bowl in his hand Ron, with John horrified at the prospect, tried to make it two. He didn't, although it was very close, but they still won the end and therefore the match 15-14. Much of the credit should go to Lynn for her excellent play at '2' which kept the team in it for long periods in the middle of the game.

And so it came to pass that we lost 4-10 (58-71 on shot aggregate). Never mind, it didn't rain and wasn't blowing a hoolie - which at Rockcliffe it usually is.

Next week's match with Willington Quay has been postponed at their request, so our next game will actually be versus North Shields West End (H) on 13 July.

 

Match Report: New Delaval Knights (H)- Clegg League - 21 June '23

Thunderstorms and intense heat could not dampen our spirits on a glorious evening in Northumberland Park. After last weeks defeat to Crawford Park only a victory could resurrect our promotion challenge. The team did not disappoint with a resounding 12 : 2 victory despite a few “thunder-bowls” from the Knights as they attempted to demolish the heads. The entire team were stars with victories across 3 rinks, our only losing rink holding back a strengthened Knights team to limit their advantage. The overall score being 71 : 60 in favour of Northumberland Linskill. 

Rink scores as follows:

Rink 1.   18:17 (John C, Connor M, Ron D)

Rink 2.    9:19  (Alan R, Kevin B, Keith H)

Rink 3.   26:11 (Tom M, Sean D, Neil M)

Rink 4.   18:13 (George D, David K, Geoff C)

Sadly the Knights did not partake of our post match hospitality leaving us to enjoy their tea and biscuits. 

Next match is Centurion Park (H) 12 July.

 

Match Report: Crawford Park (H)- Clegg League - 13 June '23

In what may have been a crucial match for our promotion hopes we encountered an in form Crawford Park team on our home green. Stars of the evening were Anthony, Kostas and Geoff who bossed their rink taking our only points of the evening with an impressive 22:14 victory.  All other rinks were dominated by Crawford Park whose players were consistent and accurate. Overall we lost 56 to 80 and took only 2 of the 14 match points available. 

Next match is New Delaval Knights (H) on 21 June.

 

Match Report: Tynemouth (H) - Hateley League - 08 June '23

In a season which has featured more than one close finish, this was the closest yet as we took the match against our local rivals by just 1 shot!

Playing on Rink 5, John T, Kevin and Dave Wyatt led throughout before their opponents completed their comeback on the final end to claim a 17-17 draw. On Rink 4 Ron, Lynn and John C matched their opponents for long periods but went down 16-21; however next door to them (on Rink 3) Geoff and the Tonies (H & C) played well to win 16-11. 

That left the final rink which saw and incredibly close game. After 20 ends Keith, Eddie and George were 12-13 behind, meaning overall we were 1 shot behind on the aggregate. No pressure then! To the surprise of nobody, our lads did the business and took 2 shots on the final end to win their game, and the match, by 1 shot.

Overall we won 63-62 and earned an 11-3 points win. Well played all - again showing that every single shot can count.

That's the first half of the Hateley League season complete as we've played all the other teams once and we have a respectable record having won four of the eight games played. Let's see if we can at least keep that going in the second half of the season.

We now have two Thursdays off, so our next match is Rockcliffe (A) on 29 June.

 

Match Report: Innisfree (A) - Clegg League - 07 June '23

Our 100% record in the Clegg League was maintained in convincing style this evening as we beat Innisfree 12-2 with a 103-54 shot aggregate.

Once again all players had to cope with a chilly game played under gloomy skies - albeit on a fast but sometimes tricky to read green.

Our only losers were Ron, Sue and John C who played well but came up against a very good opposition lead. In addition our trio didn't get the rub of the green (geddit?) and so they ultimately succumbed 13-22. 

Our other three rinks went well. While they had to work hard for it, Neil, Connor and Geoff came from behind to take their game 24-14; while in a similarly tight game Chris, Tom and George managed to turn a game tied at 8-8 after 12 or so ends into a healthy 27-11 victory.

Our stars of the evening, however, were Alan, Kev and Keith who started superbly and didn't let up. While Alan (Skip) did what was needed when he had to, he was largely given an armchair ride by Keith and Kevin and the team cruised to a 39-7 win.

