We dropped by the club today as part of our walk, and took a look at the green. David and Debbie have obviously been working hard over the winter, judging by the green’s splendid condition. It all makes the season feel that bit closer, despite the snowy border.

A very merry Christmas, and a happy New Year, to all our members and those who follow our news.

2020 has been a year to forget. Let’s hope the New Year brings an end to all the uncertainty, and lets us get back on the green.

Enjoy your Christmas.

I dropped by at the club this morning, and thought I’d share how good the green is looking, even after all the recent rain.

You may spot that we now have the electric fence covering all four sides of the green. Many thanks to Len for getting the (very sturdy) corner posts organised, and to Bill for providing the soil to build up the ground behind the edging boards. Much appreciated.

Following the government’s latest ruling, there are changes to how we can access and behave in the parent club. Here are the changes:

http://www.merrowclub.co.uk/news/

On Wednesday 16th September, five intrepid Merrow bowlers made the short journey to Ripley BC for our last match of the outdoor season. Merrow’s honour was at stake, having been beaten at home by Ripley.

We were pleased to have lovely weather for the match, with shorts and hats much in evidence. Ripley’s green was rather soft, giving everyone problems getting their bowls to roll far enough.

By the end of the match, Merrow were feeling the strain of having to put so much effort into their deliveries. Ripley proved to be dominant, winning on all three rinks 42-66. Merrow’s best result was with Lorna and John, losing by just three points.

We look forward to welcoming our friends from Ripley to our green next year.

Merrow’s annual President versus Chair match on Saturday, 12th September, was played under a warm, clear sky.

We were to play four rinks of pairs over 18 ends. Chairman Brian elected to play the first 9 ends, with Robin taking his place for the remainder of the match, and demonstrating how his bowling has come on.

There was a lot of intense bowling on all rinks. New members Bill and Graham proved formidable opposition for Sally and John, winning by a substantial margin.

The teams had been organised by our coach, David E, who had given us a green to be proud of. President David M, unable to play, watched from the sidelines.

The President’s team were up 8 at half way and it was all square at 14 ends. However, after a hard-fought match, the Chair won 73-59.

The afternoon was rounded off with a picnic. There was plenty of animated conversation and laughter, a hallmark of our friendly club.

We all look forward to returning in 2021 to resume our outdoor bowling.

On Wednesday 9th September, we hosted Ripley for our penultimate outdoor friendly of 2020.

We were fortunate to have a warm and sunny afternoon to play a match of three pairs. Our green is in splendid condition and playing really well, thanks to David and Debbie’s efforts, so an enjoyable afternoon was in prospect.

Home advantage was in evidence as the match began but Ripley soon became accustomed to how the green was playing. There was a lot of concentration required on both sides as we all tried our hardest. However, at the end of the match, Ripley had triumphed 40-44. Ripley also won on two of the three rinks, so congratulations to Ken and John on their win, 20-14.

We play the return match at Ripley on 16th September, when we hope for a good result.

It’s getting towards the end of the outdoor season but there are still matches to be played. Over the weekend of 5/6 September we played Friendlies against Seale & Sands, and Castle Green.

On Saturday, 5th September, Merrow travelled to Seale & Sands for a match of three pairs. The clouds came and went, and it turned out to be a lovely afternoon.

Captain Charmian gave us a warm welcome, and explained their Covid-19 procedures before we joined battle.

The green played very differently to Merrow’s, giving yours truly a lot of problems. The other two rinks appeared to conquer the differences and were soon moving into commanding positions. However, on our rink, the S&S players were making the most of home advantage. After a very taxing but enjoyable afternoon’s bowling, Merrow prevailed, winning 48-34. Congratulations to Lorna and Richard, who played well to win 23-7, and to Sally and John who won 17-11. Great results.

Sunday, 6th September involved a trip to Castle Green for match of two pairs. Again we were fortunate to have a warm and dry afternoon. Given Castle Green’s location, we were assured of a number of onlookers.

The match started well for Merrow, with both rinks moving ahead. However, Castle Green began to find their line, and started to creep back into contention. At the final end each side had one rink ahead but the scores were reversed, with Merrow winning by a single point, 29-28.

Well done to all the bowlers. A tight match was played with great spirit and friendliness. It’s what bowls is all about.

Wednesday 26th August found Merrow bowlers making their way to Holloway Hill for a Friendly of three Pairs.

We were blessed with a sunny and warm afternoon. Social distancing rules were explained to all before play started, so that we were confident playing our opponents.

The match started well for Merrow, with each rink gaining an early advantage. However, our hosts soon found their feet and, on two rinks, started to come back strongly. A most enjoyable afternoon resulted in a win for Merrow 55-43. Our top rink was David and Debbie Ewins, with a great score of 26-11. Our other rinks had mixed fortunes, with John and Jarek losing 15-19 after a tough match, and Mark and David R waiting until the last end to win 14-13. Well done to all who played.

Inspecting the head

Jarek keeps an eye on progress

John delivers a bowl.

John looks on.