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After an impressive league campaign in the regional stage of the Wessex Trophy, Rugby Thornfield finished top of the Midland Region, winning all but one of their games. Their opponents for the first round of the play-off were Malvern who qualified as a wild card from the North Region.
The home rinks were Dave Furness, Brian Smith, Dave Sands and Howard Wilkins; Oliver Fowler, Graham Howes, Chris Chapman and Liam Pearcey. The travelling rinks consisted of Trevor Wells, Matt Lever, Jordan Ward and Darren Ward; Keith Mason, Nigel Carter, Calvin Wells and Craig Carter. The home rinks had mixed fortunes in the first half of the tie. Pearcey leading 10-3 but Wilkins 7-13 down. Away from home was better, Carter 11-4 up and Ward all square on 8 all. With fifteen ends gone Wilkins and co trailed by 5 but Pearcey's rink had had their lead cut to one. Both away rinks led, Ward by 6 and Carter 10. Heading into the final three ends the home rinks were cancelling each other out, a status that remained until the end, Pearcey and co 21-16 win matched by Wilkins rink losing 15-20. Which meant this tie would decided by the rinks playing at Malvern. With Ward leading by 5 and Carter 11 after eighteen ends it was looking good for Thornfield. An even finish saw Ward's rink take a 20-16 victory, while Carter and co sealed a 22-11 win. This gave Thornfield an overall 78-63 victory and passage through to the quarter finals and a clash with Plymouth at the neutral venue of Bristol. I hope your season’s going well, it’s has been a mixed start to the season so far. Our main problem this season is availability, but it has given me a chance to try some new players in the teams, which helps build a stronger team for the future.
I find it very disappointing when a team is playing a match & spectators are sitting on the bank condemning the team that’s playing. If I hear you condemning a team while they are play & they can hear you I will challenge your timing & criticism of any of the team. I have said before I want to build a strong team to win national titles. WESSEX Our first game was against Daventry & we had 9 players not available. We lost on 3 rinks & won on the other, & the overall shots carried us through to win the match 92 shots to 90 (10 – 6 on points). Not the best result but a wins a win. In our next game we played the Nomads with 5 players not available & with a little bit of moving around we had a stronger team. We won on all 4 rinks (16 – 0 on points) the overall score didn’t reflect the game. It was a hard fought game & well played to all the players. We currently sit at the top of the Wessex league but Church Gresley are only 4 shots behind us so we need to keep on winning all our games. We now play Solihull this Sunday & we need to play for full points, so keep up the good bowls & the results will continue. TOP CLUB Again we played the first round of the Top Club against Welford & again we lost. We came close in the pairs in the triples losing by 1 shot & we drew one of the 2 wood games. EGHAM TROPHY We had a great run in the Egham last season, unfortunately we lost in the first round game against Bromsgrove. OVER 60s What a nail biter to start with, this was a great game to watch & a fantastic extra end. I will cut a long story short, at 18 ends over the 2 rinks we were 4 shots behind. Our away team had finished they had won 21 - 20 but the home team had 2 ends to play & 4 shots behind. With a single on the 20th & a 2 on the 21st end the home team had lost 19 – 20 so 40 all. The extra end should have been played at Bromsgrove but one of their player’s had gone home, so we played the extra end at home. We were holding the shot when the front end had finished and their 3 with his first bowl opened the head up and pushed the jack out to the string. Brian Lever drew shot 1 yard behind the jack, their 3 drew second wood a foot behind Brian’s. Dave Sands drew shot bowl 18inches past the jack the winner I thought. Their skip drew a great shot bowl within 8inches of the jack. I must admit I thought this was the game winner but Dave pull a fantastic bowl out & drew a perfect bowl 2 inches behind the jack. Their skip played a weighted bowl touched Dave’s bowl and rolled it over but not enough to take shot. Well done all of you great game to watch. WARWICK TROPHY The first game in the Warwick trophy is getting closer & I’m really looking forward to this competition. We have won it in the past & I’m sure we can win it again. This should be a great competition for our up & coming bowlers to make the next step in competitive bowls. This is going to be very hard to pick as there is a lot of you I want to try out this season. If you read the rules this team is for up & coming bowlers, I we try & mix the team the best I can. This will be a hard league to win, as long as all the teams put out there up & coming bowlers we should have a great chance of winning. DENNY CUP Our first round game was against Coventry we usually have a tough game & we had 7 players not available. We had our first win in the Denny cup for the past couple of years winning well 87 to 65 shot. We all know it’s always harder to win the Denny cup as your only playing winners. We have a tough draw but we have a strong team if everyone is available. In the second round we played Barwell and we knew this was going to be a tough game as they are a very strong team. All 4 rinks played well and we won on 3 rinks and lost on 1, the score was 78 to 64 this was a great win. We now play Leicester which we played last year & we beat them by 2 shots. I believe the team is stronger and the balance of each rink is very good. Every time I pick the team I believe each rink is good enough to win their game. When we play Leicester we need to come out of the blocks running with no slip ups. We had some great games last season in the Denny plate but we need to step it up if we want a good run in the Denny cup. UNDER 25’s The under 25’s first round game was against the team that knocked us out last season Erewash. The team has changed this year due to 2 players being too old, as we have some great juniors coming up we still have a great chance of winning this year. When we played Erewash we played very well on both rinks & both rinks won. We play South Shields in the next round at Selby indoor bowls club, we will be getting a mini bus as long as we can fill it. If you would like to come & watch the under 25’s let me know. At the moment the game will be on December 19th 12pm start. I believe we can win this title & it’s long overdue. This is Liam’s last chance as he’s too old next year so please call him Granddad. Darren Ward Team Manager We had a good season in 2014/15 with some good & bad results but don't forget we also had some great results. It's given me a great foundation for the future of the team.
