Last Sunday morning saw Spalding Lightning Bowls Club’s mixed national Top Club match at home against the defending national champions Barwell.
Although Lightning were missing a few of their experienced players, they did manage a tight aggregate victory with three out of the five disciplines and so collecting a 8-8 (93-77 on shots) win.
Once again, the two bowl singles were won strongly by both Chelsea Spencer (21-11) and Graham Smith (21-11) so with two points available for each of these matches saw an early Lightning 4-0 lead.
In the pairs and fours games, the opposition proved too strong and always maintained a good lead in their contests both succeeding by eight shots respectively; however the triples got in front early and stayed there to win by 12 shots as the match reached a conclusion and Lightning got the victory.
The next match is the national quarter final against former runners-up Norfolk Bowling Club and will be played at a neutral venue on Sunday, January 18.
The winner of this tie will qualify for the national finals at Nottingham IBC with the semi final and final played over two days in late March.
Rink scores: Ladies’ Singles – Chelsea Spencer won 21-11; Men’s Singles –Graham Smith won 21-11; Pairs – Tracy Philpott and Calvin Leuty lost 15-23; Triples – Danielle Wild, Dan Mills and Stephen Harris won 22-10; Fours – Louise Harris, Karen Martin, Martin Spencer and Mathew Orrey lost 14-22.
- The Spalding Lightning national ladies’ over 60s Mason Trophy team continued their campaign in the third round versus Boston IBC last Friday.
It was a successful start in the new year for both them and the competitive club fixtures with another close victory by 35 shots to 27.
The home rink of Shelia Chamberlain, Sue Slayven, June Taylor and Maisie Belding were very close all the way through their game until the 17th end where they scored a big count of five shots and put themselves in a very favourable position managing to win in the finish 19-11.
The away rink of Ann Newbury, Gill Haydon, Mandy Parkins and Maggie Wheatley also had a tight encounter throughout.
After Lightning got a healthy 7-1 lead after five ends, the Boston ladies, at their venue, dug their heels in to get in front, only for Spalding to respond with vigour and their tie finished as a 16-16 honourable draw; therefore Lightning won the match on aggregate by eight shots.
The fourth round will take place on Friday, January 16 versus Lincoln IBC.
- It has been a very good start to the calendar year for the club’s junior member, Jessica Butters who qualified for the semi finals of the Lincolnshire county under 15 singles at Stamford IBC last Saturday.
This match is to be played on Sunday, March 8 at Lincoln IBC alongside the other LIBA men’s and mixed county semi finals.
Butters went on to play in the early rounds of the Lincolnshire county ladies’ under 18 singles at Lincoln IBC last Sunday but she just fell short in the tie break at the semi final stage.
- Commiserations to the Lincolnshire WIBA ladies’ Midland Counties team, just losing out in their second match of the season 97-99 versus Nottinghamshire WIBA at Boston IBC last Sunday. The players representing Lincolnshire from Spalding were Maisie Belding and Maggie Wheatley.
