West Kirby Victoria Bowling Club

The Vics Wallasey side produced a fine performance last night at a heavy Liscard green, to overcome a 69 shot handicap and Manor Road “B”, to eventually win the Harold Jones Cup preliminary round match by 17 shots. The Vics had 4 crucial single figure winning cards, pulling back 55 of the 69 handicap, with the other 8 cards managing to garner another 31 shots. Jamie Fitzpatrick led the way with an excellent 21-05 win followed closely by Steve Nugent winning 21-06. The last two on the green for the Vics, Anthony Thompson and Matt Gilmore both had vital 21-09 victories with the side still 11 shots behind with the back four on. John Lloyd overcame an early deficit to run out a 21-12 winner and Robby Franklin, resorting to a longer length than normal, had a 21-14 victory.  Dave Gilmore and Robby Fitzpatrick both had 21-15 victories and Ian Sherbrooke posted a 21-16 winning card (lucky beggar, I wonder who he played!!). Billy Atkinson was involved in a tougher game than he wanted to be before coming through 21-18 in the end to give the Vics 10 winners on the night and a deserved passage into the quarter finals against Gladstone Squirrels next Tuesday at Burton’s. Next up a League match at newly promoted Hoylake Central tomorrow night.

Neil “Shergar” Sherbrooke produced another classic display in an excellent 21-02 victory to stride clear at the top of the Vics Birkenhead League averages during the Vics 56 shot double clinching victory over Manor Road on Monday at West Kirby. After having 9 away winners at Manor Road last Friday, the only surprising thing for the Vics in this win was that they only had 8 home winners. John Devlin produced his best display for some time with a comfortable 21-06 win and John Lloyd came in just behind him with a fine 21-07 victory. Mal Andrews continues to impress at the Vics, this time posting a 21-09 winning card and Robby Franklin produced his usual velvet touches during a 21-10 victory. Karl Sherbrooke had a good 21-14 win and Mally Johnson came through a difficult game against Joyce Stead with a 21-16 victory. Brian Leonard, always behind in his match, just nosed in front at the right time to claim a 21-19 victory in a tough game with Jimmy Bunting to complete the Vics winners and give them 7 points out of 7 available so far this season. The Vics are at Cammell Laird on Wednesday for a Sansom Cup tie with Heswall RBL.

The Vics, represented by Bill Atkinson, Jamie Fitzpatrick, Robby Fitzpatrick, Dave Gilmore, Matt Gilmore, Robby Hall, John Lloyd and Anthony Thompson reached the Semi Finals of the prestigious British Crown Green Bowling Association Club Championships at Severnside, Shrewsbury on Sunday. The Vics beat Burbage from Derbyshire in their first round tie and Holme from Cumbria in the Quarter Final before bowing out by 13 shots in the Semi Final against Brighouse from Yorkshire. This was an excellent performance by the Vics squad in our first venture into this competition and with just a bit more luck in the Semi Final the Vics could have progressed further.

The Vics Birkenhead League side travelled to the excellent Manor Road green on Friday and returned with a stunning 9 winners and 59 shot victory. Brian Leonard was the star for the Vics with an excellent 21-07 victory to start his winning campaign for 2008. Frank O’Neill and Mal Andrews both completed 21-10 victories to keep up their winning starts to the season and Neil Sherbrooke won again, this time 21-11. John Lloyd had a fine 21-12 win and there were a couple of comfortable 21-14 victories for Ian Sherbrooke and John Devlin. Robby Franklin posted a 21-15 winning card and Colin Saville won 21-18 for the second game in a row to complete the Vics 9 winners on the night. This was an excellent result for the Vics and Skipper Ian Sherbrooke must be delighted with his teams start to the season. The return with Manor Road is at West Kirby on Monday with a Sansom Cup tie with Heswall Royal British Legion to follow at Cammell Laird on Wednesday.

The Vics Wallasey League team opened their defence of the Division One Title, won for the 7th consecutive season last year, with a resounding 156 shot victory over Queens Royal “B” and 13 points in total at West Kirby last night. Skipper Mally Johnson is however upset that the Vics did not take all 14 points on offer in the fixture as they did last year. The Vics had a massive 8 single figure winners on the night with Billy Atkinson and Ian Sherbrooke virtually untouchable in 21-01 wins. The two Fitzpatrick brothers, Jamie and Robby, each had comfortable 21-05 victories and Mally Johnson won 21-06. Matt Gilmore and Anthony Thompson completed 21-07 wins and Robby Franklin weighed in with a 21-09 winning card. Dave Gilmore had to settle for a 21-10 winning scoreline and both Karl and Neil Sherbrooke completed 21-11 victories to make it 11 winners out of 12 on the night. Poor old John Lloyd had to explain to unforgiving Skipper Mally Johnson why he could only muster a 19-21 losing card against an inspired Tommy McCrystal and despite being outclassed on the night Queens Royal “B” have to be commended on the spirit shown during their defeat. Next up for the Vics is a Harold Jones Preliminary Round tie against Manor Road “B” at Liscard on Tuesday 29th April with the Vics conceding 69 shots to their opponents courtesy of the handicapping committee.

