Welsh triples champions

Saundersfoot Bowling Club trio, Ann Lewis, Ceris Hewlings and Kath Blayney, have been celebrating after winning the Welsh triples competition.

The three were crowned winners after an exciting final at Parc Howard, Llanelli, on Monday.

They beat a strong Pen-y-glyn threesome, skipped by Marion Gwynne, by two shots to lift the cup.

Ann, Ceris and Kath will now represent Wales in the coveted British Isles Championship in Bangor, Northern Ireland, next June.

It is the first time the triples cup has been won by bowlers in West Wales, although both Saundersfoot and Tenby have come desperately close before.

In fact, only 12 months earlier, Ann and Ceris, then playing with Viv Edwards, were runners-up, having been beaten in the final by a heartbreaking one shot.

Ann, Ceris and Kath would like to thank all family and friends for travelling to Llanelli on both semi-final and finals day to support them.

Since winning, they have been overwhelmed with 'phone calls and messages of congratulations and would like to thank everyone for their good wishes - they are all most appreciated.

Ann and Ceris also came very close to making two finals this year as they also qualified for the semi-finals of the rinks competition, along with Gemma Amos and Viv Edwards.

After another thrilling match which saw the Saundersfoot quartet come from behind in torrential wet weather, they were just pipped by one shot by the eventual winners, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Anwen Butten and her rink from Lampeter.

Saundersfoot were also represented in the two-wood singles semi-final by Gwenda Rees, who had won the zone section earlier in the season. She played the legendary Betty Morgan and after a closely-fought contest bowed out, again to the eventual competition winner.

TENBY 84 (12 pts.)

SAUNDERSFOOT 72 (2)

Saundersfoot travelled the short distance to Tenby last week for their last match in the Pembrokeshire League Division One competition.

Having already won the league title, the home team were always going to be favourites on their own green, but what a fright the villagers gave them, with the result in doubt until the final end.

After five ends, Saundersfoot held a slender one shot lead, which they had extended to eight shots at the halfway mark.

The lead remained the same after 15 ends, although this had been reduced to one shot with three ends to play.

After 20 ends, it was Tenby who held a one shot advantage and in the gathering gloom of the mid-week evening, it was they who showed why they are worthy champions, picking up 11 shots across the green to run out winners by 12.

Captain Simon Evans was nonetheless proud of the Saundersfoot team for coming so close and for doing it without three regular back men who could not make the 5.15 start.

The season overall has been a disappointing one, but with a bit more commitment from the squad to allow more settled teams and rinks to be played, better results could follow next season.

On rink one, Edward Smith, Brian McKehon, Simon Evans and Alan Brain dropped a six on the seventh end, but fought back to draw level after 14 played against Dai Spencer, Ben Simmons and the Guymer twins.

Unfortunately, they then only won two of the last seven ends played to lose overall by 25 shots to 19.

Rink two saw Don Poole skip Graham Hughes, Neil Hensman and John Jenkins against Neil Dickinson, Mike Jackson, Paul Diment and John Roberts and take an early lead.

Indeed, on 13 ends this lead had been extended to 10 shots, but back came JR and his boys to slowly reduce the deficit.

Two counts of four on the 19th and last ends completed the comeback and resulted in them gaining a 25 shots to 23 win, the only time that they had led in the match.

On rink three, George Cavell, Alan Brace, Paul Blayney and Myrddin Dennis also led from the off, but this time they kept their noses in front until the end, winning by 18 shots to 14 over Cameron White, Joe Richards, Pat Currie and Peter Day.

Roy Kennion, Nev Ruff, John Dugmore and Steve Dick were up against Ben Cloake, Gerald Hewitt, Tenby captain Jon Webb and Andrew Muskett and fought hard before going down by 20 shots to 12.

After the normal post-match speeches in the clubhouse, the Saundersfoot chairman, Paul Blayney, thanked Simon Evans, who is taking early retirement from the game to concentrate on family life and his work commitments, for his dedication to both clubs over many years and wished him well for the future.

So the league programme is at an end, but Simon has one more task to perform before he bows out and that is to organise the end of season 'bash' for the squad, details of which should by now be on the club noticeboard.

Under 35s

Congratulations to Joe Dennis who was a member of the Pembrokeshire U35s team who beat Carmarthenshire in their annual fixture at Burry Port recently.

Ladies' meeting

There will be a ladies' meeting tonight (Friday) at 6 pm to discuss the county propositions and any league propositions members wish to be considered. If possible, please bring along the payment for the WWLBA luncheon.

Presentation evening

The club presentation evening takes place on Friday, September 16, 7 for 7.30 pm. A list is on the noticeboard for those wishing to attend to sign.

Management committee

The next management committee meeting is on Tuesday, September 20, at 6 pm.

Election of officers

A nomination form for the election of officers is on the noticeboard. The annual general meeting will be on Thursday, December 1.