The Vics retained their Merseyside County C.G.B.A. Club Championship this afternoon with two convincing victories in the semi final and final at the excellent Liverpool Cricket Club green. In the semi final against a strong Brooke Hotel side, the Vics had 6 winners out of the 8 blocks, with Billy Atkinson 21-06 and Ian Sherbrooke 21-08 having the best cards. In the final against BRNESC, who had earlier beaten some pundits fancies Walton Park in their semi final, the Vics had 7 winners from the 8 blocks with Karl Sherbrooke 21-07 and Brian Leonard 21-08 having the best cards.
Semi Final: West Kirby Victoria 154 Brooke Hotel 113 Final West Kirby Victoria 161 BRNESC 115
A delighted West Kirby Captain received the trophy from the B.C.G.B.A. Chief Executive, John Crowther.
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Despite the ear-bashing given to the Vics and Wallasey C.G.B.A. Secretary, Peter Dodd, by Skipper Mally Johnson and others, the Vics Wallasey side had all twelve winners against Gladstone Squirrels last night to complete a 252-201 victory and with the plucky Gladstone side also receiving 72 from the “rogues” on the Handicap committee, the Vics actually outscored their opponents by 123 shots. The Vics had 5 single figure winners in Matt Gilmore (21-02), Jamie Fitzpatrick (21-05), Steve Nugent (21-07), John Lloyd ( 21-08) and Neil Sherbrooke (21-09). Robby Franklin bounced back after a lean spell to win 21-10 and Robby Fitzpatrick posted a 21-12 winning card. Billy Atkinson completed a comfortable 21-13 win and Brian Leonard won 21-14. Skipper Mally Johnson must have been tearing his hair out when Ian Sherbrooke (21-15), Robby Hall (21-16), and John Devlin (21-18) allowed their opponents a rare sight of a possible victory. Goodness knows what kind of stick I might take when the handicaps are announced for the semi finals but then again I live in hope that Malcolm might one day realise that the Wallasey Committee are not out to stop the Vics winning at all cost but are trying to at least make some kind of a fair match out of some obvious mismatches.
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The Vics Wallasey League side travelled the short distance to Hoylake Central on Thursday and returned with a 62 shot win against their newly promoted opponents. Steve Nugent was the star of the show with an excellent 21-06 win and unusually for the Vics in this league he proved to be the only single figure winner on the night. Anthony Thompson was the next best with a fine 21-11 win followed by Nel Sherbrooke’s 21-12 victory. Both Bill Atkinson and Jamie Fitzpatrick posted 21-13 winning cards and Robby Franklin and Brian Leonard both won 21-14. Dave Gilmore and John Lloyd both had tough games before finally winning 21-17 to complete 9 Vics winners on the night but credit must go to Hoylake Central for their display and they will surely win plenty of home games this season. This win takes the Vics into an early lead at the top of Division One which is where Skipper Mally Johnson wants to be at this time of year.
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Peter Dodd was elected as a Life Member of the Wallasey Crown Green Bowling Association at their Annual General Meeting on Wednesday night. Peter was unanimously elected for his services to Wallasey Bowls as Secretary and Treasurer. Mally Johnson received the 1st Division Championship Trophy for the Vics and Billy Atkinson was presented with his British Parks Senior County Championship, Division Two, Player of the Year award.
Mally Johnson collects the Wallasey C.G.B.A. Division One Trophy from Mike Costall and Keith Etches, Chairman and President of the Association.
Billy Atkinson receives his British Parks ” Player of the Year” award from Mike Costall and Keith Etches.
Peter Dodd, elected as a Life Member of the Wallasey Crown Green Bowling Association on Wednesday, pictured earlier in the season presenting the Vic’s Anthony Thompson with the Wallasey Individual Merit Trophy.
Wallasey Association 1st Division Champions, West Kirby Victoria, won the Merseyside County, 8 A Side, Club Knockout last month by defeating holders, British Plate, by 42 shots in the final at St.Gregorys in Lydiate. The Vics beat the Brooke Hotel in their semi final before going on to claim 7 of the 8 blocks in a one sided final. West Kirby Victoria will now go on to represent Merseyside in the National Finals at Irlam next April, with £1000 up for grabs for the winning team.
