EVERYONE'S A WINNER by Alan Reynolds (Club Captain)
If,
after starting to read this article you think you've read it before, believe me you haven't, but the content is very similar
to one I wrote 12 months ago in relation to activity at the Santo Antonio Bowls Club in Alvor. Since then our teams
were winners and runners-up in the 2009 Algarve Summer League, we finished first, third and fifth in the subsequent
Winter League and our members were successful in lifting 5 of the 7 titles comprising the Inter Club Championships.
All this was incidental, however, to our main event, the Club Competitions, into which 258 entries were made
last October to see who would battle their way through to occupy the 26 available places in 9 events on Finals Day 2010.
We started at 10.00 a.m. with the Two Wood Singles in which John Laskey and Paul Johnson found themselves going
head to head. Both players had difficulty reading the rink, but after 12 hard fought ends, John got the hang of it and
ran out winner by 21 shots to 11.
Games started at half hourly intervals and the next event up was the
Handicap Singles where John Jones (remember him from last year) was challenged by Frances Reynolds. John grabbed
the initiative straightaway and coasted to a victory by 24 shots to 5.
Event 3 was the Ladies Singles
in which Catherine Webb found herself up against last year's runner-up, Sheila Currall. At 20-17 Sheila thought she
had it sewn up, but Catherine came back to take the last 2 ends and the game 21 shots to 20.
By this
time John Laskey had finished his first game and was joined by his wife Chrissie to play a Two Wood Pairs against John and
Jean Wilkinson. The Laskeys wasted no time in moving into a substantial lead and claimed the game by 21 shots to 11.
And so we came to the Men's Singles between Malcolm |Peters and Alan Clarke; two competitors making their debut
in this final. Once again a hard fought contest for the first 8 ends, but when Alan applied the pressure, Malcolm found
himself wanting and we had another 21 to 11 result.
Whilst spectators moved into lunch, Geoff Drewer
and John Gilbert moved into a Drawn Pairs against Judy Drewer and Richard Fribbins. A really exciting game for all 4
competitors finished up with Geoff and John taking the last 3 ends and the game by 20 shots to 19.
With
attention focused on Rink 5, John Jones and Maggie Dance eased themselves on to Rink 3 for the Fixed Jack. Here again,
John made it quite clear that he wasn't in the mood for taking prisoners and with a commanding lead throughout took the game
110 shots to 60.
Early afternoon now and the Conjugal Pairs - always an enthralling event. Here
again we saw another nip and tuck event for the first 10 ends between Thelma and Paul Johnson and Sheila and John Currall,
but when the pressure was applied, Thelma and Paul were no match for John and Sheila who were easy winners by 30 shots to
13.
The Championship Pairs should have been the final event of the afternoon, but due to illness it had
to be postponed. When it was played, 9 days later, John and Chrissie Laskey proved to be too strong for Frances Reynolds
and Pauline Wilson, bring the scheduled events to a close with a score of 22 shots to 12.
Just when you
thought it was all over, an extra event was added with the Ladies Singles winner, Catherine Webb, taking on the Men's Singles
winner, Alan Clarke. The match throughout and the result could not have been closer, with the Championship going to
Catherine by 21 shots to 20.
....And so we come to the end of another successful season for Alvor bowlers.
If you want to know how we get on during the next year look out for my article in 12 months time.
