The Spalding and District League (sponsored by Vital Recruitment) held the round robin stage of the Roy Gibson Memorial Rose Bowl competition last week.
Some 26 league members turned out for this event which is played over a best-of-three legs to 31 format, each player starting on a handicap varying from four to 25.
It was a busy night which went well past normal finishing time. The players split into four groups, two sevens and two sixes, with 169 ends played over 72 games.
The four lowest handicaps were split between the groups, as much to try and shorten matches as a seeding.
Group A’s seven saw two players go clear on 5/6. Tom Coley (25 handicap) and Guntars Briedes (17) progressed, with the former given top spot because of his win in their tie. They were clear of Dave Coley (19), Dave Gibson (7) and Keith Davey (17) on 3/6.
Group B provided the real headache for the organisers with a four-way tie for second.
Sam Wallis (21), with the only unbeaten record on the night, headed Clive Shardlow (23), John Gilbert (5), James Hau (18) and Jon Black (22) who all won 3/6. Their results between themselves eliminated Gilbert and Black, who only scored one point against the others’ two. Hau was declared runner-up as he had beaten Shardlow.
There was another tie in Group C but only two players were involved.
Colin Vertigan (7) took 4/5 to top the group, with Phil Coote (9) and George Wallis (21) both on 3/5.
Coote, having beaten, Wallis went through.
Richard Matthews (17) took Group D with 4/5 with Reece Kerry (15) and Daniel Dorey (18) a point behind. Dorey was awarded second place as he won their game.
The quarter-finals will see Coley meeting Dorey, Wallis against Coote, Vertigan playing Hau and Matthews facing Briedes.
Coley had a busy night as he somehow managed to fit in two league games from the unfinished Team Equinox/Hurricane Brothers match.
The Wallis brothers took both games which levels them up with Young Guns with games in hand over all the teams above them.
