How lucky were we with the weather! Our club Finals Day on Sunday, 8th September, was played in glorious sunshine.

Starting at 10am, the first few of the finals got under way, high levels of concentration being the order of the day. We had a really good turnout of spectators, and we all did our best to put on a good show for them.

First up were: 3 Sets, Ladies’ Drawn Pairs, and Novices followed at 11:30 by the 3 Wood Singles. After a short break for some lunch, at 2pm the Men’s Drawn Pairs, Junior Championship, Men’s Championship, and Ladies’ Championship began, followed at 4:30pm by the Mixed Pairs. Due to match times, the 2 Wood Singles, and Handicap Singles were deferred to a later date.

This year saw several new players in the finals: Jackie, Jarek, and Lewis. Jackie and Lewis were successful, while Jarek was unfortunate with a narrow loss. Well done to each of them!

A big thank you to all the club members who undertook marking duties; we couldn’t have done it without you.

Compared to last year, there are only a few photos, as your correspondent was involved in the Men’s Drawn Pairs, which took most the afternoon.

For the full results, please see the website here.

It’s Finals Day for our club competitions on Sunday. Come along and see the action from 10am.

On Saturday, 31st August, Merrow played host to Ripley for a friendly of four triples.

Both sides started well, and a good match was in prospect. Merrow soon moved ahead, and managed to win on three rinks. The final result was a win for Merrow, 84-59. A tremendous performance by Allen, Richard, and John saw them win 32-10; a great result.

Well done everyone.

Another win for Merrow at Holloway Hill on Wednesday, 28th August.

We played a match of three triples on Wednesday afternoon, with some interesting line-ups for Merrow; it was good to see Robin back in action again.

Merrow were overall victors in this match, winning 51-45. Well done all.

Our next match is at home to Ripley on Saturday, 31st August.

On Saturday, 24th August, Merrow hosted the return match of our local derby with Burpham. It was a hot and sunny afternoon, with the benefit of a light breeze, and we were all thankful for the shade offered at one end of the green.

We were to play four triples over eighteen ends. The match was soon underway, with both teams fighting hard for every point. However, fortunes were mixed with Burpham leading on three rinks when we stopped for tea at the halfway mark.

We did not have a volunteer to handle the teas, so several players joined forces to provide the repast. Our thanks go to Joan, Lesley, Debbie, and Lorna for all their efforts, and the lovely cakes.

After the break, Merrow came out reinvigorated, and the fight back began. Unfortunately, one Merrow player was suffering badly with the heat, so David E kindly stepped in as substitute.

After a most enjoyable afternoon’s bowling, honours were even at two rinks each. However, the overall score favoured Merrow, who won 61-58. Well done team. Our top rink was Sue (retired), David E, Lorna, and Richard, winning 24-10. A special mention to our second rink of Mark, Brian, and Ken, who fought hard to win 14-12. The remaining two rinks also fought back to limit their losses, so well done to them.

We look forward to our next match against Burpham, which is on Sunday, 16th February 2020 at Wey Valley.

On Saturday 17th August, Merrow hosted the return match with Woking Park. Under a threatening sky, we were to play three triples of eighteen ends.

Due to other competition commitments, Woking Park were only able to field eight players, so Len was drafted in from Merrow to make up their numbers. Merrow got off to a good start, really putting pressure on Woking. At the break, Merrow were leading on rink three, with the other two rinks staying close to Woking.

After the break, Woking really got into their stride, and moved ahead. Despite a spirited fight back on rink one, Woking won on all three rinks, with a score of 49-70. Commiserations to rink one’s team of Tony, Lorna, and Bob, who lost by just two points after a strong second half.

Our thanks to Brian T for providing the interval teas.

Over the weekend of 10-11 August, Merrow played friendlies against Ewhurst, and Woking Park.

Saturday, 10th August: Ewhurst

On Saturday, Merrow welcomed Ewhurst for a friendly of three triples. This was our first meeting in 2019, as the previous match had to be cancelled due to a waterlogged Ewhurst green. Fortunately, although very windy, our afternoon stayed dry.