So, another 12 points, 5 wins out of 5, and we're 3rd in the league just 3 points behind Crawford Park and 14 behind New Delaval Knights with a game in hand on both ... and it's Crawford at home next week!

Next game: Crawford Park (H) on 14 June.

 

Match Report: Wallsend Park (A) - Knott Cup - 05 June '23

It was another tough one in the Knott Cup (Monday league) this evening as we lost 4-10 (51-81 aggregate) to a very experienced and skilful Wallsend Park team. 

The game began in beautiful sunshine before, typically, ending under grey, overcast skies - much in line with our mood. Wallsend only played with 10 players (the minimum) which can be an advantage if your 'pairs' (using three woods each but losing a third of their score) are good. And they were - with the net result that Wallsend's two pairs played extremely well and enjoyed big wins.

On the other two rinks, however, we managed to come away with the points. On Rink 1 Alan, Dave K and Connor trailed before coming back strongly to win 22-17, while on Rink 4 Chris, Kev and Tony C also recovered from an initial deficit to take a tight game 17-14.

Next match: Heaton Victoria (H) on 12 June.

 

Match Report: Whitley & Monkseaton (A) - Hateley League, 01 June '23

It was a tight game in Monkseaton this afternoon, and in the end it went against us. All of the four rinks were close but not quite close enough as we succumbed to a 12-shot deficit on the aggregate and a 2-12 defeat.

On a good green which ran slower than it first appeared, Rink 1 saw John T, Dave Wyatt and Michael lose 10-19. There were only a couple of shots in it until the 15th end but our hosts then pulled away. Our other defeat came on Rink 3 where Neil, Tony H and Geoff led for much of the game before their opponents sneaked in front and took the game (15-18) in the final few ends.

Rink 4 saw John C, Lynn and Ron 11-18 down at the 15th end, but they made a great comeback to earn a 20-20 draw. And it was also a draw on Rink 2 where Chris, Sue and Tony C took 4 shots at the 20th end to lead 17-16. They were then lying shot at the final end before the halfwit playing Skip tapped their opponents in for 1 and for a 17-17 draw. [Sighs, shakes head] Oh well.

Next match: Tynemouth (H) on 8 June.

 

Match Report: Tynemouth (H) - Clegg League - 31 May '23

Well that was close! In the end it was a successful evening at home to Tynemouth with 3 rink wins and a 12-2 victory overall, but for long periods the win was anything but secure.

Starting with the not so good news, Chris, Tony C and George were well beaten on Rink 3 by their opponents who adjusted to the pace of the green far better than our trio who, despite a handful of end-saving woods, never got into it and were thumped 12-33. We promise to be better next time!

However, our other nine bowlers did us proud. Playing on Rink 4 Neil, Geoff and Connor initially found things difficult but soon took control and won 21-10, while on Rink 2 John C, Sue and Ron led throughout to take the game 19-11. And so to Rink 1.

With the other three games finished, and the final end to be played, the aggregate score had us 1 shot ahead, meaning Keith, John T and Alan needed to win the end to ensure we took the match. And our lads didn't let us down. After Keith and John had played we were lying 2, and Alan's second wood duly rolled in to make it 3. The Tynemouth skip was unable to affect the outcome and so we took a 21-15 victory in the game and an overall 4-shot victory in the match, 73-69.

Well done everyone, an excellent (if a little heart-stopping) victory.

Next match: Innisfree (A) on 7 June.

 

Clegg League Update (31 May): sadly, Alnwick BC has withdrawn from the league. As a result we lose our 14 pts, but we will save on petrol money. Swings and roundabouts etc. Onwards and upwards!

 

Match Report: Percy (H) - Knott Cup - 29 May '23

Monday evening saw the first of two scheduled league fixtures against Percy. Given we share the green, this was the bowling equivalent of the Milan derby and was keenly awaited by all in this corner of Northumberland Park.

As the strains of Handel's 'Zadok the Priest' (it's the Champions League theme, heathens) faded, both teams stood for the national anthem, performed abysmally by a small child from a local primary school. And then we started.