I believe we could go a long way in the Over 60's Double Rink but I need all the over 60s to make themselves available to achieve great results. We have lost 2 players this season from our under 25s team, I know we have some great under 25s players to replace them & believe we will win this title soon. In the Wessex League this season we need to start the same way we did last season, looking for full points in our first 3 games. We did well last season but need to do better this year as Welford is now playing in this league and are another strong team we need to beat. It's not just about qualifying we need to win our area and not rely on runners up position. We have a hard game to start with in the Top Club, Welford Again. We lost to them last season but it was a close game. I will be making changes from last years team & movements. Our first round in the Denny Cup is against Coventry this year & we need to come out of the blocks running with no slip ups this year. Some great games last season in the Denny Plate but we need to have a good run in the Denny Cup. We did very well last year in the Egham Trophy and put up a great fight against City of Ely, let's do better this year as this competition is in our sights & we have a great chance to go all the way. In the EBYDS Thomas Ward has qualified for the National finals in October & I wish him all the best. We will need to start training ASAP as new skills are out for this season. I will need you all to enter this year as we are short of players as Church Gresley & Leicester are running their own EBYDS this year. The Warwick Trophy is back this year with 7 or 8 games to play, please read the rules. I have put up a list of players that I think should be considered, this is a stepping stone for bowlers that want to be considered for the Denny Cup & Wessex teams. If you don't want to be considered for the Denny Cup or Wessex team please cross your name off the list, as I only want to pick bowlers who want to play in these competitions next season. On October 10th & 11th Oliver Fowler has his first England Under 18s game, I wish him all the best & every success & have a great weekend. Darren Ward Team Manager Thornfields run in the Wessex League came to an end against Carterton. Despite a second half fightback by the away rinks they both finished down, Carter by 5 and Wilkins by 7 but he was left chasing shots in his last end. Both home rinks started well though Carterton finished the stronger. Pearcey held on for a 9 shot win but Ward lost by 3 on the last end. Overall score 71-77
A good display against Shrewsbury means that the club retained top spot and will face Carterton (Oxfordshire) in the first round of the play offs on Sunday 8th March.
