FOR the second week in succession, Alcester Bowling Club won five out of the seven matches played, although they had home advantage in the majority of the games.
In recent weeks the team in Division Three of the Northfield League have been slipping down the table but a 49-shot win at home to Weoley Castle Working Men’s Club B restored them to mid-table.
A superb 21-3 card from John Alderson set them on their way and there were also wins for Geoff Spiers (21-11), Ken Harvey (21-12), Dave Hovell (21-14), Jean Bannister and Trish Barry (both 21-16) to give Alcester nine points to the visitors’ one.
Once again the biggest victory of the week came in Division Six of the S&W Birmingham Over 60s League.
The difficult Solihull Marsh Lane green was viewed with some apprehension by Alcester’s A team, but worries soon disappeared as they swept to a 64-shot success with all six players returning winning cards.
Leading the rout was Renny Bannister with a magnificent 21-0 result, followed by Ken Craddock (superb at 21-5), John Slater (21-10), Ken Harvey (21-13), David Whittington (21-14) and Jean Bannister (21-20). The win gave Alcester 12 points to the hosts’ nil.
Renny Bannister again led the way for Alcester in Division Two of the Yardley Wood Super League the following evening when the A team entertained Warstock.
Renny produced a 21-7 card as Alcester won by 17 shots. Other Alcester winners were John Slater (21-11), Ken Harvey (21-12), Dave Hovell and Carole Slater (both 21-19).
Alcester thus gained 30 points to the visitors’ nine.
Having beaten Austin British Legion B away from home in Heart of England League Division Two the previous week, the team were fully expecting another win in the return game.
Their confidence was not misplaced as a 32-shot success resulted to give them a 16-2 victory.
Alcester’s winners were Dave Hovell, Ken Harvey (both 21-8), Brian Lees (21-9, his eleventh 11 win of the season without defeat), John Alderson (21-13), John Slater (21-16) and Renny Bannister (21-20).
The worst defeat of the week, if not of the season, befell the B team in Division Four on their visit to Kings Norton A. With half of the team losing to single figures and not a single winning card, they crashed to a 91-shot humiliation.
In the over 60s section of the Heart of England League, Alcester A entertained Colebrook A in Division One and Alcester’s only winning card came from Ken Craddock (21-11) as they slid to a 31-shot defeat, once more making relegation an all too likely possibility.
In the final match of the week, the B team visited Henley B in Division Five and an excellent 21-6 card from David Hodgson, together with wins for Geoff Spiers (21-13) and John Williamson (21-16), gave the visitors a narrow seven-shot win. This gained them 13 points to the hosts’ three.