The Vics afternoon “C” team turned in a gallant performance yesterday before finally losing out by 12 shots to Lever Club “A” team in the Centenary Shield Preliminary Round at Royden Hall. The Vics managed three winning cards with Stan Ridgway rolling back the years with a vintage 21-12 victory. Both Calvert Jones and Harold Rutter came through tough encounters to post 21-19 winning cards  and with Arthur Fagan, 18-21 and Eddie Dodd 17-21, the best of the Vics losers, the Vics kept the match close right up until the end. Skipper Brian Buck will be hoping “A” and “B” team calls do not disrupt his side too much when League action returns wi9th a home fixture against Hoylake Marine on Friday May 2nd.

John “Branding Iron” Brandon helped the Vics afternoon “B” team to an excellent 34 shot victory over last years Division Three runners up Capenhurst “B” at Pensby yesterday in the Centenary Shield Preliminary Round, with a resounding 21-06 win. Skipper Derek Thomas, was not far behind with an excellent 21-09 victory and Ian Hamilton celebrated his first afternoon win for the Vics, posting a fine 21-12 winning card. There were hard fought 21-17 victories for Brian Ibbotson and Ernie Peers and Ian Cameron came through a tough test before winning 21-19 to complete 6 winners for the Vics on the day. Dave Bosworth had a titanic tussle in his game before narrowly losing out 20-21 and John Birch, promoted to the “B” team performed commendably before losing 15-21. This was an excellent win for Derek Thomas’s side and the prospects look good for the League campaign which begins again next Wednesday at home to Wallasey Royal British Legion.

The Vics afternoon “A” team overturned a 55 shot handicap against Lever Club “B” in the Centenary Shield Preliminary Round yesterday, to eventually win by 39 shots at a much improved Harrison Park green. The first surprise on a gloriously sunny and warm afternoon at Harrison Park was to find the green completely covered with grass after last years virtually grassless surface. The Vics soon took advantage of the new conditions to condemn the plucky Lever Club side to defeat. With 5 single figure victories for the Vics, Billy Atkinson 21-02, Alan Hughes 21-04, Elwyn Williams 21-05, Peter Dodd 21-07 and Dick Peake 21-09 the Vics were ruthless in their determination to overcome the handicap. The Vics also had three 21-10 winners in Robby Franklin, Mally Johnson and Bernie Owen (suitably well fed after a fish, chips and curry meal just before the start) to seal a comfortable 39 shot win. Next up, a return to League action at Albany next Wednesday.

The Vics Birkenhead League team opened their First Division programme with a comfortable 55 shot home victory against Bromborough Pool last night, with new signings Mal Andrews and Andy Dawson both posting impressive 21-12 winning cards in encouraging debuts. Last seasons averages winner, Neil Sherbrooke, started off with a bang again, winning 21-09. Robby Franklin was also a fine 21-12 winner for the Vics and with two players, Frank O’Neill and Karl Sherbrooke, both having reasonably comfortable 21-14 victories, the Vics were well on their way to a good win. With Skipper, Ian Sherbrooke having a bigger squad to choose from than for quite some time, players are under pressure to perform and Mally Johnson responded with a good 21-15 victory, with John Lloyd chipping in with a handy 21-16 win. Colin Saville had a tougher game but came through 21-18 in the end and with 9 winners, the Vics will carry a 55 shot lead in the return fixture later in the year. The match was originally scheduled for next Monday but has been postponed as a mark of respect for Len Sherbrooke, whose funeral will take place on that day.

Bernard Davies continued his amazing early season form with an excellent 21-09 victory at Tixall “B” yesterday but with only two other Vics winners on the day, the “C” team lost by 52 shots. Don Ibbotson had another fine win in his unbeaten start to the season, this time posting a 21-13 winning card. Reg Armitage opened his seasonal account with a hard fought 21-17 victory but that was it as regards winners for the Vics although Ted Lawrence was involved in a titanic struggle before finally losing out 20-21. The Vics did garner enough points however to claim the aggregate point and Skipper Brian Buck was not too downhearted after the trip to the difficult Tixall green. The “C” team are at Royden Hall next week against Lever Club in the Centenary Shield.