Talk about tempting fate. There was me the other week wittering on about the brilliant weather we had on the first day of the Men's Open Week, and how all being well it would be the same for the rest of the week, and of course we all know what happened - the heavens opened and we lost a couple of hours here and there because of flooding.

I now believe that Mike Gouldingay must have hidden powers. On Wednesday afternoon, as I stood on the green with the water lapping the tops of my shoes, there was no way you would have convinced me that the tournament would finish on schedule, but it did.

Instead of spending hours on the 'web', as he tells us he does, maybe instead he is busy making spells to ensure good weather. Whatever, it works. All credit to Mike. He works like a Trojan, 'moans a little here and there', but the tournament turns out a brilliant success. Goodness knows what we would do if he hands in his 'papers'.

There are so many memories of last week's tournament. The game between 12-year-old Mathew Dick and Gareth Hughes, for instance, all down to the last wood, both soaked to the skin, and Gareth touches Mathew's wood just a fraction. The marker cannot decide and on comes the umpire. He measured once, twice, three times, before turning Mathew's wood. The first to congratulate him was Gareth. I am sure Mathew floated back to the pavilion.

Then there was the performance of Eddie Gulliver and John Jones, both relatively new bowlers, yet they played their hearts out in the Pairs to get to the quarter-finals and narrowly lost out.

My favourite probably was the game between Paul Diment and Phil Carpenter in the quarter-finals, an absolute lesson in drawing and firing when required. Again, it was all down to the last wood and Phil played a running wood to trail the jack from Paul's wood and stay with it to take the one shot required.

Finals Day arrived and everyone was rather worried about the weather and its tricks, but no worries, the day dawned, the sun shone and the results can be seen below.

An excellent week of class bowling, but let's not forget the fabulous food the 'ladies' supplied every day, especially the steak and chips on the Friday and all for £3; the small bunch who came in every day and the one's who turned up in the afternoon to supply the sandwiches for the all-day workers, deserve the thanks of us all; the umpires who officiated every day; the markers who gave their time, sometimes non-stop, snatching a bite to eat when they could; and especially the ground staff - Glyn worked wonders keeping the green playable; to you all, hearty thanks. We could not have done it without you.

The Pairs started off the day. The Poole brothers, Stephen and David, up against the old men pairing of John Dugmore and Ray Holly, of Tenby. It was a classic performance from the youngsters, the 'old uns' eventually conceding defeat.

The Singles really was something else. David Roberts up against Philip Carpenter. David stormed ahead and looked to be home and dry, only for Philip, as he did in his semi-finals, to draw the last wood to win by one.

The Milk Cup saw Lyndon Guy triumph over Jonathan Norris, of the Beaufort club. Lyndon will be claiming the trophy as his own - he has won it four times now.

A classic day and it finished in style, although Graham Poole has the bruises to show it was not all good, but then again, that is another story and one that I will dine out on for some time to come, I assure you.

Results were as follows:

Singles

Preliminary round: Graham Hughes w/o Mk Brace; T. Bevan 18 P. Diment 21; R. Holly 18 S. Dick 21; E. Gulliver 6 D. Parfitt 21; D. Stokes 19 H. Guy 21; A. Brace w/o G. Spiller; L. Guy 21 D. Greaves 9; Mostyn Davies 9 J. Tyler 21; P. Carpenter 21 D. Davies 15; G. Harris 21 J. Jenkins 4; B. P. Llewellyn w/o P. Blayney; J. Moffat 23 R. Morgan 7; L. Davies (SF) 9 J. Lewis 22; P. Gray 22 P. Sattersaite 10; Gareth Hughes 20 M. Dick 21; T. Daniels 18 G. Norris 22.

