A number of Spalding Indoor Bowls Club talents are involved in national area finals over the next few weeks.
Congratulations are already in order for Matt Whyers, Martin Spencer and Graham Smith and Chantal and Martin Spencer, who have qualified to the national finals in the men’s triples and family pairs respectively.
Whyers, Spencer and Smith won their area final at Melton on Wednesday against a triple skipped by Leicester’s Vic Adams.
A tough start for the Spalding trio saw them fall 5-1 behind after four ends however, after fighting back to five shots all, picked up five shots to give themselves some breathing space and eventually win 20-6.
At Grantham on Saturday, Spencer partnered his cousin Chantal, in the area final of the family pairs against the Alcock brothers, James and Tom from Charnwood.
Chantal and Martin Spencer were in control throughout and ran out comfortable 25-10 winners.
Elsewhere, Smith partnered Stephen Harris in the men’s pairs area final on Tuesday at Melton against Barwell’s Chris Moore and Joe Dawson.
Unfortunately, Harris and Smith dropped a count of four on the last end to miss out on the national men’s pairs finals by a single shot, 14-15.
On the ladies’ scene, congratulations also to Lauren Finbow, Danielle Wild, Ruby Hill and Chelsea Tomlin, who have qualified to the national finals in the ladies’ fours.
In their area final at Grantham on Sunday, they beat a Barwell four skipped by former Commonwealth Games bowler Jamie-Lea Winch.
The Spalding girls started well and extended their lead before the Barwell rink accepted defeat at 19-6.
Hill and Tomlin also enjoyed qualification in the ladies’ pairs.
Still defending their title that they won almost 12 months ago, their area final was played at Melton on Monday against Barwell’s Val Hobart and Helen Lewis-Wall.
In a match where the momentum went one way and then the other, it always seemed destined to go the distance and was decided on an extra end.
The Spalding pairing won the extra end and secured their qualification by the narrowest of margins (14-13).
Tomlin has also qualified in the ladies’ two bowl and four bowl singles.
Due to unfortunate circumstances, her opposition in the area final had to concede.
National finals this season are being held at Nottingham Indoor Bowls Club on dates between March 21 and April 15.
Spalding still has a lot of interest in more area finals over the coming week.
The fixtures are as follows: Men’s Fours – Matt Whyers, Graham Smith, Martin Spencer and Mathew Orrey v Chris Rodgers (Melton) (match played yesterday, result not known as we went to press); Men’s Singles (today) – Matt Whyers v Neil Hope (Melton); Men’s Two Bowl Singles (tomorrow) – Stephen Harris v Joe Dawson (Barwell).
- Spalding Indoor Bowls Club’s mixed league team hosted Louth.
Winning on three of the five rinks, Spalding won 106-91 and 14-4 on points.
The top winning rink was skipped by Maurice Elding, with Irene Blackman, June Taylor and Dave Coleman.
Spalding are currently top of the Lincolnshire mixed league Division One, but both Boston and Louth have two games in hand, being 14 and 15 points behind respectively.
- Spalding IBC was the venue for a friendly between Spalding Probus Club and Lincolnshire Vice Presidents on Saturday.
Members from Spalding, Stamford, Lincoln and as far up the county as Scunthorpe took part in the friendly match.
The game was played in total competitive enjoyment on all rinks as befits the best that the game stands for.
The Probus Club edged ahead in the early stages and continued to build on their lead, eventually winning comfortably by a resounding fifty shots, 114-64.
Spalding Probus Club won on five of the six rinks. The top winning rink was skipped by Roger Perkins, with Derek Overton, Edna Perkins and Ken Challans, who had an exceptional 33-7 win.
Roger Perkins was also the captain for the day.
- Spalding IBC’s men’s team played away at Skegness last week.
In a game which was close throughout and went to the wire, with two winning rinks out of five, Spalding narrowly lost 95-97 and 4-14 on points.
Top winning rink was skipped by Martin Simpson, with Steve Hill, Harry Mycock and Stuart Callaby, who won 26-10.
Rink scores: Martin Simpson – 26-10; Don Churchman – 27-15; Graham Smith – 14-17; John Needham – 14-22; Maurice Elding – 14-33
