News and results from the 2009-2010 season
Denton Island team selected
The team for the game against Denton Island on Sunday March 14th has been selected. Click here to view it.
February 5th: Lindfield star in nail-biting singles show-down
Lindfield, Grattons and Sussex bowling ace Dave Richardson suffered an agonising one-shot loss to England skip Jamie Chestney in the first round of the 2010 National Champion of Champions finals at Warner's Leisure Resort, Hayling Island. An enthusiastic group of supporters from Lindfield travelled down to support Dave, who took an early lead and stayed ahead for most of the match, relying on his superb command of the draw, and forcing his opponent to play attacking shots on a regular basis. It was Chestney's experience of destroying heads which told against Dave, as the young international bowler clawed his way back into the match, and enjoyed a few lucky connections with his running woods. From 20-13 down Chestney collected a full house, then nailed the jack with a succession of perfect drawing shots, to make it 20-20 going into the last end. With seven woods within 2 feet of the jack, Chestney drew a perfect toucher to win the match. Warm congratulations to Dave for playing so well, and putting such a class player under extreme pressure. Better luck next year Dave!
Tunbridge Wells game re-arranged for Sunday 28th March
The snow-affected game away to Tunbridge Wells has been re-arranged for Sunday 28th March. There will be an availability sheet going up in the club house shortly, so please put your name down to play, if you're available.
January 4th: Indoor teams selected
A Happy New Year to you all! The teams for the Tunbridge Wells Royals and Horsham matches have both been selected.
Click here for the Tunbridge Wells game on Sunday January 10th.
Click here for the Horsham game on January 24th.
December 13th: Another close defeat, this time against Eastbourne
Lindfield continued their fine tradition of almost beating their indoor opponents, by succumbing to a 6-shot defeat at Eastbourne IBC.
It was a topsy-turvy match, in which Lindfield were 30 shots ahead after 10 ends, but true to form we drank the wrong cups of tea, and the
Eastbourne players were resurgent in the second half. There was a good win for Ivan Orchin, Lesley Dooge, Mick O'Donnell and Terry Hughes,
with Carol Watson's and Geoff Nelson's rinks also recoring convincing wins. The closing ends saw the overall advantage changing hands every
couple of minutes, but on rink 1 the Eastbourne quartet finished strongly to seal victory for their team. It was an excellent game,
and I would urge any bowlers who haven't made themselves available for the next match against Tunbridge Wells, to pop into the club
and put their names down on the availability sheet.
In the meantime, I'd like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Christmas, and good bowling for 2010!
November 22nd: Narrow defeat at Preston
On a wet and wild Sunday, Lindfield's third indoor fixture resulted in a two-shot defeat at Preston (Brighton), 94-92. In a game
reduced to 5 rinks by Preston, Lindfield got off to a slow start, but gradually picked up shots until a couple of good scores saw
them go in to tea 48-47 ahead.
From there it was nip and tuck all the way, but Preston pulled back in the closing ends, and just did enough to secure the overall
result. There were good wins for Jean Spooner's rink (+15), and Peter Colbourne's rink (+10), but Carol Watson's hard-fought game
resulted in a 4 shot loss, and captain Chris Reynolds's rink struggled throughout, eventually losing 21-13 to Lou Epstein's quartet.
Geoff Nelson's rink suffered an uncharacteristic 15-shot defeat, but despite losing the match, the game was played in excellent spirits,
and it served as a tonic to the dreadful weather outside!
October 27th: Indoor teams selected
The teams for the indoor matches against Preston and Eastbourne have been selected. Transport arrangements are detailed on the match sheets in the usual
place outside the club house.
Click here for the Preston game on Sunday November 22nd.
Click here for the Eastbourne game on December 13th.
October 26th: Chairman's end of season review
LINDFIELD BOWLING CLUB - a review of 2009.
The season is now well over and the green is quiet. Sadly no County titles this year but not for the want of trying. However the ladies won the
Nellie Mercer League and the men won the Border League Cup and for the third time in succession, the league itself. This being of some significance as
Lindfield men have remained undefeated during that three year sequence.
Lindfield hosted two inter-County matches, a Somerset touring side as well as the men's County Fours quarter and semi finals, plus the usual intensive
programme of friendlies, leagues and competitions. We have increased our membership levels and now have four qualified coaches to help new and less
experienced players progress.
Social activities such as BBQ's, quizzes, skittles and wine tastings were so popular that they were oversubscribed. It is true that we enjoy ourselves!
We put in plenty of effort to make best use of the club for our members and visitors, but that is not our sole objective.
