Home advantage proves key - The Redditch Standard

Home advantage proves key

Redditch Editorial 7th Aug, 2014 Updated: 18th Oct, 2016   0

IT WAS a week of mixed fortunes in crown green bowling for the Alcester club as results largely favoured those with home advantage.

In Northfield League Division Two Alcester suffered yet another away defeat, this time to Woodbourne Sports by 29 shots. Alcester produced just three winning cards from Ken Harvey (an excellent 21-7), John Alderson (21-13) and Ken Craddock (21-15), giving them three league points against the home side’s seven.

This makes relegation look inevitable, with Alcester 12 points from safety.

Despite losing by 20 shots at Bournville Sports in Yardley Wood Division Two, Alcester A still have genuine promotion hopes. Three winners – Ken Craddock (21-11), Carole Slater (21-18) and Trish Barry (21-20) – gave them three league points to the home team’s eight.




In Division Four Alcester B had a good home victory by 11 shots when they entertained King George VI A, which does much to ease relegation concerns.

They had winning cards from Red Masterson, with a magnificent 21-1, Jean Sherrington (21-10), Keith Pardoe (21-12), David Hodgson (21-14) and Jean Craddock (21-18), to give them seven league points against the visitors’ three.


The Heart of England League saw Alcester A visit Stoke Prior A in a Division Two match and again victory went with ground advantage as the home side won by 17 shots.

Alcester picked up three points from wins by John Slater (21-14), Peter Barber (21-16) and Ken Harvey (21-17) against Stoke Prior’s 15.

An excellent home win came the Alcester B team’s way when the defeated King George VI B by 49 shots, to give them 16 league points against the visitors’ two.

Half of the Alcester team won to single figures, led by a superb Gill Evans (21-5), with excellent wins also from Ken Craddock (21-7), David Hodgson (21-8), Jean Craddock (21-9), Val McDermott (21-16) and Jean Sherrington (21-17).

Although this result keeps Alcester firmly in the second promotion spot, their last two matches are against runaway league leaders Solihull Marsh Lane. Promotion rivals Yardley Wood Social have much the easier final matches, which promises a tense finale to the promotion race.

Over 60s action brought Alcester the best results of the week. The A team visited Co-Op A and, although only having two winning cards, succeeded in recording a six-shot win.

Alcester’s two winners were Carole Slater (superb at 21-5) and Jean Bannister (21-14), to give Alcester 12 league points against the home team’s four. This win hopefully takes away lingering relegation worries.

In Division Six Alcester B produced a magnificent 51-shot win against visitors Woodlands Park C, to give them a 16 league points to nil success.

Alcester’s winners were David Hodgson with a great 21-5, John Willis (21-10), Chris Anderson (21-11), Jean Craddock (21-13), Val McDermott (21-16) and Cedric Robertshaw (21-20).

Although the season still has six weeks to run, Alcester are firmly in top spot and will be confident they can achieve promotion.

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