West Kirby Victoria
Merseyside County 8 a Side Club Champions 2007
Back Row left to right, Robby Fitzpatrick, Jamie Fitzpatrick, Robby Hall, Anthony Thompson, John Lloyd
Front Row left to right, Frank O’Neill, Mally Johnson (Captain), Heather Strike (No.1 supporter & scorer), Matty Gilmore, Dave Gilmore
The Vics afternoon “B” team gave a fine team performance in this afternoon’s Centenary Cup Final at Lever Club, to beat 1st Division Tixall “A” by 21 shots and secure a first ever trophy victory for the side. Despite Ernie Peers winning 21-09 with an excellent display, the Vics lost the other 3 games in the first four blocks and had to concede 24 of the 45 shot start given to them by the handicappers. Dave Bosworth, however did remarkably well to come from 0-11 down to eventually post a vital 15-21 scorecard. It was all change for the Vics in the middle four with three crucial victories to increase the lead to 40 shots with two to go. Peter Dodd led the way for the Vics with an impressive win on one of his favourite greens, producing a comprehensive 21-05 victory and Brian Ibbotson gave one of his best performances in the last few weeks to score a comfortable 21-13 win. Dave Leonard repaid this reporters confidence in him and in doing so continued the Vics dominance of the match, with an excellent recovery from 03-11 down to eventually triumph 21-19 against the experienced John Rogers. Despite going down in their games, C.K.Pau, Ian Cameron, Derek Thomas, Keith Etches and Peter Walker did enough in their games to keep the Vics comfortably ahead and complete the victory by 21 shots. A delighted Vics Skipper, Derek Thomas, thanked his team when receiving the Cup from the League Chairman, Ken Griffiths.
West Kirby Victoria afternoon “B” team with the Centenary Cup.
The scene at The Vics green minutes after the Birkenhead League Match v Oxton had to be called off due to another tropical thunderstorm.
Anthony Thompson proved too strong for his opponents in a terrific night’s bowling, that saw him win the Wallasey Individual Merit Title at Manor Road last night with a fine 21-13 victory in the Final against West Kirby Victoria team mate John Devlin. “Buzz” provided what might have been described as the best win of the night in his quarter final match against the remarkably consistent Mark Lynch, when after taking an early 12-04 lead and being pulled back by Mark to 17-17, he managed to take 4 of the last 5 points to run out an excellent 21-18 winner. John Devlin had a topsy turvey 21-20 win over Mike Nelson in his quarter final match when after building a big early lead he found himself 19-20 down only to pull out 2 singles at the end to send Mike out, with Mike putting his last wood through the narrowest of gaps between John’s wood and the jack to unluckily lose out. The other 2 quarter final matches saw Dave Gilmore defeat John Lloyd 21-08 and Matty Gilmore defeat Geoff Lynch 21-11. The semi finals were both excellent matches with Anthony Thompson coming back from an early 03-06 deficit against Dave Gilmore to eventually go 09-06 up and keep ahead right through to the end and a fine 21-17 victory. John Devlin caused a surprise in his semi final against Matty Gilmore when after being 03-09 down he went 11-09 up and 17-11 up before running out a deserved 21-15 winner after proving almost impassable on a short mark across the green in front of the new Manor Road extension. The final saw Anthony Thompson stride into an early 08-01 lead before being pegged back to 08-09 by John but a run of 10 shots up and down the centre of the green saw Anthony take a 19-09 lead before John managed a run of 4 more to lie at 13-19, Anthony then took the 2 singles required to put his name on the famous old trophy for the first time.
The Wallasey Association and Vics Secretary, Peter Dodd, presents the Wallasey Individual Merit Trophy to Anthony Thompson.
Harrison Park’s Bob “Bulldozer” Edwards blasted his way to a third Veterans Merit Title tonight after a magnificent display of bowling in his three matches. Bob beat Association Chairman and last years winner, Mike Costall, 21-09 in his quarter final match and bettered this by one with a 21-08 defeat of club mate Derek Walker in the semi final. In the final Bob went one better again with a brilliant display in a 21-07 defeat of Bill Atkinson from West Kirby Victoria. Bob had taken to the heavy Magazine Hotel green like a duck to water and was never really challenged in his three games and was a worthy winner of the event. Bill Atkinson had come from behind in both his earlier matches, defeating John McEneany (Manor Road) 21-18 in a gripping quarter final match and then beating George Stead also from Manor Road, 21-14 in the semi final after George had taken an early lead. George Stead beat Roy Williams 21-11 in his quarter final match with Derek Walker beating his Harrison Park club mate Howie Williams 21-18 in another tough quarter final tie. All in all this was an excellent evenings bowling well Refereed by Syd Taylor with the only disappointing part of the night being the small crowd that turned up. Bob received his trophy from Association President Keith Etches and Association Chairman Mike Costall.
Billy Atkinson and Bob Edwards pictured with Referee Syd Taylor before the Final
Billy Atkinson won the Martha Ashman Memorial Cup, at the excellent Lever Club green, when he defeated the 2005 Champion, Bill Cheesemam (Albany), 15-08 in the Final. Billy had earlier defeated Geoff Newnes (Kings 2000) 15-14 and was involved in another nailbiting 15-14 victory over Jimmy Welch (Albany) in the semi final.
