Sad beginning to a very busy week for Thame Bowls Club

IT’S been another busy week for Thame Bowls Club which started with a Mixed team travelling to The Oxford Bowls Club (formerly Oxford Rover) to play their last ever game with this old established Oxford club, which will be closing at the end of the season due to re-organisation of the Sports Ground at what is now the BMW factory. So a sad occasion but nevertheless an exciting game which the Oxford players narrowly won by just two shots.

Top rink for Thame was that of Marion Keal, Frances Goodyear, Brad Liddle and skip Casper DuPreez winning by 22 clear shots. On Thursday a Thame Mixed team entertained local rivals Princes Risborough and once again proved too strong for the visitors. Winning on four of the five rinks, the Thame players won by 40 clear shots, the outstanding Triple being that of Marion Keal, Jill Brooks and skip Brad Liddle who won 28 shots to 6.

On Thursday Thame Men’s League team failed to reach the final of the League Cup when they were defeated in the semi-final by Division 1 side Banbury Central A. Played at South Oxford Bowls Club, Thame put up a spirited fight and after 12 ends of the 18 ends competition were on level terms, but gradually dropped shots on three of the rinks to eventually lose by 30 shots overall. Only Graham Penn’s rink was successsful for Thame winning by 10 shots.

Friday evening at Thame saw the annual Ladies versus Gents match, always a competitive but friendly occasion. Ladies Captain Maire Duncan had six strong rinks of Ladies playing against Captain John Timms Men’s team, and after a closely fought encounter the Men’s team finally triumphed by 17 shots. Honours were even with each team winning three of the sic rinks but the top Men’s rink of new bowler Kris Warwick, Terry Emberson, Richard Plested and skip Mike Smith, proved to be the difference winning by the 17 shots margin of victory.

On Saturday a Mixed team travelled to near neighbours, Long Crendon, for a five Rinks match, and once again Thame came out winners of a closely contested match by just nine shots. Winning skips Les Canfield ably assisted by Margaret Boynton, John Wheeler and Bill Giles, and Graham Penn supported by Thomas Tisbury, John Walker, and Hazel Westcott, proved to be the difference between these two closely matched sides.

On Sunday morning Thame Ladies travelled to Oxford City & County to play their semi final of the Top Club competition. Although Hazel Westcott got the Thame Ladies off to a winning start in the Singles match, in the other three matches consisting of Pairs, Triples and Fours the Thame Ladies were all narrowly beaten by their much more experienced opponents.

A very full week for the Thame bowlers finished on Sunday, August 16, with the annual Men’s drawn pairs competition, the Potter Cup. Ten pairs of bowlers competed for this trophy on a ’round robin’ basis, and at the end of a closely contested competition, the eventual winners were Matthew Canfield and Vic Brooks.

If you are interested in following Thame Bowls Club news, visit the website at www.thamebowlsclub.co.uk