On Rink 1, playing across, Chris, Tony C and Dave K quickly conspired to find themselves 4-15 down after 11 ends. Deciding this couldn't go on they woke up and made a stirring comeback but ultimately went down 17-20.

Rink 2 saw Neil, Geoff and Connor enjoy a game that was almost a mirror image of Rink 1. This time they stormed into a strong lead before having to hold off a spirited Percy rally before grabbing a valuable 20-17 win.

Family ties held no sway on Rink 3 as Dave Wilson, Tony H and Ron came up against Amy and her teammates, Onlookers were aghast as a close 7-7 game turned on the 8th and 9th ends where Percy claimed 10 shots. Our team, despite battling on, couldn't get back into it and went down 14-29. 

And finally to Rink 4 which was close throughout until Percy took control at 17-11 after 19 ends. However, Alan, John T and Eddie were far from finished and took a 3 at the 20th to be 14-17 down with 1 end to play. As the final end progressed we looked down and out as Percy held shot, but with the his final wood Alan picked up the jack taking it through for 3 - to which Percy were unable to respond - and our team claimed our third point of the evening with a 17-17 draw. John T's shouts of delight were heard south of the river.

The evening finished as an 3-11 defeat with a 68-83 shots deficit. Congratulations to our Percy compatriots who played well. It was a good game which, sadly, generated a disappointing result. But we get the chance for revenge later in the season!

Next game: Wallsend Park (A) on 5 June.

 

Competitions Update #2 - 28 May '23

A quieter week for club competitions in the last seven days with just four games played.

In the Club Championship it was disappointment for the Clarke brothers as Connor squeezed past Tony 18-16 and Chris took his game with Geoff 20-11. In the Club Handicap there were two excellent games with Andrew beating Lynn 21-15 and Keith coming out on top against Amy (21-16) despite having to give her a 1 point head start!

In County competitions progress was made by our bowlers. This afternoon (Sunday 28) Neil played his Round 2 'Champion of Champions' game at home against A Oliver (Rothbury). After racing into a strong lead Neil had to remain focused as his opponent found the pace of the green and began to make a comeback. Happily Neil remained fully switched on and took and excellent game 21-13. He now travels to Gosforth to play their champion. Played earlier in the week (Thursday 25), Chris and Sue got their Mixed Pairs campaign (campaign??) underway against Byron & Anna Weites (N Shields WE). Scheduled for 18 ends, Byron & Anna conceded after the 12th end as they were 6-23 down. While Chris and Sue played well, special mention should be made for Anna - 13 years old and playing her first competitive game. Give her a couple of years and she'll be a really good bowler.

 

Match Report: Astley Park (H) - Hateley League, 25 May '23

After last weeks' disappointment it was back to winning ways this afternoon in the Hateley League, and like the previous evening in the Clegg League, it was Astley Park who succumbed to the might of the Northumberland Linskill machine.

This time it was a resounding 12-2 win (86-59 aggregate) with three wins out of the four rinks. The largest winning margin came from Geoff & Tony C and George who won 22-6, including that rarity, a 'dead end' (where the two closest woods to the jack couldn't be split). Not far behind were Ron, Lynn and John C (26-15) with Lynn excelling at carrying the jack on a number of occasions and giving Ron an armchair ride as Skip. Keith, Kevin and Eddie also triumphed, coming from behind to take an excellent 24-18 victory. Our only losers were John T, Dave Wyatt and Michael who went down narrowly (14-20) but kept it close throughout.

On we go, blissfully unaware of where we stand/sit (as you prefer) in the league table as we can't find one. Interpol have been on the case for weeks and even they can't find it. However, I can report that we have 3 wins and 3 losses and 41 pts from 6 games. So we're probably in the middle somewhere.

Next game: Whitley Monkseaton (A) on 1 June.

 

Match Report: Astley Park (A) - Clegg League - 24 May '23

The team secured an excellent result in Seaton Delaval on Wednesday night as they came away with all 14 points and a very healthy +42 on the aggregate (96-54) - and all against Astley Park, the club one place below us in the league table. (All a but like Newcastle thumping Spurs 6-1!)

