ST. ISSELL'S 28

CLEDDAU 48

The ladies of Cleddau made the journey to take on the challenge of St. Issell's and left them gasping after a superb display of bowling. What will not be apparent from the score was the amount of fun that was going on out on the green.

Certainly Shirley Spiller's rink, although on the receiving end of a beating, were having a great old laugh. Mind you, when you are 14 shots to one down, I suppose the only thing to do is laugh, unless you cry.

Ann Lewis's rink were closer, until a run of six dropped shots let county president, Ann Thomas, lead her girls out of danger.

A spirited fight-back by Shirley's girls helped lessen the overall score against.

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

M. Cavell, D. Rigden, B. Lawrence, A. Lewis 12; A. Thomas 20.

A. Williams, B. Davies, M. Robb, S. Spiller 16; W. Howell 28.

ST. BRIDES 59 (2 pts.)

CASTLE 89 (12)

Taking the long journey to Haverfordwest last Sunday, the St. Brides lads were hoping that they might turn the tide back again in their favour. They have been having a bit of a struggle recently. Captain Tony Shaw was determined to try and settle his team, but unfortunately they came up against a rejuvenated Castle squad only managing the one winning rink. They were a bit down, but looking at the league tables, they should hold their heads up. Things are not as bleak as first thought.

Rink scores (St. Brides first, Castle skips only):

L. Waters, S. Dick, R. Pring, L. Davies 13; J. Jones 25.

M. Dick, J. Bingham, T. Osborne, M. Brewer 20; D. Lewis 10.

G. Vigus, J. Criddle, J. Cleaver, G. Philipps 16; D. Phillips 24.

E. Gulliver, K. Rowlands, J. Davies, T. Shaw 10; S. Sedgley 30.

SAUNDERSFOOT

LADIES 33

PARK LADIES 31

You cannot get that much closer than that for a score. This was a real 'Bobby dazzler' of a game, with first one team going ahead, then the other pegging them back and going in front.

Viv Edwards led her rink in a catch-up fight, just missing out at the finish and losing by two shots, while Marion Evans, up against the effervescent Betty James, managed to burst her bubble with a burst of 11 shots over six ends to win by four in a real nail-biter.

Rink scores (Saundersfoot Ladies first, Park Ladies skips only):

A. Hughes, L. Bissell, M. Cummings, M. Evans 19; B. James 15.

A. Davies, E. Shaw, K. Kennion, V. Edwards 14; K. Cole 16.

SAUNDERSFOOT

LADIES 46

TENBY LADIES 24

This return fixture was again played in lovely sunshine and in great spirit. Viv Edwards and Pauline Barnikel were involved in a tight struggle to gain the upper hand, Viv just winning out in the final ends to take a seven-shot margin.

Cynthia Morgan, up against the experienced Mair Marquiss, shot into the lead early on and stayed determined that it was not going to be relinquished. A five count on the last end was the icing on the cake, so to speak.

Rink scores (Saundersfoot Ladies first, Tenby Ladies skips only):

E. Shaw, J. Waters, M. Cummings, C. Morgan 25; M. Marquiss 10.

A. Hughes, C. Griffiths, K. Kennion, V. Edwards 21; P. Barnikel 14.

ST. ISSELL'S LADIES 50

FIVE ARCHES LADIES 22

Still struggling to get some points, the St. Issell's Ladies took to the green with all guns blazing against the Five Arches girls and notched up their long overdue winning bonus.

The Beryl Lewis led rink were slow to get off the mark, but when they did, soared away to beat the Vera Williams girls.

Captain Beryl Lawrence was up against the in-form Alison Redman rink, but showed no mercy, winning by 15 shots.

Rink scores (St. Issell's Ladies first, Five Arches Ladies skips only):

A. Williams, P. Gulliver, A. Howells, B. Lawrence 25; A. Redman 10.

D. Rigden, M. Robb, S. Spiller, B. Lewis 25; V. Williams 12.

SAUNDERSFOOT 124

ABERYSTWYTH TOURERS 105

Aberystwyth will never have to worry about arranging a friendly in the county again. What a smashing friendly bunch of bowlers. The green reverberated with laughter from the word go and it continued late into the night afterwards.

In between times, there was some cracking bowling into the bargain. Definitely one club that will be welcomed back to Saundersfoot with open arms.

Rink scores (Saundersfoot first, Aberystwyth skips only):

N. Griffiths, G. Philipps, D. Howells, B. Lawrence 23; M. Wingle 10.

B. Tombs, P. Bissell, J. Davies, D. Robb 27; R. Owen 24.

A. Hughes, E. Shaw, A. Howells, M. Gouldingay 10; R. Salmon 23.

K. Blayney, G. Dugmore, B. Deeley, K. Kennion 17; L. Lowe 23.

L. Waters, M. Robb, R. Kennion, L. Bissell 24; R. Morgan 10.

C. Griffiths, G. Vigus, T. Shaw, J. Dugmore 23; D. Davies 15.

SAUNDERSFOOT JUNIORS

For many years Kathlene and Paul Blayney have sponsored the club by supplying the polo shirts for matches. Each year they supply new shirts and don't ask for any fuss.

