WHITE Hart Crown Green Bowling Club moved out of the Warwick and Worcester Premier Division Four relegation zone with a vital home victory against Hamstead Social B last weekend.
Steve Jones (21-20) and Norman Batchelor (21-13) gave the hosts two wins from the first four ties before Dave Kings (21-11), Neil Laxton (21-20) and Mike Hancock (21-13) put them within three shots of Hamstead with the final two ties to be played.
Kirk Wright was then beaten by Frank Benton but the 18 shots he managed to score, coupled with a fine 21-8 win by David Mahaffey, meant that the Redditch club won the match 176-169 to claim eight league points.
However, White Hart A were knocked out of the Sid Stephens Cup at Central Edgbaston by Warstock who are one division above Hart with the Redditch club receiving a 12-shot handicap.
Hart looked to be in control after first half wins for Wright (21-15), Mike Estell (21-15) and captain Graham Arnott (21-16) gave them a 33-shot advantage.
However, single figure scores from three Hart bowlers in the second half of the tie turned the game in Warstock’s favour as the Division One side went on to reach the semi-finals at Hart’s expense with a 144-121 victory.
In the S.W.Birmingham and District Over 60’s league, White Hart A battled to a thrilling draw at Yardley Wood in Division One.
Despite the visitors only having two winners in Arnott (21-9) and Mick Perrins (21-18), Mike Estell battled from 11-1 down to eventually lose 21-18 as the game finished 111-apiece with Hart taking five points from the fixture.
White Hart B were also involved in a close encounter with Central Edgbaston in Division Three as wins for Tony Buckley (21-19), Ian Humphreys (21-8) and captain Mike Hancock (21-13) meant they took seven points from a 108-103 victory.
In the Heart of England Over 60’s league Division One, White Hart A were defeated 112-85 at King George V with winning cards from Arnott (21-17), Laxton (21-17) and Batchelor (21-15), while White Hart B also tasted defeat at home to Wootton Hall A in Division Two, losing 118-75 with just a single win from John Meredith (21-15).
In the Yardley Wood Superleague, White Hart A had just two winning cards from Paul Matthews (21-5) and Mahaffey (21-10) in a heavy 141-101 defeat at Ye Olde Knowle.
However, Hart’s B team fought well to beat Alcester B 150-143 at home with wins from Denis Turner (21-18), Neil Harrison (21-16), captain Tony Buckley (21-19), Hayden Court (21-10) and Jack Livingstone (21-17).
Court and Livingstone recorded their first wins for the club after recently being added to the squad.