From our own tournaments and events such as captain's days and in conjunction with Lindfield Club and Mid Sussex league, we managed to raise over
£2,800 for the following charities:- The Smile Train,
Guide Dogs, Help for Heroes,
St Peter and St James Hospice, The Chestnut Tree House, and Neil's Club.
Will next year be much different for us? I sincerely hope not.
Roger Green - Lindfield Bowling Club Chairman.
September 23rd: Mid-Sussex Times report
Lindfield brought the curtain down on their competitive season by adding the Border League cup to their league title. It was opponents
Horsham who got off to the better start though, with the Lindfield rink of Ivan Orchin, Peter Gacsall, Graeme Geddie and Ian Watson finding
the going tough all the way. With a couple of loose ends thrown in they actually lost their rink by 7 shots and were therefore indebted to
their team mates Chris Reynolds, Tom Palmer, Roger Green and Terry Hughes who successfully fought back from an early 11-2 deficit to
overhaul their opposition and eventually run away as 10 shot winners, to secure the cup by an overall margin of 3 shots.
Lindfield lost their grip on the John Elmer trophy when the annual fixture was this year won by Buxted, thanks to wins in the singles,
pairs and double fours. The playing season draws to a close this weekend although the club does have a series of friendly indoor fixtures
arranged for the winter, with the first match being at Grattons IBC on October 7th.
September 10th: Border League Cup Final team announced
The Border League Cup Final will be played at Popes Mead BC, on Saturday 12th September starting at 10am, and will be contested by Lindfield and Horsham.
The Lindfield team is:
L: Ivan Orchin
2: Peter Gacsall
3: Graeme Geddie
S: Ian Watson
L: Chris Reynolds
2: Tom Palmer
3: Roger Green
S: Terry Hughes
Result: Lindfield win the 2009 Border League Cup by 3 shots.
September 6th: Photo gallery goes live
It's been a long time coming, but the photo gallery has finally been unveiled! More galleries will be added over the winter months. In the meantime, if you have any photos you would like to see included, please send them to Peter Colbourne (webmaster@lindfieldbowlsclub.co.uk)
September 2nd: Finals Day results
Ian Watson successfully defended his club singles title despite a spirited fight from David Glossop, playing in his first championship final.
The two players reached 7-7 with some good conversion shots before Ian pulled away to win 21-12. In the ladies final Sue Willmott got off to a
flying start before being pegged back by defending champion Carol Watson but Sue proved the stronger player in the second half to close out the
game 21-12.
The Watsons teamed up in the mixed pairs and had a comfortable win against Jan Middleton and Terry Hughes and Ian also picked up the men's pairs
title with Peter Gacsall following a hard fought four shot win over Roger Willmott and Mick O'Donnell. Ian didn’t have things all his own way on
the day though as Peter Colbourne gave an inspired performance in the handicap to beat him 21-9. The two bowlers had a re-match in the 2 wood
singles with Ian reversing the result to collect his fourth title of the day. Carol Watson completed a busy day with a win in the 2 wood singles
against Meta Orchin before collecting her third title with victory in the 100 up, defeating Maggie Langridge by 7 shots.
Sue Paterson and Stella Wellum collected the ladies pairs with a 26-12 victory over Margaret Atkins and Chris Sugarhood and in the ladies backbone Audrey Kite won 21-12 against Marion Glossop. In the ‘Butfoy’ mixed singles some good bowling saw Ron Langridge defeat Alan Price by 5 shots and Peter Elford picked up his first title when he earned a 21-17 win against Peter Gacsall in the men’s backbone. The men’s veteran’s saw Bill Colbourne end Terry Hughes’ reign as champion with a 21-10 win. Thanks go to Willy Bollschweiler and Chris Sugarhood for all their hard work in running the competitions and to Geoff Nelson who was umpire for the day.
The results are as follows:
Mixed Pairs: Ian & Carol Watson 31 - Jan Milton & Terry Hughes 13
Ladies Pairs: Sue Paterson & Stella Wellum 26 - Margaret Atkins & Chris Sugarhood 12
Ladies Backbone: Audrey Kite 21 - Marion Glossop 12
Mens Backbone: Peter Elford 21 - Peter Gacsall 17
Butfoy Singles: Ron Langridge 105 - Alan Price 95
Ladies 2 Wood: Carol Watson 18 - Meta Orchin 7
Mens Handicap: Peter Colbourne 21 - Ian Watson 9
Ladies Championship: Sue Willmott 21 - Carol Watson 12
Mens Championship: Ian Watson 21 - David Glossop 12
Mens Veterans: Bill Colbourne 21 - Terry Hughes 10
Mens Pairs: Peter Gacsall & Ian Watson 29 - Roger Willmott & Mick O'Donnell 25
Ladies 100 Up: Carol Watson 102 - Maggie Langridge 98
Mens 2 Wood: Ian Watson 21 - Peter Colbourne 10
Friday League Winners: "Glossop's Gladiators": David Glossop, Margaret Atkins, Neville Congdon, Roger Hartless, Bryan Mills, Sue Paterson, Tony Perry, Graham Stanley
Finals Day order of play
Please note that Finals Day will commence at 9am on Monday 31st August, with the trophy presentations provisionally scheduled for 6:30pm. This year sees
Ian Watson contesting the Mens Championship, Mens Handicap, Mens Two Wood, Mens Pairs and Mixed Pairs, with Carol Watson also appearing in four finals.
