Bears enjoy Cup cruise past Dorset

WARWICKSHIRE made the first of two trips to Chippenham Town BC to face Dorset, this one in the Middleton Cup.

A blustery afternoon saw the Bears ease past Dorset 117-101 to progress to the next round against Cornwall.

Mark Smith (Avenue Leamington), Harry Billington (Whitnash), Luke Horne and Adam Smith (both Avenue Leamington) started quickly, seven shots clear at the halfway stage. With five ends to play the lead was still seven, a couple of trebles helped Smith and co complete a 25-15 win. This game also saw Adam Smith awarded his 25th Middleton Cup badge.

Keith Avery, Scott Ashby (both Nuneaton), Gary Langford (Sherwood Park) and Graham Ashby (Nuneaton) also got off to a good start but were all square midway through. A four on the fifteenth and nineteenth ends took Ashby’s rink to a 21-14 victory.

Tom Wheeler (Rugby), Martin Timms (Welford), Dave Fallon (Nuneaton) and Dan Box (Welford) trailed by six after ten ends but fought back to parity with four ends to go. Dorset took a single, Box and co replied with a brace of trebles before dropping another single, the Bears winning 22-18.

Andy Prickett (Welford), Darren Ward (Rugby), Adam Shuttleworth (Whitnash) and Mark Ireland (Erdington Court) had to settle for the scores being level after 17 ends, Ireland’s rink finished better to seal an 18-15 victory.

Ewan Mason (Rugby), Stuart Davis, Keith Wooding (both Avenue Coventry) and Andy Walters (Welford) had a mixed start, reaching ten ends on seven all.

Walters’ rink built up a lead, four up with one end to go.

But an astonishing end saw Dorset finish with a seven to win 20-17. Martyn Murley (Nuneaton), Rob Maries (Welford), Jordan Ward and Tom Millership (both Rugby) had to twice come from behind to reach ten ends level. But Dorset went on to win 19-14.