TAFF ELY BOWLS

ON the seafront of Aberavon, the stadium for the Port Talbot bowls club was the venue for the Taff Ely bowlers to make their first appearance against the last season’s relegation side from the National Premier Division.

The Port Talbot club who are currently unbeaten in the National East League along with their visitors who have won two of their three games and drawing the other, the opening of the first third of the game saw the Taff bowlers showing a determined performance with the stadium’s electronic scoreboard showing the Taff Ely club in front by 39 shots to 32 shots.

With a single and a double scored against them after two ends, Mike Coughlin, Jack Griffiths, Mark Saunders and Brian Stock, who following his transfer to the Taff Ely club has contributed immensely to the strength of the side, led 9-4 at 7 ends including hitting their opponents for a count of 6 shots, maintained their lead throughout the rest of the match to earn their rink points with a cushion of 8 shots to their credit.

Level at 6-6, with a last-minute change to the team, incoming Colin Randell along with his cousin Ian Randell skipping the team and with Rob Richards and Rob Williams filling the second and third positions, powered their way to a 16-7 lead by completion of two thirds of their keen battle.

Suffering a count of 5 shots and a double on the 18th and 19th ends, Randell and Co shrugged off a late rally from their hosts by clinching their rink points by a 3 shots margin.

Ken Cullen, Paul Bailey, Howard Pullin and Mark Thomas with their lead of 8-1 saw their advantage slip with a rally from the hosts during the midway stages of the encounter, where, by the 14th end the scores levelled at 11 apiece.

Two triples and a double scored by the hosts in contrast to 4 singles from the Taff side robbed the travelling club of their rink points.

Trailing by a single shot 7-8 Bryn Roberts, Charlie Foulkes, Tom Cannon and Reg Rand saw their deficit increased to 8 shots by the 14th end.

Despite throwing their increased efforts into the final stages the deficit was reduced by a further two shots.

Had the two remaining teams of the Taff club had a more comfortable afternoon the host club could have faced their visitors in conquering their unbeaten record. Colin Jones, Leighton Gowen, Dave Randell and Alan Malkin level at the 7th end 4-4.

With the game poised for a very tight battle ahead on the first hour plus completed – a cruel twist to the fortunes of the encounter where both sides stunned to see a delivery by the host skip take an unpresented deviation to rob the Taff team in holding two shots to a five shots against.

Recovering 2 shots on the next end a further disaster was about to take place on the 10th end.

A count of 7 shots devastated the visitors and despite every effort to regain their composure the hosts boosted by their lead which increased to a 21-shot advantage to gain the rink points.

Captain Adrian Dash 5-9 in deficit and an increasing amount of shots not in favour to his supporting team, Gerry Edwards, Graham Cross and Simon Coughlin on the following ends, where by the 14th end a count of 5 shots to be suffered, added to a further 5 shots which took place at the 10th end – the shots against increased to the completion of the match and with a final deficit of 24 shots, the whole game turned in favour to the host club where two of the six teams for the Taff club, had it not the misfortune of an uncomfortable afternoon, the bowlers of the Taff Ely club might well have come away from the seaside resort with a more beneficial result.

With this first national fixture between the two clubs played in a wholehearted, spirited and respectable atmosphere, the Taff Ely club can look to the New Year’s return fixture at the Goods Yard Stadium for another interesting encounter.

TAFF ELY ........94 SHOTS WITH 4 POINTS PORT TALBOT ........... 138 SHOTS WITH 18 POINTS

Rink Scores: B Stock 22-14. I Randell 20-17. M Thomas 15-19. R Rand 1925. A Malkin 9-30. A Dash 9-33

Continuing with their domestic Over-60s singles competitions on Sunday, Ken Hawkins defeated Gareth Pugh, while Peter Andrei and Howard Pullin went into the next round. With the score locked at 18 apiece the three valuable shots were gained by Andrei with a double and a single. Mark Thomas faced opponent Tony Hughes who had a comfortable margin of shots gained, and requiring two shots to progress further, Thomas requiring 12 shots, sustained a consistent amount of ends which included two triples to oust Hughes from the contest.

With a locked scoreline of 13 shots, Tommy Cannon and Jim Smith also had a marathon of ends to decide who would progress.

Having taken 17 ends to the locked 13 shots, a further 9 ends were completed with Smith advancing to the next round.

There were wins for Reg Rand and Alan Malkin who ousted Rob Richards and Roger Thomas respectively.