The running order for the day is:
| 09:00 | Mixed Pairs | Rink 6 | |
| Carol & Ian Watson | vs | Jan Milton & Terry Hughes | |
| 09:00 | Ladies Pairs | Rink 4 | |
| Margaret Atkins & Chris Sugarhood | vs | Sue Paterson & Stella Wellum | |
| 10:00 | Ladies Backbone | Rink 2 | |
| Audrey Kite | vs | Marion Glossop | |
| 10:00 | Mens Backbone | Rink 5 | |
| Peter Elford | vs | Peter Gacsall | |
| 11:00 | Butfoy Mixed Singles | Rink 3 | |
| Ron Langridge | vs | Alan Price | |
| 12:00 | Ladies Two Wood | Rink 4 | |
| Carol Watson | vs | Meta Orchin | |
| 12:00 | Mens Handicap | Rink 5 | |
| Ian Watson | vs | Peter Colbourne | |
Afternoon session
| 14:00 | Ladies Championship | Rink 3 | |
| Carol Watson | vs | Sue Willmott | |
| 14:00 | Mens Championship | Rink 2 | |
| Ian Watson | vs | David Glossop | |
| 15:00 | Mens Veterans | Rink 5 | |
| Bill Colbourne | vs | Terry Hughes | |
| 16:00 | Mens Pairs | Rink 4 | |
| Peter Gacsall & Ian Watson | vs | Roger Willmott & Mick O'Donnell | |
| 16:30 | Ladies 100 Up | Rink 2 | |
| Carol Watson | vs | Maggie Langridge | |
| 18:30 | Trophy Presentations | Pavilion | |
| Trophy presentation by Club President Ken Eldred | |||
| 19:00 | Mens Two Wood | Rink 3 | |
| Ian Watson | vs | Peter Colbourne | |
Umpire for the day: Geoff Nelson
Dress for all players, markers and scoreboard turners: Whites
Please note the early start time of 9:00am.
Would all competitors and markers please check in at least 15 minutes prior to the start of their match.
Lunch will be available at £1.50 per plate please add your name list to the list so that the appropriate catering arrangements can be made.
Please note-if your names are not down, lunch may not be available.
Chris Sugarhood & Willy Bollschweiler, Competitions Secretaries.
Jubilee Triples ends with success for Burgess Hill team
Jubilee Triples week came to a close on Saturday with a one-sided final, contested by Brian Howson's Burgess Hill trio and Mick Read's Buxted team (pictured, right).
Lindfield were once again indebted to Norman Sugarhood and his team of helpers for organising and running this hectic week of bowls, with 32 teams
involved, playing games of 18 ends, on a two-division basis. Lindfield's own teams failed to reach the finals, but were pressed into action after a couple of teams
had to pull out at the last minute, giving Ken Eldred and Tom Palmer a chance to lead their teams to glory - sadly neither team quite managed
to succeed!
Read the full report here.
Double League success for Lindfield bowlers!
Lindfield's men have won Division One of the Border League for the third year running, beating Popes Mead 8-2 last night in the pouring rain.
Meanwhile Lindfield's ladies have won Division One of the Nellie Mercer League for the first time, despite losing away at Horsham Park last night.
Congratulations to all those involved on winning the top divisions of two competitive leagues in style, both with a match in hand!
Jubilee Triples week: 3rd - 8th August
Lindfield's open triples week, aka the "Jubilee Triples", starts next week, with play starting at 6pm on Monday 3rd August, and going on through the week
(with the exception of Tuesday 4th). The finals take place on Saturday (1pm onwards), with a £150 cash prize for the winning team, and prizes for the
runners-up.
Lindfield have two teams playing (skipped by Ken Anderson and Terry Hughes), having qualified after our internal week-long triples competition.
Even if you're not playing, come along and watch some bowls. The bar will be open, hot dogs will be available, there will be a raffle each evening, and
the standard of bowls *should* be high!