All rinks started well for Merrow, and it looked as though we might be in for a win. However, it’s never good to be complacent, and when play resumed after the break, Ewhurst began a fightback. Our early optimism proved to be well-founded though, as Merrow went on to win by a margin of 59-41. Merrow’s top rink of Judy, Brian, and Ken had a great result, winning 24-12. Our other two rinks also did well, with Sue, Lorna, and Bob also scoring strongly to win 20-13. Sadly, your correspondent’s rink lost by a single point. Well done team.

Thanks to Joan Mead for the very welcome refreshments at the break.

 

Sunday, 11th August: Woking Park

On Sunday, 11th August, Merrow travelled to Woking Park for a friendly of three triples. A lovely sunny afternoon was in store as we began our match.

Woking were soon surging ahead on two rinks but with the remaining Merrow rink making a really good start. We were playing straight through, so there was little chance any respite. Sadly, the Woking captain had to call on a substitute due to an injury, after only a few ends had been played.

As the match progressed, Merrow was getting back on terms, with each rink fighting hard for each point. The end of the match resulted in Merrow gaining an overall win of 48-45, thanks to a splendid win by Tony, Lesley, and David R, with a score of 21-9. The other Merrow rinks also did well, with strong finishes by both.

Merrow host Woking Park for our return match on Saturday, 17th August.

On Saturday, 3rd August, Merrow welcomed Liphook for a friendly of four triples. Although overcast, we were fortunate to have a warm and dry afternoon.

Liphook are always a tough side, so it was encouraging to see all four rinks making a good start to the match. Each side was winning ends, and the scores were close. However, at the break for tea, Merrow were starting to edge ahead.

At the well deserved break, we all enjoyed tea, and delicious home-made cakes, courtesy of Lucy, who was helping Tony.

Re-invigorated, we resumed the battle. We ended with a brilliant result for Merrow, who won on all four rinks, scoring 84-50. Our top rink was Lesley, Allen, and John, with a great win 23-7. Splendid work!

Liphook will be renewing their green over the Autumn, so we look forward to our match next season.

Our annual match between teams representing the club’s President and Chairman was held on Saturday, 27th July. Despite early rain, we were fortunate to have a dry afternoon for the match.

To help us celebrate 90 years as a bowls club, four past members were invited to join us for the match: Rodney Morrison, Tony Cekŷs, Mike Jordan, and Sue Chitty. Sadly, neither the President nor Chairman were able to bowl, due to health reasons but watched the match from the sidelines.

We played three rinks of triples, and one rink of pairs. Due to the threat of rain, the triples played sixteen ends, while the pairs played eighteen ends. All rinks played well, with close scoring all the way, and lots of groans when bowls just missed their target. There was also plenty of laughter.

At close of play, the scores favoured the President’s teams, winning 59-53, with each side winning on two rinks. The top team were Judy, Mike, and David F, playing for the President, with a winning score of 16-10. Scores aside, a great afternoon’s bowling was enjoyed by all.

Following the match, Chairman Brian presented President David with the Bob Ashdown Memorial Shield, after which we all enjoyed some well deserved refreshments, including a wonderful anniversary cake made especially for the occasion by Debbie. A fitting end to a great afternoon.

On Sunday, 14th July, Merrow hosted Westfield for a match of four triples. After the heat of recent days, it was nice to have a cooler day for our match.

Westfield are a strong side and, true to form, Merrow were soon under pressure. It soon became apparent that, unless we made a remarkable tecovery, Westfield were going to win the match. However, Merrow never give up, and continued to fight hard. A break for tea was welcomed by both sides. Our thanks to John and Sally for the refreshments.

After the break, Westfield continued to extend their lead, finally winning the match 49-81.

Two of Merrow’s rinks acquitted themselves well, drawing on one and only losing by a small margin on the other. Well done to Judy, Andy, and Ken, fighting back to draw 15-15; and to Mark, Bernard, and Bob, only losing 12-15.

Despite losing the match, we all enjoyed a nice afternoon playing bowls in good company.