Cheltenham claim County Cup

» CHELTENHAM Bowling Club regained the County Challenge Cup last week, winning on all three rinks against Olveston BC from Bristol.

Apart from a purple patch between 2007 and 2016, when Cheltenham won the trophy nine times, the club’s success in this competition has been patchy, winning the cup only nine times in the 100 years between its inception in 1905 and 2006.

The first County Cup winner was Rodborough Bowling Club, with other entrants coming from clubs in Gloucester, Stroud, Longford, Cheltenham, Painswick, Stonehouse and King’s Stanley.

In that inaugural year, Cheltenham BC were beaten by Rodborough at Painswick in the semi-final.

The Rodborough club closed in 2005 and is among a number of former County Cup winners that no longer exist, namely Longford, Vauxhall, Greyfriars, National Smelting, Woodlawns and the two pub teams in Cheltenham’s Bath Road, the Exmouth Arms and Norwood Hotel.