31st July: Mid-Sussex League Day raises £900 for charity
Lindfield played host to this annual charity fours tournament, contested by teams from all the clubs who play in the Mid-Sussex League. It was a hectic day
of bowling, with 19 different clubs being represented, some with two teams each. The Lindfield team of Shirley Nelson, Geoff Nelson, Carol Watson and Ian Watson
won in a close final, but the real winner was the Chestnut Tree House - a children's hospice - who received a cheque for £900. Below is a response from Jo James,
one of their organisers, to everyone who took part, or helped in the smooth running of the day:
"What a magnificent amount you managed to raise and how very thrilled Chestnut Tree House are going to be when they hear!
A formal letter of thanks will be in the post to you tomorrow, but I just wanted you to know how very grateful we are for all your hard work.
It is only with the help of supporters like bowls clubs that the Hospice is able to keep its doors open and help these poor families, so we are incredibly indebted to you all."
28th July: Mens' county selections
Peter Colbourne, Adam Harding, Graeme Geddie and Ian Watson have been selected to play for Sussex in the sixth and final Home Counties League match of
the season, away to Surrey at Cranleigh on Saturday 1st August. Sussex have picked up 36 points from their last 2 games, and will be hoping to maintain their run of
good form.
Terry Hughes has been selected to skip in the friendly against Wiltshire at Arundel on Sunday 30th August, and former mens' captain Brian Griltrow will
receive his Hampshire county badge when he plays against Sussex at Richmond Park on Wednesday 19th August.
July 26th: Mid-Sussex Times report
Lindfield's hopes of retaining the Mid Sussex League title appear to have vanished following an 8-2 defeat away at Henfield.
Despite the four of Shirley Nelson, Wilf Atkins, Derek Heather and Terry Hughes winning their game by 10 shots, the other two rinks went down by a
combined total of 15, although the overall result was still in the balance with one end of the match remaining. Henfield also recorded a win over
Lindfield in the John Spriggs league by winning all three rinks in the rain last Tuesday.
Next week sees the Jubilee triples week, organized by Norman Sugarhood. An initial set of knockout games between Monday and Friday will determine the
finalists who will return on Saturday for finals day where generous cash prizes will be awarded to the successful teams.
July 21st: Mid-Sussex Times report
Carol Watson has qualified for the semi final of the county champion of champions and will play at Lewes on August 14th, with the final to follow on the
same day should Carol win her semi. Lindfield had a clean sweep of league wins last week which began with an impressive 8 points to 2 win in the Mid Sussex
League over current leaders Hurstpierpoint.
In the John Spriggs the club collected 6 of the 10 points thanks to an away win at Buxted and their Border League challenge was boosted following a 10-0
win away at Newdigate. The ladies completed the unbeaten run on Saturday when they defeated Crawley Town in the Nellie Mercer.
Unfortunately Petworth once again put an end to the men's challenge in the county competitions, this time inflicting an overall 6 shot defeat in the semi
final of the double fours. With the away rink involved in a tight game on the artificial carpet converting shots was always going to prove difficult but
they finished as one shot winners by 19-18. However the home rink fell behind early on to a strong visiting side and the gap remained constant throughout
the match to ensure Petworth earned the right to face Lancing in the county final.
On Sunday morning the bowls club hosted the Lindfield Social Club for a charity match with approximately £200 being raised.
July 13th: Mid-Sussex Times report
Ladies captain's day at Lindfield on Saturday brought with it some rare wet weather, but the 12 participating teams braved the wind and rain to fulfil the
day's play. It was also a chance for ex-member Wendy Brown to bring a team from her new home town of Lemington and they took full advantage of the visit
by claiming first prize. Captain Sue Willmott hosted an enjoyable day for all and another successful day of fund raising saw nearly £800 being split
between Guide Dogs for the Blind, Smile Train and the Blind Bowlers of Crawley.
In the ladies' national over 55 pairs Chris Sugarhood and Carol Watson qualified for the zone final thanks to a 21-17 away win at Gildredge Park against
Sheila Simmonds and Cora White and they now face Hurstpierpoint's Jenny Goodman and Brenda Davis.
Lindfield men overcame Uckfield in the quarter final of the county double fours, racking up a shot difference of over 30, and now face an intriguing
semi-final against former winners Petworth, who play their home games on an artificial carpet. Lindfield will be hoping for revenge over Petworth, who
defeated them in the county fours semi final last year and the double fours quarter final in 2007, with Petworth going on to win the title on both
occasions. The winners will face either Eastbourne or Lancing in the final on August 2nd.
In the ladies' county Champion of Champions singles, Carol Watson won her quarter-final and now plays in the semi-final (and possibly the final as well) on August
14th at Lewes BC.
