ROCHESTER BLIND BOWLING GROUP

  THE FINAL

   Ian won the Shield two years ago. For Lynne it was her first final – which is played over eleven ends. After eight ends it was 5-5, evidence that there was little in it. Lynne had just taken the head, so she set her favourite 27 yard jack, but Ian got in for two to lead 7-5.

  In the tenth end he set a slightly longer jack at 29 yards, but found himself two down as he played his last wood. Lynne had woods a foot away at 3 and 12 o’clock. Ian took a wick off the 3 o’clock wood to move that wood away, slow his own and ease it inside the 12 o’clock wood. What looked like 7-7 with Ian’s final wood in play and looking too strong was now 8-5 to Ian going into the last end. It was Lynne now who needed all three shots but Ian’s opening wood was a foot off the jack and his second trailed it a few inches. No way could Lynne manufacture three from this, but her final wood was only a fraction away from doing serious damage; but that fraction meant Ian had won.

  A final score of 10-5 did not reflect the match as a whole – congratulations to both players – but Ian had closed it out in impressive manner to reclaim the shield.

  SEMI FINALS

  LYNNE SHOWS HANS HOW TO WIN, AS SHE REACHES FINAL

  Hans played Lynne in the semi-final. Lynne won the toss and set her favoured short jack at 27 yards. After she took single shot wins in the first two ends Hans took the shot and set a long 32 yard jack for end four. He held shot until Lynne’s final wood. Putting every ounce of effort into it, but maintaining technique, she crept a centimetre or two inside Hans’ wood to take the end. It was possibly her most significant wood of the match, as instead of seeing Hans level at 2-2, she led 3-1 and was again in control of the jack.
 
  In end six, 4-1 down and Lynne holding three, Hans sent down what could have been the perfect wood, right line and weight to come in for shot but it took the faintest of wicks off his earlier short wood to go off course. Three shots to Lynne and he was staring down the barrel. In end seven, Hans tried to run the jack with his final wood to his other deeper lying woods, the only strategy that could make the difference, but he missed by a whisker, and Lynne was through to the final.

  IAN ADVANCES TO FINAL WITH WIN AGAINST ANNE

  After taking the first end, it seemed that Anne’s earlier match had taken the edge off her game. Ian, remorselessly, gathered points until, at 9-1 down, with three ends to play she was on the brink of defeat.

  After a couple of woods, it was clear she could not catch Ian, but she gamely played the end out to lose 12-1. Ian goes on to the final where he awaits either Lynne or Hans.

  QUARTER FINALS

  LYBBE TAKES THE HONOURS AGAINST PETE

  In this match, the early lead went to Lynne and she led 5-0, after three ends. In the fourth end, Peter twice clipped the jack; with the first two woods needing a measure, Peter’s second wood clipped the jack and pushed it on to Lynne’s. Requiring firm contact to take it to his back woods he then, with his third wood, again clipped the jack, before nestling just outside Lynn’s wood. Another shot dropped.

  Peter picked up two shots in the fifth to open his score, but Lynne promptly took three to lead 9-2, after six ends. Peter had it all to do and, in end seven, he was holding two, as he delivered the last wood of the end. A perfect weight for three shots, but he also carried the jack away from the two holding shots and closer to Lynne’s. Instead of three shots, just one and he now needed two maximums.

  He set a long jack at 32 yards and put his wood within one yard. However, Lynne’s response was excellent. At four feet from the jack she was second wood but Peter needed two more very accurate woods to stay in the game. His one shot reduced the deficit to 9-4, but it is Lynne who goes forward, to play Hans in the semi final.

  HANS WINS IN RETURN MATCH WITH MARIAN

   On Friday, August 20th, Marian, in great form, met up with Hans for the second time this season, having already beaten him in a thriller in the RBBG Cup.

