News Update
“Marine Gardens caps winning week with thrilling tie”
(May 04, 2019)Tuesday 30/04 and Marine Gardens welcomed their friends from Steyning BC for a social match comprising 5 triples. The game was competitive throughout, but the final tally revealed the hosts victorious on 4 out of 5 rinks and by 95 shots to 72. Top rink prizes for Marine were awarded to skip Ivan Godsmark; ably supported by David Smart and Francis Fahey. Fact of the day; courtesy of the Steyning skip; George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of America 230 years ago, 30 April 1789. Nothing to do with bowls but it might help you win a pub quiz!
Rink scores summarised thus –
Steve Davis, Albie Marsella & skip Brian Fuller; 14 shots v YPE DeBoer 10 shots
David Smart, Francis Fahey & skip Ivan Godsmark; 27 shots v P Baker 13 shots
Harry Tattersall, Terry Urben & skip Mike Hitchin; 21 shots v J O’Neill 15 shots
Terry Ashley, John Nettleingham & skip Dennis Martin 14 shots v R Strong 13 shots
Mary Etherington, Keith Doughty & skip Jim Back 19 shots v S Barnes 21 shots
Marine Gardens 95 shots / Steyning 72 shots; Marine won by 23 shots
Thursday 02/05 and despite threatening skies Marine completed a 4-rink friendly against local rivals Arundel. Once again home advantage; backed up by some tenacious bowling, proved too strong for the visitors as Marine emerged the winners on 3 out of 4 rinks, and by a margin of 21 shots; 76 to Marine & 55 to Arundel. Top rink for the hosts was again snaffled by Ivan Godsmark; with strong support coming from Brian Vernau, Fred Knight and Dennis Crossweller. The rink skipped by Gill Vernau had a good afternoon; trailing by 11 shots to 15 after 16 ends, they surged forward to take 4 of the last 5 ends and secure a win by 21 shots to 18. Rink score summarised as follows –
Brian Vernau, Fred Knight, Dennis Crossweller & skip Ivan Godsmark 21 shots v J Lee 9 shots
Roger Parrish, George Tracey, Noel Stevenson & skip Dave Mugridge 20 shots v A Emery 10 shots
Reg Perkins, Shaun Coppard, David Smith & skip Gill Vernau 21 shots v J Kinnard 18 shots
David Hughes, Albie Marsella, Anne Knight & skip Francis Fahey 14 shots v C Hill 18 shots
Marine Gardens 76 shots / Arundel 55 shots; Marine won by 21 shots
Friday 03/05 and Marine Gardens played their first competitive match of the new season, away to top local club Worthing Pavilion. The Brodie Tray format comprises 1 rink, 2 triples and 1 pair. The greens at Pavilion are always true and the pace often presents a challenge for unwary visitors. However, the Marine team stuck to their task and the overall scores remained close throughout. In these matches it is not always about how many shots you win, but how many you avoid conceding. In one of the triples games skip Pauline Hughes was 6 shots down with 1 bowl to play on the penultimate end. She played a terrific delivery, springing the jack back to 2 waiting Marine bowls. This meant an 8 shot turnaround; from 6 down to 2 up, and when the final scores were tallied it was to prove highly significant.
Marine Gardens won 2 rinks and lost 2 rinks; 72 shots in the bag. For the hosts Pavilion, also 2 winning rinks and an identical 72 shots! A thrilling tie with each side taking 5 league points.
Scores summarised thus –
David Smart, John Nettleingham & skip Mike Hitchin 25 shots beat T Baldwin 14 shots
Harry Tattersall, Terry Urben & skip Pauline Hughes 11 shots lost to K Chapman 23 shots
Steve Davis, Leon White, Jill Colbourn & skip Albert Leatham 21 shots beat A Palmer 16 shots
Jenny Ashman & skip Ivan Godsmark 15 shots lost to B Martin 19 shots
Marine Gardens 72 shots / Worthing Pavilion 72 shots; match tied
Saturday 04/05 and a successful week for Marine was rounded off perfectly by the annual President’s Match. Club President Jill Colbourn welcomed a full green of 48 members; plus, guests, to 15 ends of fun in the sun; albeit with a cruel wind. The festivities commenced with a spider, with match secretary Bob Cole snaring a large bottle of whisky for finishing closest to the jack. The internal game followed with the Spotties playing the Non-Spotties; the Spotties winning by 104 shots to 74. But the scores were secondary, of far greater importance was securing a place in the queue for the splendid buffet tea, which was kindly laid on by the President, with help from a few friends. Out of the wind and with a pavilion full of happy members, each armed with a full plate of goodies and a warm cup of tea, much chatter & laughter ensued.
The raffle was well supported, with the final prize of a large tub of chocolates going to delighted junior member Jackson Joyce.
And the captain’s charity; Meningitis Now, benefitted from a fierce bidding war over a home-made cake courtesy of Heather Marsella. From an opening bid of .50p things escalated into a 2-horse race between 2 members; the internet bidding from China being ruled out for security reasons; a very generous offer of £15 finally securing the spoils.