When they heard that the club had started up a junior section, they immediately offered to supply them with polo shirts also. Before last week's first ever match for juniors between Tenby and Saundersfoot, Paul and Kathlene presented junior captain James Criddle with the new shirts.

The youngsters were thrilled and stepped out onto the green determined to repay their kindness by putting on a good show and they certainly did just that. Playing their first ever game as a team, all the youngsters gave of their best and the large group of spectators were treated to a smashing show, with some smart bowling into the bargain.

Rink three saw the Tenby trio take on Pembroke Dock's youngsters and it was the visitors who ran out the winners.

On rink four, Joe Richards, of Tenby, led his rink to a seven-shot win against the Mathew Dick led rink. Next door was a real scorcher, it was even steven at the last end, with Liam McDaid slipping his last wood into the head to take the glory from James Criddle.

Rink scores (Tenby first):

A. McDaid, A. Harley, L. McDaid 13; Lee Cowper, Kirsty Davies, James Criddle 12.

S. Meades, S. Ormond, J. Richards 14; Mathew Gray, Kayley Davies, Mathew Dick 7.

Saundersfoot subs were Gemma Amos and Jasmine Langdon.

L. Thomas, T. Nicholas, D. Mansbridge 10; E. Paige, S. Howard, C. John 18.

This, hopefully, was only the first of many such meetings between the clubs in the area. Certainly, if this standard applies, the future of the clubs will be secure with such talented players coming along.

NEYLAND 85 (12 pts.)

ST. ISSELL'S 61 (2)

St. Issell's were probably hoping for a better result than this, going on Neyland's initial games, but on a cracking but tricky green they only managed to pick up two points.

With other results elsewhere playing havoc with the league placings, things could not get much tighter, both at the top and at the bottom of the league.

While it is early days yet, players will a have to be looking over their shoulder as John swings the axe in the hope of picking up vital points to secure their position in the First Division. The league itself is evening out, with the obvious top group being supported by the bottom five. So come on St. Issell's, changes are being made to hopefully benefit the team and whether you like them or not, we are a team, so let's play as one and stick together as one.

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

S. Dick, R. Morgan, T. Bevan, D. Robb 10; B. Bailey 28.

R. Kennion, J. Tyler, D. Howells, J. Dugmore 18; G. Robson 21.

D. Stokes, D. Greaves, M. Gouldingay, D. Roberts 15; D. Sutton 20.

P. Gray, P. Bissell, A. Brace, J. Moffat 18; A. King 16.

FIVE ARCHES 86 SAUNDERSFOOT 67

Saundersfoot's hopes of regaining the league title that they lost to Tenby last season took a severe knock on Saturday when they were deservedly beaten by an unfancied Five Arches (writes Spectator).

The Tenby second string had lost their first five outings and must have feared the worst from a Saundersfoot side that last season had run up an 85-shot victory in the corresponding fixture.

In the early stages the game was tight and only three shots separated the teams on five ends, with this being extended to seven at the halfway mark.

Slowly but surely, though, the realisation that there was a possible upset on the cards dawned on the home side and playing with more passion and belief than the visitors, they held off a late rally to run out comfortable winners.

The awesome foursome of Jeff, Ken, Tony and skip David Poole again failed to fire on all cylinders and this disappointing performance helped contribute to the defeat, although it took a marvellous last wood by opposing skip Dave King-Thomas to snatch victory by two shots.

Myrddyn Dennis's rink, too, should have done better, but having found themselves eight shots to two in front at eight ends, lost their way and conceded 14 shots without reply on the next six ends, never quite recovering from this reversal.

Don Poole, aided and abetted by George Cavell and the two Johns (Smalley and Roberts), won for the eighth time in nine outings, albeit by the narrowest of margins against the evergreen Ray Holly.

But it was on the rink where Steven Poole came up against Mike Crockford that the real damage was done.

The Arches captain certainly led by example and put in a superlative performance, rescuing his rink on several occasions when Saundersfoot counts were realistic possibilities.

The final rink score of 26 shots to 11 did not accurately reflect the encounter, but was more a tribute to Mike's expertise.

'Walking on water' was the phrase that comes to mind and to rub it in, Mike never fell in once!

The final tally of just two points for the villagers was not really enough to keep the pressure on leaders Tenby, although their defeat at the hands of Pembroke Dock at least meant that no more ground was lost.

Rink scores (Five Arches skips only): J. Spiller, K. Taylor, T. Cummings, David Poole 19; D. King-Thomas 21.

G. Hughes, M. Brace, J. Evans, M. Dennis 17; R. Powling 20.

G. Cavell, J. Smalley, J. Roberts, Don Poole 20; R. Holly 19.

A. Brain, B. Deeley, P. Blayney, S. Poole 11; M. Crockford 26.

Tomorrow (Saturday), Saundersfoot travel to Whitland and on Sunday play Neyland away, both fixtures starting at 2.30 pm.