This week’s team friendlies were cancelled due to the visitors in one case and a washout in the other. Fortunately the SML game with Hampton went ahead on Sunday with plenty of sun on show. The rinks were shared 2-2 but Hampton gained more shots due to some rather loose final ends by the home team and took the match 6-4. This means Hampton look untouchable at the top of the table whilst Sunbury maintain 6th place, just ahead of Bishop Duppas. This should make for an interesting couple of remaining games as both are against Bishop Duppas .. Sunbury have never finished above them in recent history!
Let’s hope the weather forecast comes true and we’re blessed with yet another dry and sunny weekend for Club Competitions finals. The playing schedule will be published very soon and, as always, the aim is to have an even spread of games over the two days and especially for those lucky enough to be in more than one final. Nathan was the fourth first-timer to make it into finals this week, and reflects the growing strength in depth of the club and augurs well for next season. For the 4th year in a row we have a husband and wife both competing in the Men’s and Women’s Championship finals .. this time it’s the turn of Keith and Jenny. When it comes to competing against each other there’s been a few husband vs wife finals down the years and this time it’s the turn of Karen v AlanP in the Open Handicap.
After this weekend we’re into September with a couple of team friendlies and then the big one .. Men v Women on Saturday 14th 2:30pm. Since it’s inception the women won it three straight years but then the men have done the same over the last three years, so it’s all to play for! There will be a BBQ following the match from around 6pm .. everyone is welcome including family & friends. The sign-up sheets for both are in the clubhouse.
Finally, good luck to Nikki & Dennis who play in the South Middlesex Mixed Pairs semi-final on Tuesday evening at neutral ground Bishop Duppas. They won through two rounds to reach the semi-final and there’s no pressure as they’ll be the underdogs going up against an Ashford pair containing this season’s Middlesex county Men’s Singles champion.
Sunbury followed up last year’s success at the Bluewood Cup by retaining the trophy on Saturday. After a series of 7-end games played across Men’s, Women’s & Mixed Pairs as well as two Mixed Triples, Sunbury ended the day on 26pts, with Hampton on 20pts and hosts Fordbridge Park on 14pts. Every team contributed magnificently with at least 2 wins, with last year’s top team of Karen & Eileen winning all their four games .. yet again! Thanks to all the supporters and reserve players and the hosts for a superb day.
Friday Triples concludes this week and then Sunbury defends the Bluewood Cup on Saturday at Fordbridge Park, no doubt against a very hungry Hampton team.
Congratulations to Anita on becoming Middlesex Women’s Unbadged Singles champion. Her final was played at Cambridge Park on Saturday and unlike in her previous rounds it didn’t go down to the wire, winning 21-16. It caps off a great week for Anita fresh on the heels of her son’s wedding.
It was a good weekend of bowls for Sunbury. On Saturday we visited Byfleet for a return friendly and after sharing the rinks 2-2 we won overall by a rather close 5 shots. We nipped the home fixture back in June by an even closer margin of 2 shots, so you could say the clubs are pretty evenly matched. On Sunday it was the turn of an SML game hosting bottom side Stanwell. At half time Sunbury had comfortable leads on two rinks and it was all to play for on the other two. The day ended with wins on 3 rinks and on overall shots to cement an 8-2 win, putting some daylight between us and bottom placed Stanwell.
There was a close finish in the latest round of Friday Triples. The league leaders captained by Nikki played 2nd placed team captained by Eileen, and with two ends remaining it was 14-14 and anyone’s game. A fine finish by Viv, TonyH and Tracy saw them through and take the title for Nikki and the rest of the team, Cassie and John. In the others games there were wins for teams captained by Alison and Karen.
Congratulations and well done to Anita who received her Middlesex county badge this week, playing in a winning team match against Berkshire. Fingers crossed for one last push in her final of the Middlesex Women’s Unbadged Singles on Saturday 10th at Cambridge Park.
As we’ve already seen in the Olympics it can often be fine margins between winning and losing and so it proved in two recent SML team matches. We got the luck against Fordbridge Park the previous weekend with an 8-2 win when it could easily have been the reverse. In the latest match at Strawberry Hill on Sunday we were within touching distance of gaining wins on two rinks, but alas it wasn’t to be and we recorded a 10-0 loss. This leaves the team one place off bottom, courtesy of Stanwell, which adds an edge to the next SML match on Sunday 4th August .. against Stanwell! Before that we entertain Walton in a return friendly on Wednesday 31st July and travel to Byfleet for a friendly on Saturday 3rd August. Please keep checking the team sheets in the clubhouse for sign-up and team selection.
We ventured across the river again for the latest team friendly on Wednesday at Oatlands Park. It’s a fixture where the hosts maintain a taste for past traditions and although the match was limited to 3 triples on the day, Sunbury came away with a respectable 52-43 loss. We continue on our travels this weekend with an SML game at Strawberry Hill on Sunday 28th. Following that, we play our first team match at Sunbury in a while with a friendly against Walton on Wednesday 31st. The sign-up sheets for some of the early August team games are in the clubhouse so please take a look when next there.