July 8th: Abergavenny double-fours quarter-final tonight
Lindfield Mens' county double-fours team take on Uckfield in a home-and-away fixture this evening, starting at 6pm. The teams are as follows:
Home rink:
L: Chris Reynolds
2: Tom Palmer
3: Roger Green
S: Terry Hughes
Away team:
L: Adam Harding
2: Graeme Geddie
3: Keith Holman
S: Ian Watson
Result: Lindfield won on both rinks, and go through to the semi-finals.
July 4th: Mens' Captain's Day raises charity funds
Lindfield captain Graeme Geddie enjoyed excellent weather for his captain’s day on Saturday with 20 teams (10 from Lindfield, 10 from other clubs) competing on a round robin basis. Victors on the day were Buxted Park but more importantly the St Peter and St James Hospice benefited by over £900 thanks to the generosity of all those involved and the charity was represented by Carol Hughes who was there to receive the cheque.
July 2nd: Mens' County selections
Lindfield have three representatives playing for Sussex against Kent at Worthing Pavilion this coming Saturday (4th July) in the Middleton Cup. Adam Harding,
Keith Holman and Ian Watson form part of the team which needs to win all 22 points in order to stand a chance of progressing to the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, Peter Colbourne, Graeme Geddie and Adam Harding have been selected for the fourth Home Counties League match, also at Worthing Pavilion, on July 11th against Buckinghamshire.
The full teams are available on the county website.
June 30th: Mid-Sussex Times report
Lindfield stunned title favourites Preston in the county double fours thanks mainly to an inspirational performance from the home rink of Chris Reynolds,
Tom Palmer, Roger Green and Terry Hughes. Facing the Middleton Cup quartet of Scott Edwards, Darren Anderson, Dave Ovett and Adrian Finnie the Lindfield
team took an early lead and the Preston four struggled to stay in contention.
With Lindfield outplaying their opponents Ovett and Finnie were forced into playing running woods but failed to convert the heads and Lindfield capitalized
on their dominance by collecting four shots on the final end to win their game by 9 shots. News of this result spurned on the away team of Adam Harding,
Graeme Geddie, Keith Holman and Ian Watson who battled back from a five shot deficit to record a 17-15 win and ensure Lindfield's passage in to the quarter
finals.
There was also success in the second round of the Tom Francis double fours when Lindfield earned a good win against Burgess Hill. The ladies still
have a strong showing in the county and national competitions with Carol Watson one game away from the county champion of champions quarter final,
Shirley Foxwell competing in the over 55 singles and Carol and Chris Sugarhood still challenging in the national pairs.
The club host the semi finals of the men's county fours on Friday July 3rd when Preston take on Seaford and Steve Jeapes' four from White Rock play
Dave Hubbard's Hove and Kingsway team in what should be a mouth watering showdown to earn a place in the national championships at Worthing in August.
June 24th: Abergavenny success!
Congratulations to the Lindfield county double-fours team on beating Preston last night in the Abergavenny. A fine achievement against a very strong team.
At home, the rink of Chris Reynolds, Tom Palmer, Roger Green and Terry Hughes won by 7 shots against Scott Edwards, Darren Anderson, Dave Ovett and Adrian Finnie.
The away team of Adam Harding, Graeme Geddie, Keith Holman and Ian Watson won 17-15 against Dave Richardson, Jonathan Smith, Basil Holding and Andy Smalldridge.
June 23rd: Mid-Sussex Times report
Lindfield survived a nail biting finish in the county double fours against Buxted with the match result in doubt until the last end of the tie.
At Buxted the Lindfield team found themselves trailing 16-22 with three ends remaining but they won ends 19 and 20 to leave themselves three shots
adrift entering the last end.
With the Buxted four having a rare loose end their skip, Peter Jepson found himself six shots down with one bowl left to play and with his forehand draw
staying wide of the head Lindfield held on to claim a 25-22 win on their rink. At Lindfield the home team were involved in an equally intriguing match
but found themselves in trouble on their last end, facing a potential count of four shots against.
However skip Terry Hughes played a terrific wood to take away the danger and although they lost their game by 2 shots this was enough to ensure Lindfield
sneaked an overall one shot win and set up a third round tie against Preston.
In the ladies county champion of champions Carol Watson is still going strong following a 21-12 win against Henfield's Sally Cox and there was
also a win in the national mixed fours for Shirley Nelson, Sue Willmott, Adam Harding and Dave Richardson who won away at Seaford 24-16.
The current Mid Sussex fours champions of Shirley Nelson, Carol Watson, Derek Heather and Dave Richardson are still challenging for a successful defence
of the title following a home win against Horsham Park. In the county singles Ian Watson saw his hopes of success come to an end with an agonizing 20-21
loss away at Preston to Andy Smalldridge.
