The Birkenhead and Wirral Crown Green Bowling League, Afternoon Section, Centenary Cup came back “home” to the Vics on Monday when Brian Buck’s “Buccanneers” beat Royden Hall by 187-174 in a swashbuckling performance at Cammell Laird. The Vics “C” team received 20 shots from their higher ranked opponents who were Division Four Champions last year and with 5 winners each the handicap proved to be just about right at the end of the day. The first 4 blocks were shared with our resident “Master Chef”, Peter Walker’s, excellent 21-09 grilling of his opponent proving decisive later on. “Bluey” Davies continued his piracy for the Vics this season with another crucial 21-11 victory for the team. Bluey has taken to this afternoon bowls caper like a duck to water and his competitive streak has rubbed off on his team mates with “Rocket” Ray Farrell proving just why he is top of the averages with another 21-13 win. Ray is another in the “Bluey” mould of never accepting defeat lightly and “Tiger Ted” Lawrence is the 3rd “C” team player of the same ilk. In Ted’s 1st season back in bowls after a long lay off, he has now won 17 out of his last 18 league and cup matches and yet again on Monday a vital 21-17 win for Ted came at a crucial stage of the match. Brian Buck can only be delighted that John Davies. Ray Farrell and Ted Lawrence have all started off their Vics membership in his side this season. “Mr. Reliable” Tony Ryding was the Vics fifth winner on the day with a hard earned 21-19 victory, and Tony knows that this is the least the writer expects from him every time he plays. Reg Armitage, Eddie Dodd, Calvert Jones, Ian Wilson and the evergreen Harold Rutter, another player making a successful return to bowls this season after a long lay off, all did enough in their games to ensure the “C” team won the Cup for the Vics for the 3rd time in 4 years after previous victories for the “B” team and the “A” team. Skipper Brian Buck was understandably delighted with his side and all the players who have played for the “C” team this season can consider themselves part of this success.
After an excellent days bowling on seven superbly prepared greens on Sunday , the British Parks Club Team Knockout Competition ended in farce with West Kirby Victoria and Meersbrook agreeing to share the Trophy after the scores on one card could not be agreed. West Kirby Victoria thought they had just done enough to force a 178 -177 victory in an excellent final, played throughout with great sporting spirit by both sides, only to be robbed of victory when an error was found on one of the scorecards. Karl Sherbrooke having come off a 21-16 loser on the West Kirby card was marked as a 21-15 loser on the Meersbrook card. Remarkably, both scorers in this match had decided not to check card scores on the required ends and therefore there could be no going back to the previous checked end, as required when scorers cannot agree. Matt Gilmore 21-07, Dave Gilmore 21-13, Ian Sherbrooke 21-14 and Bill Atkinson 21-17 were all winners for West Kirby Victoria and along with the close losing cards of Jamie Fitzpatrick 20-21 and Steve Nugent 18-21, West Kirby thought that the Cup was theirs. The sting in the tale was to hit hard however with the rogue scorecard being scrutinised at the end of the match. With neither side prepared to firstly agree on the correct score, or indeed agree that it was in fact the scorers and not the Officials who were to blame, a decision had to be made by the British Parks President, Bill Maybry on how to solve the dispute. Despite unwanted representations by all and sundry around Match Officials, Bill’s first idea of a 3 end play off and then secondly an 11 end play off were not acceptable to both Captains. With the light fading fast on any possible playing option to decide the match, the two Captains then got together and decided between themselves that the best course of action was to share the trophy for 6 months each. Bill Maybry agreed that although not an ideal solution it was possibly best all round to accept this decision. There were a few unwanted spectators dancing on the green celebrating this decision from last years winners which did seem strange as they had been knocked out earlier in the day but never mind, if they were happy good luck to them. Finally Wallasey C.G.B.A. Chairman Mike Costall invited Bill Maybry to present the Cup to the two Captains. Mike thanked all the Clubs, Referees, Measurers and Officials who had helped to make this an excellent day and eventually all retired to the club house for a well earned drink and excellent buffet prepared by Sylvia Costall. Just one footnote to the days happening, B.C.G.B.A. Laws of the game 3: Scoring, section 3.4 The result of the end shall be clearly indicated, by the winner, to the markers who must sit together and agree each other’s score cards every third end and at the end of the game. Obviously in the case of the Andy Whittaker- Karl Sherbrooke match, this was not the case and I fail to see how the match organiser can be to blame.
The Vics all conquering Wallasey C.G.B.A. side will represent Wallasey in this Sunday’s British Parks C.G.B.A. Club Team Knockout Championship. Their first match is a quarter final tie against Chesterfield Miners Welfare from North Derbyshire starting at 12 noon at the Gladstone Squirrels Bowling Club. The full schedule can be seen below.
The Birkenhead & District afternoon section, Centenary Cup Final between Royden Hall and West Kirby Victoria’s afternoon “C” team, will now take place on Monday 15th September at Cammell Laird Bowling Club, starting at 1-30pm. Please make every effort to get along and support the team on Monday.
Friday’s Centenary Cup Final between Royden Hall and The Vics Afternoon “C” Team and yesterday’s Dr. Dawson Victory Cup Final between Gladstone and the Vics Birkenhead League side, were both washed out due to the exceptional heavy rain on Thursday and Friday. No dates have as yet been set for any re-arranged Finals.