Top two battle it out in the cup as Sporting Lions take the spoils

THE draw for the second round of the Norman Illiffe Cup pitted the current top two in the league table against each other, the unbeaten Trojans travelling to the home of second-placed Sporting Lions.

The match started relatively slowly for the visitors as Dave Brown’s 27.3 was followed by a pair of 26s but soon improved thanks to Phil Hood’s 30.3 and Rob Forman’s 29.5.

However these were outshone by the Lions’ first-half scoring which consisted of Jeanette Mulkeirins’ 28; Glen Dainter’s 29.3; the 29.4s of Todd Astill and Karl Bunting; and Lee Johnson’s 30.3.

The visitors did better after the break with the 27.1s of Mark Smith and Roger Sills; Leigh Hall’s 29.2; and Chris Sills’ 29.4 allowing them to set their hosts a tough 199.9 target but the Lions proved up to the task with Melanie Jenkins’ 29.2 and the 27.2s of Taryn Cockerill and Mollie Harris helping to victory with their 202.8 total.

Taylor & Ayre shot first as they played host to visitors from the New Plough.

Steve Vincent started with a 27.3 which was followed by Paul Griffin’s 26.3. Giles Headley topped the scores in the half with 28.3 after which Phil Steele ended the offering with 25.1.

For the visitors Paul Barwell scored 26 and Daniel Lakin 26.1, Jake Broth- erhood recorded a 28.3, and Darren Statham closed out with 25.1.

After the supper break Aly Steele scored 27.3 for the hosts, followed by Alison Smith who started and finished her 28.2 with clean bulls, then Darren Hicks shot the match’s high score with 29.4.

The Ploughmen responded with 28.2 and 28.4 from John and Tom Bray respectively, and Nigel Hill’s 27 but these weren’t enough to prevent T&A running out winners, scoring 191.8 to the New Plough’s 189.1.

Ashby Road ‘B’ claimed a place in the semi-finals thanks to a four shot victory at the home of Smallshaws.

The home side held the advantage at the half way stage as scores of 27.1 from Bobby Wainwright, 28.3 from Rob Wainwright, and 29.1 from John Stevenson were countered by Neil Price’s 27.1 and Jon Storer’s 29.4 but the second half followed a very different pattern.

Jackie West’s 27.2 was the home side’s only significant second half score whereas Ashby Road counted Mike Sansome’s 30.2 and Jeff Goodyer’s 28.2 to take them to victory by a score of 192.2 to 188.0.

It was a busy night at the Bedworth Ex Servicemen’s Club where not only was there the cup match against the travelling Ashby Road, but also a league match between the two, postponed from earlier in the season.

The visitors went first in the cup match but struggled to take advantage with the only notable scores in their first half being Paul Holyland’s 27.1 and David White’s 28.3.

Bedworth’s first half response was much more assured as Mick Cryer’s 29.1 preceded Andrew Cryer’s 30.4, James Bend’s 28.3, Robert Wagstaff’s 28.1, and Jackie Bend’s 27.2.

Ashby Road improved slightly after the break with a Seamus Moore 27.2 and an outstanding 30.5 from Pete Finney but the resulting 188.3 was never going to be enough, and so it proved as Bill Bend’s 30.3 took his team’s total to 196.4.

The result of the rearranged league match was much closer as Bedworth shot marginally worse whereas Ashby Road did slightly better.

In this match it was Bedworth who led the way with Mick Cryer’s opening 27 being followed by a Jackie Bend 27, the 29s of Andrew Cryer and Robert Wagstaff, and the 30s of James Bend and Bill Bend.

The resulting 193 was just enough to take the points as Ashby Road finished one short with a 192 reply that included Richard White’s 27; the 28s of Paul Holyland, David White and Pete Finney; and a 29 from Seamus Moore.

Twelve minutes later, though, it was Sheffield who had edged ahead. In what became a theme running through the game, despite some promising handling, poor Hinckley discipline led to a series of penalty awards against the home side, three of which visiting scrum half Steve Depledge was able to convert.