This week sees the club hosting the Sussex mens' team against Cambridgeshire on Tuesday 23rd, and then the Sussex ladies' team the following day, against Buckinghamshire.
June 17th: Mid-Sussex Times report
Ian Watson is Lindfield's last survivor in the men's county singles following a hard fought 21-19 win against Preston's under 25 international Aaron Sexton.
Ian got off to a good start opening up an 11-5 lead but Aaron kept himself in the hunt with some good bowls in the second half and clawed his way back to 19-19.
However Ian trailed the jack on the final end to pick up the two shots needed for victory and is now drawn against Preston's Andy Smalldridge in the fifth round.
It was another busy week for Watson who faced Newick's Peter Carter in the second round of the county Champion of Champions but with Peter in inspired form Ian
fell to a 21-12 defeat. Lindfield earned a comfortable win the opening round of the county double fours with a 31 shot win against the Isle of Thorns.
The away rink of Adam Harding, Graeme Geddie, Keith Holman and Ian Watson raced away to a 16-2 lead and with the help of a six count halfway through the game they
ended up 35-11 winners. The home team of Chris Reynolds, Frank Palmer, Roger Green and Terry Hughes had a good 20-13 win at home against Dave Lyndsey.
In the Tom Francis double fours Lindfield overcame Handcross in the first round, although in the Mid Sussex league the club were less successful as
they lost their first match away at Hurstpierpoint. Ian Watson, Graeme Geddie and Adam Harding represented Sussex in the Middleton Cup on Saturday
against Bucks and all three were on winning rinks as the county recorded a rare victory, winning by 8 shots.
For the ladies, Carol Watson won her third round game in the Champion of Champions, beating Sally Cox of Henfield 21-12. Sadly the ladies' Top Club team
lost on shot difference away to Gildredge Park, having won two and lost two of their games.
June 15th: Middleton Cup success for Sussex!
Lindfield had four representatives playing in Sussex's 8-shot win against Buckinghamshire at Princes Risborough on Saturday. Adam Harding, Graeme Geddie, Keith Holman and Ian Watson teamed up with other bowlers from around the county to give Sussex their first Middleton Cup win of the season, which leaves Sussex the challenging task of collecting as many points as possible against Kent on July 4th at Worthing Pavilion.
June 8th: Mixed fortunes for Lindfield Ladies
Lindfield Ladies' Gladys Rowland "A" team lost 13-24 at home to Popes Mead, while the "B" team registered an impressive 28-11 win away to Mackie.
In the ladies pairs at Eastbourne last week Carol Watson and Sue Willmott won their first game against a pair from Saffrons, but then suffered a last-wood
defeat in the next round, losing 19-18 to a strong Eastbourne pairing.
There was more bad news on Sunday as both the Edward Rowland "A" and "B" teams lost in the first round, to Dyke Road Park and Southwick respectively.
June 7th: Top Club agony for Lindfield men
Lindfield's men suffered a 4-1 defeat in the Top Club competition away to Preston this morning, with only Adam Harding recording an
18-9 win against Dave Richardson in the 2 wood singles, while Ian Watson lost 21-6 to Scott Edwards in the 4 wood singles. Tom Palmer and Terry Hughes
did well to get within 2 shots of Darren Anderson and Aaron Sexton in the pairs, but the triple and four were always chasing shots after getting off to bad starts.
This is the second consecutive 4-1 win for Preston, who must fancy their chances of going a long way in this nation-wide competition.
June 5th: County updates
In a week of surprising results, Tom Palmer claimed a narrow 4-shot win in the County Singles against Preston's Dave Ovett, then enjoyed a comfortable win
in his unbadged singles match at Carlton the following day. Adam Harding was less fortunate in his trip to West Hoathly in the singles, but teamed up with
Keith Holman to win again in the County Pairs game on Thursday evening, while Graeme Geddie and Ian Watson lost by 7 at Preston to Dave Richardson and Basil Holding.
Congratulations to Graeme Geddie, Adam Harding, Keith Holman and Ian Watson on their selection for the second Middleton Cup match for Sussex, away to
Buckinghamshire on Saturday 13th June. Sussex secured just 4 out of a possible 22 points in their Isle of Wight outing, and will be hoping for better things in this match.
