WITH only two defeats in nine games, including one by the narrowest of margins, it was a much more satisfactory week for Alcester Bowling Club.
Although they were defeated by 25 shots when they visited Black Horse A in Division Three of the Northfield League, Alcester did manage to salvage four points from the winning cards of John Alderson (21-13), Dave Hovell (21-16), Ken Harvey and Jean Bannister (both 21-17).
The hosts also had four winners, but by larger margins, to finish the day with six points.
Alcester continued their successful run in the South & West Birmingham Over 60s League as both sides once more achieved wins.
In Division Six the A team visited Bournville Sports B and, with five out of six players returning winning cards, swept to a 45-shot winning margin.
Successful for the visitors were Jean Craddock (sublime at 21-5), Renny Bannister (21-7), John Slater (21-11), Jean Bannister (21-14) and David Whittington (21-17) to give Alcester 11 points against the hosts’ one.
The B team in Division Seven went one better and achieved a full house of winners when they hosted Hockley Heath B to gain a 10-0 victory.
Winners for Alcester were Trish Barry with an excellent 21-5 success, David Hodgson (21-11), Red Masterson (21-15), Eric Allport and Geoff Spiers (both 21-17) and Margaret D’Elia (21-20).
With superb cards from John Slater (21-2), Renny Bannister (21-5) and John Alderson (21-6), Alcester’s A team returned to winning ways in Yardley Wood Super League Division Two with a 19-shot win at home to Henley A.
Dave Hovell (21-16) added a fourth winning card to give the home team a 28-12 success.
In Division Four the B team again visited Hockley Heath B and were again victorious, gaining a 45-6 reward for their 20-shot win.
This was, it has to be said, mainly due to the home side’s inability to field an opponent for Carole Slater, who thus collected a 21-0 walkover. They also had four other wins from Gill Evans (excellent at 21-7), Geoff Spiers and Jean Craddock (both 21-15) and Margaret D’Elia (21-18).
Heart of England League action saw the A team entertain Black Horse A in Division Two and, with six winning cards, Alcester cruised to a 36-shot victory and 16 points to the visitors’ two.
Winners for the hosts were Brian Lees (superb at 21-4), Renny Bannister (21-10), Dave Hovell (21-14), Jean Bannister and John Alderson (both 21-17).
For the third day in succession, Alcester B visited Hockley Heath B, this time in Division Four of the Heart of England League.
In a desperately close game Alcester eventually had to concede defeat by just three shots. Both sides had four winning cards, with Alcester’s coming from Margaret D’Elia (21-16), David Whittington and David Sutor (both 21-17) and Val McDermott (21-19), whilst Trish Barry came agonisingly close to victory before losing 21-20 as Hockley Heath gained a 14-4 success.
In the over 60s section of the Heart of England League Alcester A hosted Wythall A and gained a much-needed win by 12 shots.
They had four winners in Renny Bannister (21-8), Margaret D’Elia (21-11), Jean Bannister (21-12) and Ken Craddock (21-15), which gave them a 14-2 win.
The B team travelled the short distance to Wootton Hall B for their Division Five match and, although they had four out of six winners, one of them (David Whittington) a 21-0 success, the overall winning margin was only a nail-biting three shots.
Other Alcester winners were John Williamson and Trish Barry (both 21-18) and David Hodgson (21-19), which gave the visitors 14 points to just two for the hosts.