Denny Plate
We played Tamworth in the second round of the Denny plate & had a great win. Winning on 3 rinks and losing on 1, with an overall shots win 94 to 64. This was a game which I expected to win, but you can never take things for granted (Church Gresley). We then played Stamford in the third round a much stronger Club, We lost on 3 rinks and won on 1 with an overall shots score of 68 to 97. We all put up a good fight and fought to the end, we did have a couple of players drop out and I would like to thank the reserves & the rest of the team for their support & commitment. Next year changes to the format of the Denny Cup maybe on the cards, it might be ran like a mini league 4 teams in each league playing at least 3 games. Egham Trophy We have played another 2 games in the Egham, our third round game was against Solihull & we had to re-think our team due to player availability. We had a great win across all 4 rinks 101 to 54. The forth round game was against Westlecot & the last time we played them we lost with ease. This was like the game against Bromsgrove at 15 ends getting beat by 18 shots, 3 ends later the game was all square & we had the upper hand. All 4 rinks did their bit over the last few ends coming in with a victory 82 to 75 shots. We now play City of Ely on Sunday 11th January. This is a very big game for the club as Ely do very well in Egham every year, making it to the final stages most years. We really need as much support as possible as Ely always have a good following. Just carry on playing the well & we can go all the way. Top Club In second round of the Top Club we played Tamworth, we had 10 players that were not available for this game. We won 10 points to 6, winning the ladies 2 wood, pairs & fours. Well done to all that played and to all the bowlers that stepped up for the game. Our next round is against Welford and we have the same issue as the last round. The last round the ladies played the ladies Midland County game, this time the men have their Midland County game on the same day. I ask for your support in all National Competitions & making yourself available for these games where possible. We will not win any competitions without your full support. Wessex League January is a big month in the Wessex for us & we really need to win all three matches. On Sunday the 4th January we play last year’s area league winners Kingsthorpe, this is a very strong club & we lost against them last year. I have made a few changes to the team even though we have not lost any points in the league so far. Kingsthorpe has also won their first 3 games & they have only dropped a couple of points. We are play Church Gresley on Saturday 10th January due to the Egham being played on the 11th. We then play Bromsgrove on Sunday 26th. Under 25s Double Rink We played Erewash just before Christmas in the under 25s, this was a very hard fought game but we lost on both rinks. I really do believe we will win this competition in the near future as we have some great under 25’s in our club. If anyone has any time or ideas to attract more under 25s to the club please let me know. What's Coming Up Egham Sunday 11th January 10am start - City of Ely (5th Round) Top Club Sunday 18th January 2.30pm start - Welford on Avon away (3rd Round) Wessex League Sunday 4th January - Thornfield v Kinsgthorpe Saturday 10th January - Thornfield v Church Gresley Sunday 25th January - Thornfield v Bromsgrove Development Team I have selected the 3 development squads and will put up a list of dates for these games to be played on. This maybe ran as triples or fours as we have no reserves for any team. If you are NOT AVAILBLE to play please let me know as i might have to reformat the league. Darren Ward - Team Manager Team Manager Darren Ward has produced an update on how the club is currently doing in various competitions, full version is on the notice board while what follows is a summary.
Egham Trophy The club has made a good start in the Egham, in the first game three winning rinks and one losing rink saw us beat Tamworth 108-56. In the second game against Bromsgrove with 15 ends played on all four rinks we trailed overall by 22 shots but great credit to the players as they dug deep to snatch an 81-75 victory (three winning and one losing rink). A clash of dates with the outdoor gents county dinner has forced some big changes ahead of the next game against Solihull on 30th November. Denny Cup Sadly our Denny Cup run lasted just one game as Church Gresley beat us 79-73 and consigning us to the Denny Plate. Our first opponent in the Plate was our bogey team Leicester, who we've never beaten. A team shuffle aimed at hitting them hard at home while holding them away worked out as we took a hard earned 77-75 victory and Tamworth in the next round on 29th November. Over 60s Double Rink Coventry proved to be too strong for us, winning 46-40 in a very close game over both rinks. We have a good group of over 60s at Thornfield and hopefully will do better in following seasons. Wessex League With two wins (both by all four rinks) under our belts, a tweaked side due to availability and trying some new players took on Solihull. Another excellent performance saw us take another four rink win 90-57. The next game is against Kingsthorpe on 4th January 2015, Kingsthorpe were last seasons area winners so will provide a very tough opposition. Darren had been wanting to field a second Wessex team next year but with the Warwick Trophy hopefully returning next year this has been turned down. Denny Cup
The Denny Cup play off's start this month, if we do well there will be 3 games in November. Please check the "SQUAD & DATE SHEETS", if you are not available please fill the sheet in the availability sheet. Saturday 1st November is our first game in the Denny Cup, we are playing Church Gresley, 10am start. The team is up on the notice board, if anyone is not available please let Darren Ward know ASAP. Over 60s Double Rink Monday 3rd November is our first game in the Over 60s double rink against Coventry, this is a midday start. Under 25s Double Rink The first game was due to be played on Saturday 8th November against Ashfield, however they have given us a walkover. Wessex League We have already played two games so far in the Wessex League, beating Nomads 111-55 (full 16 points) and Daventry 115-42 (again full 16 points). The third game is against Solihull on Sunday 23rd November. Egham Trophy The first round of the Egham Trophy is against Tamworth on Sunday 26th October, 10am start. Warwick Trophy This competition will not be ran this year due to the county and clubs not agreeing on the new rules. Since this was used as our development squad for future Denny & Wessex players Darren is setting up challenge games this season to get a chance to look at both experienced and up & coming players. There is a list on the board of people to be considered for the squad plus a sheet for you to enter your name (and league you play in) in case you have been missed off the list and wish to be considered. Darren is hoping to pick 4 to 6 teams and the games will be played on Sunday mornings and ran as a league. For more information on the rules of this league please see the notice board. Remember this league is designed to help build up a strong squad of players to help win national titles for Thornfield. |
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