First winners were Ronnie, Sue and John C who started slowly before getting to grips with the surface and took a tight game 20-15. Alan, Kevin and Keith were next and provided our biggest win of the night (25-10). They were in control from the start and never looked in danger of relinquishing their lead. Chris, Tony C and George weren't far behind with their 24-13 win. It could have been more as while they were 2-4 down after 4 ends, they quickly took hold of the game and opened up a 22-4 lead. A bit of relaxation then crept in and their hosts made a brief comeback before our trio closed out the game. Last team off the green were Neil, Geoff and Tom who also found themselves up against it at the start but, as in the first game, gradually got into their stride and ultimately coasted to a convincing 27-16 win.

At this early stage of this (currently)16-game season, we sit 3rd in the league on 48 pts from 4 games. The leaders are Crawford Park (5, 61 pts) with New Delaval Knights (5, 58) 2nd. The team behind us in 4th is Astley Park (5,29) - we've opened a healthy gap.  And if we win our game in hand we'll be right alongside the leaders. Everything is still to play for.

Next match: our local derby against Tynemouth (H) on 31 May.

Competitions Update

This is the first of a (hopefully) regular update about matches played in club and county competitions.

We'll start with the Club Championship. Five matches have been played to date, all of them keenly contested. Played earlier in the week, Michael H went through 22-10 versus Lynn. Then in a game played this morning (Sat 20/5) Kevin B was leading against Sean D when unfortunately Sean had to retire as he was feeling under the weather. In the other games today Amy triumphed 22-15 against Dave K, while George beat John T by a similar score, this one 22-14. However, game of the week was played on Wednesday evening when our cancelled league match enabled Ronnie and Alan to play their game - and what a game. Played on Rink 1 (going across the green) the game was tied at 17-17 after 20 ends - so everything hung on the 21st. After three woods Ronnie was lying shot, about 20cms off the jack when with his third wood Alan came in about 15cms away and had shot. With his final wood Ronnie carried the jack about a metre through, finishing close to the jack, and was then lying shot and match. And so it was all on Alan's final wood. With only the tiniest gap to go through he managed to hit a perfect line and weight and carried the jack himself to take the game 18-17. Well played Alan and Ronnie - a superb game.

There have also been five matches played in the Club Handicap. In games played last weekend, Amy took revenge on Sue for her defeat last year by taking a 21-11 victory; Connor beat Dave K 21-10; and John T went through against Dave Wilson, despite Dave's beautiful new woods. . This afternoon, Michael came out on top against Tony H in a game where Michael raced into a 16-5 lead before Tony came back to  make it 13-16. However, Michael remained calm and took the game 21-13. In the final game of the day Ronnie again featured in another tight one. Trailing 12-18 to Tom M he brought it back to 18-18, before Tom bowled three lovely bowls at the next end, including a perfectly weighted backhand draw, to turn a '2' into a '3' and so take the game. Again well played everyone.

Only one Pairs match played so far, with Chris & Connor taking the match 24-13 against Kevin and Andrew G.

Finally, this morning Chris played his County Singles (4 woods) Round 1 match at home against Frank Buckley (Forth). Despite losing the first two 'practice' ends and therefore being 0-2 down, Chris managed to drop onto a good line and length and took a comfortable victory 21-5. Sadly, holidays mean he'll probably end up forfeiting his Round 2 match. B****r!

More updates to follow when games are played.

 

Match Report: Crawford Park (A) - Hateley League, 18 May '23

Another tough one as Crawford Park won all four rinks and thus we suffered a heavy defeat. However, it was a good match on a smooth and peaceful (!!) green and we lost to a better team.

Chris, Kevin & George (15-20) and Geoff, Michael & Dave Wyatt (14-19) both went down by 5 shots - and that was as good as it got. Onwards and upwards!

Next match: Astley Park (H) on 25 May.

 

Match Report: Walker St Peters (H) - Knott Cup - 15 May '23

A tough evening as we lost 59-81 to a competitive Walker St Peters side. Lovely night for it, but in the main we couldn't match the accuracy and consistency of the Walker bowlers. Only Ronnie, Sue and John C managed a point with a 16-16 draw - thanks to a superb penultimate wood from Ronnie to take the final end and the draw. Dave K, Eddie and Tony H also came close but lost on the final end. Hard lines chaps. 