First round: Graham Hughes 12 P. Diment 21; S. Dick 15 D. Parfit 21; D. Stokes 13 A. Brace 21; L. Guy 21 J. Tyler 9; P. Carpenter 21 G. Harris 13; B. P. Llewellyn 6 J. Moffat 21; J. Lewis w/o P. Gray; M. Dick 9 J. Norris 21; N. Ruff 22 Byron Jones 10; T. Osborne v T. Cummins w/o; J. Evans 19 Dilwyn Jones 22; Eric Davies v S. James w/o; P. Toomey 21 John Davies 15; D. Newton 21 N. Griffiths 18; M. Thomas 22 M. Gray 4; G. Vigus 7 Don Poole 21; R. Kennion 8 D. Newth 21; M. Donoghue 21 D. K. Thomas 12; R. Rowlands 6 K. Taylor 21; G. Phillips 18 B. Barnikel 21; J. Smalley v J. Dugmore w/o; T. Nutt 21 D. Howells 14; J. Criddle 13 D. Robb 21; D. Hole 21 J. W. Brown 8; S. Arris 21 G. Cavell 12; D. Roberts 21 R. Short 7; S. Evans 21 Les Davies (PD) 14; B. Griffiths 13 M. Dennis 21; B. Deeley 11 Mervyn Davies 21; J. Hole 21 R. Brabon 6; S. Harries 10 C. Smith 21; M. Gouldingay 18; T. Harries 21.

Second round: P. Diment 21 D. Parfit 12; A. Brace 21 J. Tyler 17; P. Carpenter 21 J. Moffat 7; P. Gray 21 J. Norris 19; N. Ruff 21 T. Cummings 15; Dilwyn Jones 21 S. James 9; P. Toomey 21 D. Newton 8; M. Thomas 8 Don Poole 21; D. Newth 21 M. Donoghue 8; K. Taylor 21 B. Barnikel 10; J. Dugmore 14 T. Nutt 21; D. Robb 10 D. Hole 21; S. Arris 6 D. Roberts 21; S. Evans 13 M. Dennis 21; Mervyn Davies 18 J. Hole 21; C. Smith 21 T. Harries 9.

Third round: P. Diment 21 A. Brace 8; P. Carpenter 21 P. Gray 9; N. Ruff 21 D. Jones 13; P. Toomey 8 Don Poole 21; D. Newth 21 K. Taylor 8; T. Nutt 20 D. Hole 21; D. Roberts 21 M. Dennis 18; J. Hole 21 C. Smith 15.

Quarter-finals: P. Diment 19 P. Carpenter 21; N. Ruff 3 Don Poole 21; D. Newth 16 D. Hole 21; D. Roberts 21 J. Hole 20.

Semi-finals: P. Carpenter 21 Don Poole 8; D. Hole 19 D. Roberts 21.

Final: P. Carpenter 21 D. Roberts 20.

Pairs

M. Donoghue and J. Criddle w/o P. Sattersaite; D. K. Thomas and M. James 24 J. Jenkins and M. Gouldingay 12; S. Arris and D. Newton 10 Dilwyn Jones and L. Davies (SF) 24; R. Hurlow and B. Bullen v G. Hughes and Gareth Hughes w/o; J. Evans and S. Evans 12 T. Daniel and D. Davies 18; R. Short and D. Rowlands 12 D. Robb and R. Kennion 13; J. Smalley and D. Roberts 16 R. Brabon and A. Brace 14; C. Smith and J. Lewis 15 P. Toomey and T. Osborne 18.

Second round: M. Donoghue and J. Criddle 11 D. K. Thomas and M. James 24; Dilwyn Jones and L. Davies 18 G. Hughes and Gareth Hughes 23; T. Daniels and D. Davies 16 D. Robb and R. Kennion 18; J. Smalley and J. Roberts bt P. Toomey and T. Osborne; P. Carpenter and B. Deeley 9 D. Newth and T. Preston 16; P. Gray and T. Cummings 18 R. Holly and J. Dugmore 21; S. Dick and M. Dick 9 K. Taylor and G. Spiller 20; J. Moffat and T. Harries 19 M. Brace and Don Poole 16; G. Cavell and D. Roberts 23 L. Guy and H. Guy 18; M. Thomas and N. Griffiths 15 D. Howells and D. Stokes 23; J. Tyler and D. Greaves 9 John Davies and T. Nutt 17; S. Harries 16 J. Jones and E. Gulliver 17; Steven Poole and David Poole - bye; J. Hole and D. Hole 11 G. Harris and L. Davies (PD) 12; G. Phillips and G. Vigus 5 P. Diment and M. Bishop 22; T. Bevan and Mostyn Davies 20 B. Jones and S. James 13.

