West Sussex bowlers just Kent get enough of winning

In their new county shirts, sponsored by Warman Leisure Holidays, both were looking for results to finish top of their round-robin groups before entering the KO stages of the inter-county championships. The Premier team needed just six points to secure the top spot and started well, winning three games in the first session to get the required points in the bag early on.

They continued in good form, sharing the points in the second session to be 10-6 up at lunch.

In the afternoon they lost just one game in each session for a final convincing win of 28-12.

In the singles The Martlets’ Chris Blackman lost 14-8 and won 13-11 and in the pairs Lavant’s Peter Whale won 15-5 and 19-9.

In the triples The Martlets’ Jack Rollings won 14-7 and 9-5 while in the other triple The Martlets’ Chris Rolph, with Chanctonbury’s Keith Hawkins, lost 9-7 and 9-6.

In the fours Bognor’s Brenda Jones won 12-4 and 10-7 while in the other four Lavant’s Peter Winter with The Martlets’ Marc Lancaster and Malcolm Rollings lost 15-5 and won 10-2.

The captain’s player of the match was Dominic Reed.

The A team needed to beat Kent to finish top of their group but they started badly taking only two points in the first session and three in the second to trail 11-5 at lunch.

They improved to share the points in both sessions and some big wins gave them six of the eight bonus points to finish as 21-19 losers but as runners-up in the group, which sees them progress to the main KO competition.

In the pairs Bognor’s Marlene Steel drew 11-11 and won 21-9 while in the triples Bognor’s Brian Mills and Eric Jones lost 10-7 and 18-6. In the other triple Lavant’s Ray Harding drew 9-9 and lost 11-10.

In the fours Bognor’s Derek Fair with Lavant’s Rob Peirce won 8-7 and 7-6 while in the other four Lavant’s John Simms with The Martlets’ Barrie Fitch lost 11-7 and won 10-4.

BOGNOR GOODWOODS

Goodwoods Silver did not get the new year off to a very good start when they lost at home to Lavant Blue.

Mat one looked like being a complete disaster after they lost the first five ends to go 10-0 down.

A slight recovery late in the game saw them win the last four ends but they still lost 25-17 as Grace Roope, Daniel Lovell, Jean Harbut and Freddie Kaucher lost to Jean Conway, Pam Sharrod, Kieth Fancy and Tony Boxall.

Mat two was much closer but Geoff King, Barry Baines, Janet Hanson and Pam Smith were unable to hold off the challenge from Jakie Lee, Muriel Winter, Peter Massey and Bernard Wallsgrove and lost 19-13.

The overall score was 44-30, giving Lavant all six points.

On the friendly mat, Goodwoods had a much better result, with Margaret Williams, Betty Williams, Brian Williams and Marlene Steele winning 21-14 against a strong Lavant team of S Lillywhite, D May, T Bleach and P Winter.

CRABLANDS

In the club’s internal leagues, the turn of the year saw Team D leading the Monday Afternoon League with 14 points, Team K topping the Wednesday Evening League with 16 and Team N on top in the Friday Afternoon League with 17½.

Crablands Bitterns visited Storrington, gaining four valuable league points in a 39-38 win.

Scores: Brian Baxendell; Ted Murrell; Charlie Threlkeld & Jim Saunders lost 27-14; Jean Tolhurst; Iris Brown; Geoff Brown & Lil Tuck won 25-11; (friendly): Ann Threlkeld; Elaine Sadler; Stevie Brooks & Yvonne Clifton lost 21-9.

Crablands Cormorants hosted Clapham & Patching but lost 45-25.

Scores: Joan Homewood; Martin Hunt; Wally Obermayer & Mike Tucker lost 18-15; Joyce Abel; Gwen Coombes; Joyce Heritage & Mollie Back lost 27-10.

FITTLEWORTH

A home 64-50 win over Bury helped make it a happy start to 2012 for Fittleworth.

Scores: Audrey Hodgson, Peter Cook, Alvar Hetherington, David Herbert won 19-14; Murial Cook, Jane Adsett, Alan Jordan, Gina Barnfield won 25-16; Pauline Gilpin, Tony Broughton, Bernard Adsett, Sue Judd

drew 20-20.

Fittleworth lost one and won one rink at Arundel but lost the game 39-34.

Scores: Pauline Gilpin, Peter Martin,

Bernard Adsett, Sue Judd won 20-17; Murial Cook, Jane Adsett, Alan Jordan, Gina Barnfield lost 22-14.

THE MARTLETS

The Martlets of Billingshurst entertained Chanctonbury Foxes in division one of the West Sussex League.

Chanctonbury Foxes arrived as league leaders, but The Martlets displaced them with a 59-10 victory, taking all six points on offer.

Chris Blackman, Barrie Fitch, Jack Rollings and Mel Lillywhite won 24-5 against Steve Payne’s visiting rink.

Charlotte Rollings, Ian Younger, Chris Rolph and Marc Lancaster conceded just five single shots against Keith Hawkins’ Foxes to win 35-5.

A friendly rink saw The Martlets’ captain Malcolm Rollings make up the numbers for the visiting Foxes and along with Pat Knight, Keith Paternoster and Joe Benjamin, he helped the Foxes beat Marion Rolph, Gareth Bevan, David Thorpe and Andy Clarke 23-13.

ARUN

Arun 121 Croydon 109

Croydon visited for an annual six-rink men’s fixture. Arun won on two rinks, lost on three and drew on one and won by a total of 12 shots.

Scores: A Simmons, P Lacy, E Dowing, R Friday lost 22-15; B Jones, C Burnard, B Horsley, L Corne drew 17-17; F Smith, M Adams, J Greenfield, JP Brown lost 21-20; G Finch, J Jackson, B Sandford, T Sayers won 25-20; R Pearson, N Waddock, A Humphries, M English won 30-10; D Ford, G Leaman, D Sayers, R Gardner lost 19-14.

Arun 76 Chichester 187

Arun entertained outdoor club Chichester in a six-rink friendly and were overwhelmed by a strong visiting outfit, losing by 111 shots.

Chichester won on five of the six rinks.

Many of the Chichester outdoor bowlers play at Arun during the winter months and took full advantage.

Scores: B Why, J Dyke, D Spink, J Saunders lost 20-19; D Taffurelli, G Herrington, A Avery, J Muffet lost 25-9; P Lacy, G Whitaker, K Burt, PJ White lost 45-14; A Simmons, W Branford, B Sandford, R Gardner won 15-14; J Watson, P Easterbrook, D Winchester, J Edwards lost 39-11; C Chester, G Arnold, M Campbell, R Bishop lost 44-8.