The Mens' county double rink (aka "Abergavenny") team has been selected to play against Isle of Thorns this Wednesday. The teams are:
Home team:
L: Chris Reynolds
2: Roger Green
3: Tom Palmer
S: Terry Hughes
Away team:
L: Adam Harding
2: Graeme Geddie
3: Keith Holman
S: Ian Watson
June 1st: Top Club, Edward Rowland, Tom Francis teams announced
The Mens' Top Club team has been selected, to play against Preston "A" on Sunday 7th June, at Preston:
Two wood: Adam Harding
Four wood: Ian Watson
Pair: Tom Palmer & Terry Hughes
Triple: Willy Bollschweiler, Graeme Geddie, Keith Holman
Four: Frank Palmer, Derek Heather, Roger Green, Chris Reynolds
The Edward Rowland "A" and "B" teams have also been selected:
"A" team vs Dyke Road Park "A", Saturday 6th at 10am:
L: Alan Nicholas
2: Tom Palmer
3: Chris Reynolds
S: Terry Hughes
"B" team vs Southwick "B":
L: John Dunn
2: Mick O'Donnell
3: Derek Heather
S: Roger Green
And finally, the Tom Francis double-four has been selected to play against Handcross on Sunday 7th June at 10am:
Home team:
L: Shirley Nelson
2: Tony Corless
3: Wilf Atkins
S: Ken Eldred
Away team:
L: Geoff Nelson
2: Joan Corless
3: Alan Nicholas
S: Mick O'Donnell
Good luck to all those involved.
May 31st: Lindfield Ladies in double success
Lindfield's Ladies enjoyed comfortable wins in both the county double rink, and the Top Club.
The double rink won 49 shots to 29, against the Isle of Thorns. The away team of Chris Sugarhood, Stephanie Tuddenham, Shirley Foxwell
and Stellan Wellum drew 17- 17, while the home team of Shirley Nelson, Maggie Langridge, Carol Watson and Sue Willmott won 32 - 12.
In their Top Club clash against local rivals Haywards Heath, Lindfield won on all four rinks, with Chris Sugarhood winning her singles 21-17
against Betty Turk.
May 28th: County and National updates
There was disappointment for the Mens' National Double Fours team last night, as Preston "B" won on both rinks on a damp Lindfield green. The four skipped by
Ian Watson made a good comeback to 11-11 having been 11-4 down, but Keith Holman's rink were always struggling, and so it remained for the rest of the game.
On Tuesday night there was a county singles showdown between Lindfield and Preston, with both sides claiming wins. Ian Watson beat Jonathan Smith, while
Andy Smalldridge beat Mick O'Donnell, and Basil Holding beat Keith Holman. Adam Harding managed a 21-15 win against current County Unbadged Champion Mel Woodhams
from Uckfield.
The club have four representatives travelling to the Isle of Wight on Saturday 30th for the first Middleton Cup game of the season; Adam Harding, Ian Watson, Graeme Geddie and Peter Colbourne (reserve).
Best of luck to you, and to the Sussex team!
May 26th: Busy week for Lindfield Ladies
Congratulations to Chris Sugarhood and Carol Watson on winning their first Over 55 Ladies' Pairs match against Lewes, and also to Carol Watson, Jean Spooner
and Stella Wellum who have reached the last 16 of the Ladies' County Triples. In what will be a hectic week for the Ladies' section, they take on Isle of
Thorns this Thursday (28th) in the Double Fours, and are at home to Haywards Heath in the Top Club on Saturday 30th.
Stephanie Tuddenham has passed her Grade 2 coaching exam, to become the first ever qualified coach for the Ladies' section - well done Stephanie!.
Good luck to Ladies' captain Sue Willmott, who is playing in the Johns Trophy today for Sussex against Hampshire at Sutton. Sue also starred in the the
first round victory of the National Mixed Fours at West Hoathly on Sunday, when she teamed up with Shirley Nelson, Adam Harding and Dave Richardson.
May 25th: County outing, and National Double Fours 2nd round
Adam Harding, Peter Colbourne and Graeme Geddie travelled up to Broomfield in North London this weekend, to represent Sussex in the Home
Counties League fixture against Middlesex. In what turned out to be a close-fought game, Sussex eventually lost on five rinks, with only
Andy Smalldridge's team returning a winning card.
Congratulations must go to Adam, Graeme, and Ian Watson on being selected for the first Middleton Cup game of the season, away to Isle of
Wight on Saturday.
Lindfield Mens' National Double Fours "A" team are in action again this week, against Preston "B" on Wednesday 27th. The team is as follows:
L: Frank Palmer
2: Roger Green
3: Adam Harding
S: Ian Watson
L: Chris Reynolds
2: Terry Hughes
3: Graeme Geddie
S: Keith Holman
Result: Lindfield "A" lost
May 21st: Ladies find it tough
The ladies of Lindfield had a tough week in the county fours. After winning their opening game, Chris Sugarhood, Carol Watson, Shirley
Foxwell and Stella Wellum went down to a strong four from Polegrove. Also in action were Joan Corless, Sue Paterson, Dorothy Keogh and Jean
Spooner but they were defeated by Motcombe Gardens. Next up for the ladies is their double rink tie next Thursday.