22 May we have a bye due to Seaton Sluice's resignation, so our next game is on 29 May (Bank Holiday) versus ....... PERCY!! Bring it on.

 

Match Report: Forth (H) - Hateley League, 11 May '23

A home game on a warm and sunny afternoon on a drying and speeded-up green. Probably a first for this season and a weird sensation, but one which we enjoyed as we achieved a big 92-48 victory and 12 points.

Star performers were Ron, Lynn and John C whose opponents could neither cope with their play nor the idiosyncrasies and pace of Rink 2. The result was a resounding 32-3 win. On Rink 1 Chris, Kev and George found themselves tied at 10-10 after 11 ends, but then won the remaining 10 ends to take their game 25-10. The other rinks saw a narrow win and a narrow loss: John T, Sue and Eddie taking their game 17-13; and Geoff, Michael and Dave Wyatt just missing out 18-22.

Another very good win and a great afternoon. Well played all.

Next game: Crawford Park (A) on 18 May.

 

Match Report: Centurion Park (A) - Clegg League - 10 May '23

Another really tight game ... but this time it went our way as we beat Centurion Park by 71 shots to 69.

Played at Innisfree (Longbenton) due to work around Centurion's green, the match was tight all evening and looked like it was slipping away before a late rally saw us nick the aggregate.

We were led home by Tom, Geoff and Alan who produced a great 26-13 win. Ron, Sue and John C also produced the goods with a 19-15 win which included a vital 2 at the final end. The other two rinks lost against strong opponents. Keith, Kevin and Connor had a tough start but stayed in touch and ultimately went down 11-23.  The final rink saw Chris, Sean and George lose 15-18, but the 4 they gained at the final end proved crucial. So keeping at it and battling for every shot across all four rinks made a difference.

Overall  the 2-shot aggregate win plus two rink wins delivered a 10-4 victory. Phew!

Next game - Heaton Victoria (H) on 17 May.

 

Match Report: Forth (A) - Knott Cup - 08 May '23

After a day of almost constant rain our match away at Forth unexpectedly went ahead. Alas we came up against a good team, good players and a green that, while it ran well, was difficult to judge in the inclement weather conditions.

The final score was a 12-2 defeat, with the only win (22-20) from Chris, Kevin and Connor. In truth it should have been by more after they raced into a 14-0 lead after just 7 ends. The opposition then woke up and snatched 10 shots back in just 3 ends leading to some nervousness! Fortunately the trio held on.

However, overall Forth's strength saw them to a comfortable win with the aggregate score finishing 57-83 in their favour.

Next match is another tough (but winnable) one - Walker St Peters (H) on 15 May.

 

Match Report: North Shields West End (A) - Hateley League, 04 May '23

On yet another freezing cold and windy afternoon, the team did its best but unfortunately lost a really close match by just 2 shots.

The green was pleasantly quicker than we've experienced in recent weeks - but this brought its own challenges in us having to adjust quickly to its length. And the aforementioned blustery wind didn't help either!

We actually came away with three rink wins: George, Tony C and Chris 19-14; Kevin, Michael and Geoff 18-14; and John C, Lynn and Ronnie 16-13. Alas in the fourth rink John T, Sue and Keith came up against an inspired skip who regularly seemed to nick the end when they were lying shot and as a result they went down 8-22.

A good performance overall against a good team - and 6 points to add to our tally.

Next match - Forth (H) on 11 May.

 

Match Report: Forest Hall (H) - Knott Cup - 01 May '23

The club finally got its Knott Cup (Monday nights) campaign underway with a resounding and highly encouraging 12-2 win over Forest Hall. As a slow green became gradually slower over the evening, Neil, Geoff and Kevin laid the base for our success with a strong 30-11 victory on Rink 1. Rink 2 saw Alan, Keith & Connor edge a tight game 21-19, with Ron, Sue and Tony H winning 21-11 on Rink 3 - helped by an excellent 5 on the final end. It was on Rink 4 where we had our only defeat, but Chris, Dave Wilson and Tom kept it 'relatively' tight, going down 11-19. Overall it was a hard-fought but ultimately comfortable 83-60 win, with experienced club members left pondering when we had last beaten Forest Hall. They couldn't remember! Finally, thanks to John T for (given the chill) getting the (almost) life-saving teas ready!