    Sending the jack up first, Marian took two points and the first end, but Hans replied strongly, taking three points over the next two ends. Marian hit back at once, levelling the scores at the fourth end. It was Hans who re-took the lead, by a single shot in the fifth. At the sixth end, he took two points, after a measure for the second.

   Hans took the seventh and eighth ends by a single point, each time, and, with the score on 8-3, there was no way back for Marian.

  CLASS AND EXPERIENCE IN A GREAT MATCH, WHERE ANNE BEATS BELLA 

  On a day when rain threatened our Monday session, our two most experienced lady bowlers produced some high class bowling, with Anne just having the edge to lead 6-2, after six ends.

  End seven was a beauty. Anne bowled to one yard from the jack, with Bella to 15 inches. Anne’s second wood was 18 inches away, Bella’s two feet short. With Bella holding Anne then trailed the jack, to take shot. Bella’s final wood was superb, but not superb enough. She found the way through, struck Anne’s shot holding wood but too full on – it rolled forward, taking the jack with it, so that Anne kept shot.

  In end eight, both of these ladies had two woods within a foot of the jack, but it was Anne’s, at three inches that took shot and the match, 8-2.

   FIRST ROUND

  PETE'S QUICKFIRE START SEES HIM INTO NEXT ROUND

  The long delayed first round match, between Trudy and Peter, finally got underway and Peter sought to make up for lost time with two maximums, in the first and third ends. Trudy took the second end with a wood right on the jack.

  That early lead, of 6-1, was crucial, as Peter never took more than one shot, thereafter, Trudy took shots herself, but Peter’s winning margin, of 10-4, reflected his quickfire start and he went on to play Lynne in the next round.

   MARIAN TAKES MATCH AGAINST CHRIS - AT THE LAST END

  Taking all three points, at the first end, Marian put herself into a strong position, against Chris, but he fought back taking the next two ends, only for Marian to grab five more points over the next three, to leave Chris looking down the barrel. He wasn't giving up that easily, taking one at the seventh and all three at end eight. Now, only a single shot behind, Chris took a chance to steal in and take shot, but bowling last, Marian's wood eased in and took it with a single point.

  Marian won this see-saw game by 9-7 and will go on to meet Hans in the quarter finals.

  IAN CLINCHES VICTORY OVER DAVID

  David took an early lead, in this very close match. Ian, however, took command and built up a handy lead over the next few ends. David fought back, but Ian kept him at bay in what turned out to be a very tight encounter, winning by 6-5. He goes on to play Penny in the quarter finals.

  BELLA IN GREAT FORM

  Bella continued her good form of the day, into the first few ends of her match against Bill. Bill is a real gentleman, but it was taking chivalry too far, allowing Bella to take three shots in the first end and lead 7-0, after four ends. In end five he had the two best woods until Bella rolled in her final wood, to take shot.

  Bill then had three very good woods, in end six, but again Bella’s last wood was better, cutting him back to a single shot. Bella was not allowing any fight back and she killed it in end seven, yet again slipping inside Bill’s two holding woods. Game over. The final score of 9-1 was harsh on Bill who played such a good second half, with little to show for it. Bella will meet up with Anne L in the quarter finals.

  PENNY DEFEATS NORMAN

  Penny and Norman played cat and mouse for five ends, with Penny leading 3-2. In end six Norman twice promoted Penny’s woods and lost two shots as a result to trail 5-2. He pulled one back in end seven but in end eight after he trailed the jack to take shot Penny promptly knocked his wood out to take shot herself.

  Three shots down going into the final end and with two back woods he needed to trail the jack to go to sudden death, but missed it and Penny moves into round two, with a 6-3 win. Her reward is a quarter final tie with Ian.

  Ian reclaims RBBG Shield, after beating Lynne in Final.

After cruising past Hans to reach the final, Lynne puts up a great fight, narrowly losing to Ian.

  In the RBBG Cup, Marian won a thriller, 6-5. Here, the roles were reversed, as Hans came through to win by 8-3, in the RBBG Shield.