The Mens' national double rink B side travelled to Mackie on Saturday and Colin Bailey, Alan Nicholas, Mick O'Donnell and Ken Eldred did well
to pick up four shots on their last end to tie their rink 18-18. It was not so good for their team-mates however, as Willy Bollschweiler,
Tony Corless, Richard Harding and Peter Keogh fell behind early to Dave Woosnam's four. They trailed 10-1 at one stage and could not
recover the deficit, finally succumbing 25-13.
Ian Watson got off to a winning start in the national champion of champions competition with a 21-14 win over current county champion Ollie
Ovett.
In the first week of the county competitions, Colin Bailey and Mick O'Donnell survived the early evening downpour last Thursday to win their
pairs preliminary round against West Hoathly. New bowler Bryan Mills tasted county competitions for the first time and battled hard in his
unbadged singles before falling just short of the winning line at Dyke Road.
May 15th: County competitions get under way
A sudden deluge at Lindfield last night failed to dampen the spirits of those playing, with the Harding/Holman and Bailey/O'Donnell
pairings coming through their preliminary county pairs games unscathed. Congratulations also to Ian Watson on beating Preston's Ollie Ovett
in the first round of the national Champion of Champions.
Lindfield's National Double Fours "B" team is in action tomorrow (16th) at Mackie. The team is:
L: Willy Bollschweiler
2: Tony Corless
3: Richard Harding
S: Peter Keogh
L: Colin Bailey
2: Alan Nicholas
3: Mick O'Donnell
S: Ken Eldred
Result: Lindfield "B" lost
May 4th: Damp start to the new season
Sporadic drizzle and glimpses of sunshine have ushered in the new bowling season, which has so far produced some enjoyable friendly matches,
despite the greens being heavy, and often displaying little or no turn. In the coming weeks our attention will turn to competitive matches, and the first
"serious" mens' team of the season has been selected to play against Newick in the National Double Fours on May 10th at 10am:
L: Frank Palmer
2: Tom Palmer
3: Adam Harding
S: Ian Watson
L: Chris Reynolds
2: Terry Hughes
3: Graeme Geddie (captain)
S: Keith Holman
Result: Lindfield won 49 - 23.
April 2009: Lindfield bowlers feature in indoor finals
Despite the recent good weather turning our thoughts to the outdoor game, several Lindfield bowlers are competing in the finals at their respective indoor clubs
in the coming weeks. On Sunday 5th April Peter Colbourne teamed up with Lindfield skip Chris Thomas, Newick's Norman Dobson and Buxted's Clive Wratten to win
the Wealden Mens' Fours, beating Phil Soper's Uckfield team 25 - 12 in a one-sided finale.
Monday 20th April sees the Ladies' Senior Vice-Captain Chris Sugarhood taking on Arun's Lin Curtis in the final of the Sussex County Unbadged Singles at
Grattons IBC - it's a great achievement to reach a county final, and we all wish Chris the best of luck!
Grattons' finals weekend (18th-19th April) sees Adam Harding and Dave Richardson teaming up to compete in the Mens' Pairs, Triples and Fours finals, with Dave also contesting
the Mens' Singles final. Jean Spooner and Chris Sugarhood are also featuring in the Ladies' Triples final.
Update 24th April:
Congratulations to Lindfield's Adam Harding on winning the Grattons Mens' Pairs and Triples competitions, and also to former Lindfield player Dave Richardson
on scooping the Mens' Singles, Pairs and Triples trophies, and narrowly missing out on the Fours by just 2 shots.
Commiserations to Chris Sugarhood, who lost her county Unbadged final 21 - 18 to Arun's Lin Curtis, and further commiserations to Chris, Beryl Baker and Jean
Spooner on losing their Ladies' Triples final at Grattons.
A reminder that Lindfield's green opens (weather permitting) tomorrow (Saturday 25th April) at 10am! See you there!
16th March 2009: Indoor fixtures finish with a flourish
With barely six weeks to go until the start of the new outdoor season, Lindfield's bowlers were in action today in their last indoor fixture, against Newhaven's Denton Island bowls club. Sussex star Dave Richardson skipped his rink to an excellent win, which gave the overall result to Lindfield, while the other five rinks all had tight scorelines, with Denton eventually prevailing on four of them. Many thanks to all the bowlers who took part in the winter's indoor matches, which were largely successful, not to mention enjoyable. Roll on the new season!