ALCESTER Bowling Club enjoyed a fairly successful week as they won five out of the seven matches played including some significant successes.
The week started with a narrow six-shot defeat in Division Three of the Northfield League when Alcester visited Hockley Heath.
The closeness of the outcome was chiefly due to a superb 21-2 winning card from Renny Bannister as the visitors’ only other successes came from Trish Barry (21-14) and Ken Harvey (21-19).
Hockley Heath thus gained seven points against the three for Alcester.
By far the biggest victory of the week came in Division Six of the S&W Birmingham Over 60s League when Alcester hosted a visit from Solihull Marsh Lane B.
With four of the six players winning to single figures and the remaining two also winning, Alcester’s A team romped to an 83-shot win.
Superb for the hosts were Ken Harvey (21-1), John Slater (21-3), Renny Bannister and Ken Craddock (both 21-4), with David Whittington (21-12) and Jean Bannister (21-19) completing the rout.
Alcester picked up ten points to the visitors’ zero to maintain their leadership of the table.
The second and final defeat of the week came in Division Two of the Yardley Wood Super League when Alcester A went down by 19 shots on their visit to Warstock.
Wins for Renny Bannister (21-13), Jean Bannister (21-16) and Ken Craddock (21-17) were insufficient to stave off defeat as the hosts took 30 points to Alcester’s nine.
The A team’s visit to Austin British Legion B in Heart of England League Division Two brought a valuable 17-shot success which takes them to the top of the table.
An excellent 21-7 card from Renny Bannister, together with wins for John Slater (21-11), Dave Hovell (21-12) and Margaret D’Elia (21-20), gave Alcester a 14-4 victory.
The B team also moved up a place to fourth in Division Four as a result of a 24-shot home win against Kings Norton A, who were previously undefeated this season.
David Whittington led the way with an excellent 21-4 card, backed up by wins for Red Masterson (21-9), Carole Slater (21-12), David Hodgson (21-16) and Trish Barry (21-19).
Alcester thus earned 15 points to the visitors’ three.
In the over 60s section of the Heart of England League, Alcester A picked up a rare but vital win when they entertained Austin British Legion A in Division One.
Winning cards for Ken Craddock (21-10), Ken Harvey (21-11), David Whittington (21-12) and Val McDermott (21-14) gave Alcester a 24-shot victory which earned them 14 points to the visitors’ two.
This took Alcester off the bottom of the table and within sight of safety from relegation.
In the final match of the week, the B team visited Moorpool A in Division Five. Superb cards from Eric Allport (21-3) and Margaret D’Elia (21-5), backed up by Trish Barry (21-15), gave the visitors a 13-3 success for this eight-shot win which maintains second place in the table and keeps up the promotion pressure.