Next match - another Bank Holiday outing as we face Forth (A) on 8 May.

 

Match Report: Willington Quay (A) - Hateley League, 27 April '23

The 100% run had to come to an end at some point - and so it did at Willington Quay. It was an enjoyable afternoon all the same on a good but slow green and played against nice people. We went down 13-1, with the single point coming from Chris, Dave W and Kevin who  managed to hold the opposition to a 17-17 draw. It was nearly a win but the opposition 'skip' pulled out two brilliant bowls on the final two ends to save the game for his team. Sometimes you just have to applaud really good play. The other 3 rinks went down despite playing well against some excellent opponents. Next up - North Shields West End at home on 4 May.

 

Match Report: Alnwick (H) - Clegg League 26 April '23

Not much to report here. We all turned up full of expectation. Alas, Alnwick didn't. Turn up, that is. Following consultation with the league, we get all 14 points. We'd have preferred to play them, but there we go. No Clegg League game next week, so it's Centurion Park (A) on the 10th.

(On 31 May, Alnwick BC withdrew from the league)

 

Match Report: Percy - Caush Cup, 23 April '23

There was certainly a sense of history in the air, with Northumberland Linskill aiming to win the Caush Cup for the first time in over twenty years. The derby match was played over 5 rinks with the winds of change blowing through a number of Tyneside parks on this day (Newcastle 6-1 Tottenham). The Northumberland Linskill team were clearly fired up for the derby match and their determination paid off, with a well-deserved 104-86 victory. Percy may have underestimated their opponents after taking an initial lead. At 10 ends Percy were ahead 47 to 43,  but Northumberland Linskill refused to give up and on the back of two impressive wins earlier in the week managed to turn the game around. Eddie's impressive team (Connor and Ron) performance in his debut match was one of the highlights of the day, with his team achieving a stunning 31-14 comeback victory (they were 0-9 down after 6 ends!). Michael together with his arm extension also proved to be a valuable asset, helping his team (Amy and Iris) secure another important 20-14 win. Be assured there was no cheating here! Michael’s arm extension is Bowls England approved. Despite facing stiff opposition from the Percy teams, Sean, John C and Keith (12-21), as well as John T, Anthony and Geoff (19-24), gave it their all and put up a strong fight to reduce Percy’s points on their two winning rinks. Finally Neil, Kevin and Phil jogged home with a 22-13 win. Thanks to Keith and Carol for organising the day and to all members who contributed to the friendly rivalry and food. (Message to Percy ….. You are not getting the cup back for a long time 😉)

 

Match Report: Rockcliffe Rollers (H) - Hateley League, 20 April '23

The Thursday league began at home on a beautiful Spring afternoon. Given Rockcliffe’s performances last year this was a tough opening fixture, but like the night before, everyone contributed to a good victory. Geoff, Sue & Tony H led the way with a great 26-9 win, followed by Chris, an outstanding Dave W and John N who won 24-12. Ron, Lynne and Tony C lost narrowly on the final end; and unfortunately, Keith, Kevin & John T faced an inspired opposition skip who led his team to a strong victory. Nonetheless, once again the whole team contributed and we achieved a really encouraging 10-4 win. What a start to the season. Next Thursday (27 April), it’s Willington Quay (away).

 

Match Report: New Delaval Knights (A) - Clegg League, 19 April '23

Wednesday saw the 1st game of our 2023 bid for promotion – away at the much-fancied New Delaval Knights (new to the league but with an impressive reputation). And what a night! The match was played on a recently spiked and bumpy green which also had signs of having been used for golf practice (yes, really); however, despite this the whole team quickly found its pace and performed well. Chris, Sean & George dovetailed perfectly and came away with a big 26-6 win; while Neil, Geoff & Tom (starting late due to Tom ‘parking’ on the Felling by-pass) took the last 2 ends, in the dark with Geoff shining his phone over the head, to grab a vital 21-19 win. The other two rinks suffered narrow defeats and made vital contributions to our overall 10 – 4 victory. Well played all – onto Alnwick at home next week.