Buckland hits top form -
WILLIAMS HOLDS NERVE TO SEAL VICTORY
BANGOR City just got the better of Colwyn Bay Legion in an 8-4 nail-biting thriller in the North Wales Coast Bowls League Division A last Saturday. The match result, in the balance all the way, was settled ultimately by the last end of the final game and, to City’s relief and delight, David P Williams held his nerve to beat Mark Lawton 21-19.
That meant the Garth Road hosts ran up a 6-4 lead in games and edged the aggregates by 164-161 points to claim the bonus and victory overall.
But had that particular game gone against the Bangor man by the same 19-21 margin, Legion would have been the winners, while a 20-21 loss would have produced a tie at 5-5 games and 163-163 points.
Bangor had feared the worst earlier, when trailing 1-3 after the first four games, incurring arrears of 29 points, but the stirring recovery was inspired by Gwerydd Buckland posting 21-3.
Beaumaris A, who are jostling among the group of half-a-dozen hopeful teams in the title struggle, had their crunch clash at Blaenau Ffestiniog called off because of bad weather.
Benllech got their own back against Craig-y-Don in Division B, relishing an 8-4 home triumph that avenged an early-season defeat by the same score at their opponents’ green.
The Seasiders’ Will Jones handed in a 21-7 card, while Dennis Taylor earned cheers when he fought back from being 2-16 down to win 21-19.
Other Division B results: Denbigh A 9 Bethesda 3 (Dylan Roberts 21-16); Llanfairpwll 9 (Glyn Roberts 21-5, Gwilym Roberts and Arwel Williams both 21-7) Fron Park 3.
Division C: Second-placed Beaumaris B 8 (Ken Thomas 21-5, Geraint Owen 21-6) leaders Prestatyn Highbury 4; Eirias Park 9 Holyhead 3 (David Wyn Jones 21-9); Holyhead 7 (Dan Rossington 21-5) St Asaph B 5 .
Beaumaris B are the lone local survivors in the North Wales Coast Bowls League’s Handicap Cup and their semi-final will be against Conwy B this Friday.
The knockout is played on a five-athome and five-away basis, with the teams’ points as the determining factor. The other last-four clash, also on Friday, is between Min-y-Don and Colwyn Bay Legion.
Beaumaris B’s opponents, Conwy B, progressed to the semis by beating Llanfairpwll in the long delayed second-round tie, by 210-195 points after the handicaps had been absorbed.
Remarkably, the action at the two greens had produced parity at 165165 points – and the games at 5-5 – but then Llanfairpwll lost out because, whereas their handicap was plus-30, Conwy B had plus-45.
Losers Llanfairpwll had their best solo returns from Meilir Ellinson and Glyn Roberts, both 21-7, at home, and Dion Owen 21-10 away.
Beaumaris’ recent sequence encouraging results in the Welsh
Counties’ Bowls League, which had elevated them to third place, was interrupted by a 6-4 defeat at Llanrwst.
That amounted to a damaging double against the Castlemen, who had lost to their Gwydyr Park rivals by the same margin at their own green back in April.
Now down to fourth place and way off the title pace, Beaumaris at least valued the efforts of Elfyn Jones with 21-14, Barry Harris 21-18 and both Keith Bailey and John Short 21-19.
Match number three out of four for MÔn-Menai bowlers will take place this Sunday when they meet Dudley from Worcestershire in the Federa- of tion of Crown Green Associations’ Championship.
The Division Four fixture will be split between home and away greens, at Caernarfon and the George club in Dudley, with the play based on 12-a-side at both venues.
MÔn-Menai enjoyed a big 23-9 points’ victory over Leeds side Airedale in late May but an under-strength team lost heavily 6-26 to Liverpool/St Helens in late June.
Arrangements are in place for Llanfairpwll to take on Llanrwst, the
Gwynedd Bowls Cup holders from last season, in the 2016 showdown, scheduled for Thursday, August 11, at the Caernarfon club’s green.
The competition, which is based on eight-a-side – four at home and four away – has its final at a neutral venue. In the consolation Glynne Owen
Cup – for Gwynedd Cup first-round losers – the delayed semi-final between Caernarfon and Criccieth has been rescheduled for this Thursday, and, as usual, will be split between home and away.
The winners will meet Beaumaris B in the final, which is already set to be staged at Blaenau Ffestiniog on a date in August to be arranged.
It’s semi-finals day this Friday, July 22, in the Tony Hughes Cup, on offer in the Anglesey/Bangor and District Bowls League’s Monday Division, as the consolation event for the Eric Whitworth Cup’s early losers.
The line-up for the eight-a-side matches, to be decided on the teams’ points’ totals, is Bethesda v Llangefni at Llanfairpwll and Holyhead v Penygroes at Menai Bridge.
Winning captain Gary Buckland was presented with the Eric Whit
worth Cup, after his Bangor City team clinched a 139-122 points’ victory over Llanfairpwll in an absorbing final at Beaumaris.
In the Anglesey/Bangor and District Bowls League’s Monday Division
knockout, the games ended equal at 4-4, after Bangor had recovered from being three points down (64-67) in the first four only to dominate by 20 points in the second set.
Gary Buckland led by example, excelling by 21-4, and he was backed up later by brother Gwerydd at 21-8.
Bangor City reclaimed top spot in the Anglesey/Bangor and District Bowls League’s Monday Division when they beat short-term leaders Llangefni 7-3 last week ( July 11).
Whereas Llangefni’s Richard Taylor posted 21-9, Bangor boasted Gary Buckland on 21-6 and Paul Redmond with 21-9.
A few days later, more vital points went Bangor’s way when they beat Caernarfon 8-2 in a rearranged fixture, Gary Buckland 21-3.
The updated placings have Bangor on 105 points, Llangefni 95 and Criccieth also 95, after the last-named team’s 8-2 verdict over Holyhead.
Other scores: Beaumaris 6 (Kevin Fallowes and Derek Stanley both 21-6) Llanfairpwll 4 (Neville Owen 21-10); Benllech 2 Penygroes 8; Caernarfon 4 Menai Bridge 6 ( Jim McKnight 21-4).
Front-runners Llanfairpwll extended their lead to 12 points in the Anglesey/Bangor and District Bowls League’s Wednesday Division by outperforming main title rivals Beaumaris A on their own turf.
The crucial result was 8-4 for Llanfairpwll, Gwerydd Buckland on 21-8.
Bethesda were 10-2 superior to Beaumaris B, son and father Sion Guto and John Roberts proving a dynamic duo with 21-7 and 21-9 victories.
Bangor City’s John Short emerged from a high standard entry of 32 bowlers drawn across the North Wales coast area to win the Hwfa and Beryl Roberts Memorial Singles’ competition at Llanfairpwll. But Short had to battle hard to complete his triumph, edging the final against Abergele’s Jason Jones 21-20 after he had been 16-20 down.