ALCESTER Bowling Club’s Northfield League crown green bowling team welcomed Woodbourne to their Meeting Lane green last week and, although the hosts went down by 14 shots, some close games resulted, none more so than Margaret D’Elia’s 21-20 victory.
Other Alcester successes were Ken Harvey and Mike Dempsey (both 21-19) and David Whittington (21-13). Alcester gained four league points against the visitors’ seven.
The Yardley Wood League saw Alcester A visit the huge Yardley Wood Social Club green in Division Two and Alcester found the hosts in determined form, despite excellent cards from John and Carole Slater (both 21-12) and Ken Harvey (21-13).
The home team finally triumphed by a 33-shot margin, leaving Alcester with just three points to Yardley Wood’s seven.
In Division Four of the same league, Alcester B hosted Kings Norton Ex-Servicemen and recorded a 13-shot success, which gave Alcester seven league points against three for the youthful visitors.
For Alcester, Trish Barry and Ken Craddock had excellent 21-7 wins and further victories came from Jean Craddock and Keith Pardoe (both 21-17) and Jean Sherrington (21-19).
Cup action was the order of the day in the Heart of England League. In round two of the main competition, Alcester B took on league newcomers Kings Norton A in what was expected to be a daunting experience and so it proved.
None of the away half of the team could provide a winner and two lost 21-0. The home four did better, with three winning cards from Jean Craddock (21-10), Margaret D’Elia (21-12) and Ken Craddock (21-14), but the overall deficit was 36 shots.
In round one of the Consolation Cup Alcester’s A team coped no better against arch-rivals White Hart A as they went down by 39 shots. The only winning card came from John Slater, with a superb 21-4 success.
The following morning in the Over 60s competition Alcester A gained swift revenge over White Hart A in Division One with a 17-shot victory. With sound wins for Jean Bannister (21-10), John Slater (21-14), Ken Craddock (21-18) and Renny Bannister (21-19), Alcester picked up 14 league points against the visitors’ two.
In Division Six Alcester B travelled to Acocks Green B and suffered a 12-shot defeat, despite good cards from John Williamson and Margaret D’Elia (both 21-12) and Val McDermott (21-18). They thus picked up three points against the hosts’ 13.
The first club knockout competition of the season – the Doubles Non-Handicap – was held on Saturday. Following semi-final defeats for Val McDermott/Gill Evans and David Whittington/Rick Horton, the final was between Jean/Renny Bannister and Margaret D’Elia/John Slater and the husband and wife pairing bowled superbly to pick up the first domestic trophy of the season with a 21-6 success.
