Lions and Ashby Road both score 186 in league game
ASHBY Road ‘B’ shot their first home match of the season against the visiting Sporting Lions but seemed to struggle on their own target as they kicked off with back-to-back 25s.
Kim Baker then went one better with his 26 before Jon Storer closed their first half with a 30. The Lions have built their success of previous seasons on the strength of their first half so it was something of a surprise when they responded with a Lee Johnson 26 and the 27s of Todd Astill and Jeanette Mulkeirins. The home side improved slightly in the second half with a Mike Sansome 27 and Jeff Goodyer’s 28 but the resulting 186 wouldn’t normal- ly have troubled their guests. Fortunately for them the visitors were below strength so that despite Melanie Jenkins’ 28 and Glen Dainter’s 30 the Lions couldn’t beat the Ashby Road total, instead matching it as they too finished on 186.
The result of the match between the Hounds and Bedworth Ex Servicemen’s Club was entirely predictable as Bedworth, perennially low on numbers, travelled without two of their regulars and so numbered just five. Those five all did admirably well with Mick Cryer’s opening 27 preceding the 28s of Andrew Cryer, Klaus Baker and Robert Wagstaff, and James Bend’s 29, but the resulting 140 was always going to be beaten, however badly the Hounds shot. As it turned out the Hounds also shot well as Richard Greene’s 26 combined with the 27s of Leanne Simpson and Chris Allen, the 29 of Lee Foskett in just his third match, and a closing 30 from Paul Huddlestone to take them to 188. The New Plough Inn clearly relished being at their home venue for their match against Trojans as they improved on their previous week’s away total by five clear shots. Daniel Lakin led the way for them with a solid 26 and as this was followed by the 27s of Paul Barwell and Darren Statham; the 29s of John Bray and Nigel Hill; and Tom Bray’s 30, the resulting 193 total gave them very real hopes of upsetting their unbeaten guests. Sadly for them the Trojans response was just that little bit better with successive opening 27s from Nigel Jackson and Dave Brown being followed by Darren Houghton’s 28; the 29s of Mark Smith and Chris Sills; and Phil Hood’s 30, all of which contributed to their 195 total.
Taylor & Ayre also maintained their one hundred percent record thanks to a comfortable win at the Barwell home of Smallshaws. The home side shot reasonably well with four 25s; a couple of 26s from Chris Slimm and Jackie West; Bob West’s 28; and Tom Williams’ 29 but the resulting 184 proved inadequate as T&A responded with a 196 total made up of the 27s of Alyson Steele, Glenn Foxon, John Orton and Paul Griffin; Norman Hall’s excellent 28; and the 30s of Giles Headley and Alison Smith.
Matches between Hinckley Phoenix and Ashby Road tend to be close affairs and their first meeting of the season at the home of the former did nothing to buck that trend. The visitors shot first and set Phoenix a target of 184 thanks to the 26s of Alison Finney and Neil Smith; the 27s of Paul Holyland and Seamus Moore; and Pete Finney’s closing 28. It soon became clear that this match was going to be as close as previous ones as Phoenix responded with their own 26s (courtesy of Tracy Allen, Luke Bown and Barry Robinson) and 27s (from Tony Overton and Karen Bown), all of which left the Phoenix captain, Ian Ratheram, needing to shoot well to take the match. Thankfully for his team he managed to give his best account of the season so far to score the 29 that took the Phoenix total to 186 and give them victory by two shots.