Third round: D. K. Thomas and M. James 12 Gareth Hughes and Graham Hughes 18; D. Robb and R. Kennion 11 J. Smalley and J. Roberts 20; D. Newth and T. Preston 14 R. Holly and J. Dugmore 16; K. Taylor and G. Spiller 15 J. Moffat and T. Harries 11; G. Cavell and D. Roberts 17 D. Howells and D. Stokes 20; John Davies and T. Nutt 19 J. Jones and E. Gulliver 20; Steven Poole and David Poole 21 G. Harries and L. Davies 7; P. Diment and M. Bishop 14 T. Bevan and Mostyn Davies 10.

Quarter-finals: Gareth Hughes and Graham Hughes 12 J. Smalley and J. Roberts 8; R. Holly and J. Dugmore 20 K. Taylor and G. Spiller 13; D. Howells and D. Stokes 14 J. Jones and E. Gulliver 11; Steven Poole and David Poole 16 J. Baggot and M. Bishop 12.

Semi-finals: Graham Hughes and Gareth Hughes 13 R. Holly and J. Dugmore 28; D. Howells and D. Stokes 14 David Poole and Steven Poole 34.

Final: R. Holly and J. Dugmore 18 David Poole and Steven Poole 27.

John Craig Cup

First round: J. Jenkins 21 T. Daniels 15; J. Norris 21 M. Gouldingay 13; L. Guy 21 G. Vigus 6; S. Dick - bye; D. Davies 21 Most Davies 20; D. Newton 21 J. Criddle 5; T. Nutt 21 M. Thomas 3; G. Phillips 21 K. Rowland 5; B. Deeley 21 R. Short 14; J. Davies 21 S. Arris 11.

Second round: J. Jenkins 14 L. Guy 21; S. Dick 10 D. Davies 21; D. Newton 21 T. Nutt 18; G. Phillips 21 B. Deeley 19; J. Davies v J. Evans (retired); T. Cummings 21 N. Griffiths 14; J. Tyler 21 M. Dick 6.

Quarter-finals: L. Guy 21 D. Davies 3; D. Newton 21 G. Phillips 13; J. Davies 19 T. Cummings 21; J. Norris 21 J. Tyler 19.

Semi-finals: L. Guy 21 G. Phillips 10; T. Cummings 9 J. Norris 21.

Final: L. Guy 21 J. Norris 13.

CLEDDAU 33

ST. ISSELL'S 43

Travelling to play Cleddau normally means a subdued return journey owing to receiving a defeat at the hands of the skilful 'Harfat' girls.

The St. Issell's girls are perhaps trailing their team-mates in the league stakes, but they are playing some cracking bowls themselves and handing out their own shock wins. This was one of them. All the ladies played superbly and deserved their six points bonus.

Rink scores (St. Issell's first, Cleddau skips only):

L. Statters, M. Robb, B. Lawrence, B. Lewis 20; W. Howells 15.

D. Rigden, A. J. Lewis, A. Howells, A. Lewis 23; A. Thomas 18.

ST. ISSELL'S 81 (12 pts.)

MILFORD 69 (2)

Last season, St. Issell's were slow off the mark and everyone was writing them off, only for them to take some scalps and stay well out of the drop zone.

A certain 'sage' who writes for the West Wales Mercury suggested early on, before a bowl had been sent down the green in earnest, that they were certs for the drop this year. I keep looking every week to see if he will admit to making a bit of a boo boo in that respect, but nothing is forthcoming as yet.

On this performance, the teams left for them to play will be more worried about the game than them. They are playing with confidence and, more importantly, are playing as a team, all rinks fighting and encouraging each other if one rink is struggling.

Rink scores (St. Issell's first, Milford skips only):

J. Tyler, D. Greaves, A. Brace, J. Moffat 22; R. Thomas 19.

N. Ruff, R. Morgan, J. Jenkins, D. Robb 16; B. Howells 19.

D. Stokes, S. Dick, D. Newton, D. Roberts 23; P. Collins 19.

R. Kennion, M. Gouldingay, D. Howells, J. Dugmore 20; K. Wood 12.

TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT

It's Friday night and the fun starts here down at the green. The players of St. Issell's and Saundersfoot meet for the first time this season. Both are mid-table and you might think it would be a laid-back affair. 'Not on your nelly'. Friends off the green maybe! But on it? Both are determined to come out 'top dog'. It could be rather interesting!