Merrow played two friendlies over the weekend of 25/26th May. Saturday’s match was at Burpham for the first of our local derbies, while on Sunday Merrow entertained Knaphill for our first friendly in recent memory.

Burpham

On a hot Saturday afternoon, Merrow visited Burpham for a match of four triples. We were made very welcome by our hosts and it was good to meet up with a number of players that we know from the indoor sessions at Wey Valley.

The match started well, with Merrow bowlers giving a good account of themselves. We stopped for a cup of tea at the halfway stage to slake our thirst, which was much appreciated given the hot weather. The final outcome was a win for Burpham by 6 points with a score of 73-67, with each side winning on two rinks. Merrow’s top rink with the highest margin was Lesley, Richard and David R, winning 16-12 but special mention goes to Sally, Brian R and Bob who won 23-21, giving them the highest scoring rink overall.

We look forward to our return match on 24th August.

Knaphill

On Sunday, 26th May, Merrow hosted Knaphill for an inaugural friendly of four triples. Unlike Saturday, the sky was overcast and we had a heavy shower just before the match started. However, despite the lowering clouds, the match was played in dry but cool conditions.

Knaphill had brought a strong side, and Merrow were under pressure from the outset. There was spirited play from two of the Merrow teams, with Mark, Allen, and Bob losing by a single point. The high point of the match was on rink 1, where Jarek, Debbie, and David E won by a magnificent 23-12. Overall though, Knaphill were convincing winners by 81 points to Merrow’s 52. Man of the match must be Jarek, who only joined Merrow as a new bowler a couple of weeks earlier and played a great game.

We all enjoyed the interval tea and cake, which this time was a joint effort by several members.

We only play Knaphill once this season, so we hope for a better result next year.

 

Wednesday, 22nd May saw Merrow play one of their few evening matches. On this occasion we visited Westfield for a match of four triples.

We were blessed with a lovely evening on which to play bowls, although the low sun did pose a few problems until the trees gave us some shade. The match started well for Merrow, on a green that was reasonably fast with few problems. As this was an evening match, we played straight through without a break for tea, so it was essential to have a drink to hand.

The Merrow bowlers gave a good account of themselves, with each rink playing hard for a result. Unfortunately, we were unable to turn our efforts into a positive result, with Westfield winning 74-62 overall. However, there were good results for two of our teams. Sue, Allen, and David E won 17-16, with Debbie, Lorna, and Ken winning 17-13. A big “well done” to both teams.

After the match, Westfield laid on tea, which was enjoyed by all. We look forward to the return match at Merrow on 14th July.

On Sunday, 19th May, Merrow hosted Milford for a match of four triples.

Milford brought a strong team. The atmosphere was friendly and well contested. At the end of the match honours were even, with each team winning on two rinks. However, Merrow prevailed to win 66-62.

On Saturday 11th May, Merrow bowlers travelled to Liphook for a match of four triples. Leaving Guildford in the rain and hail, we were pleasantly surprised to find Liphook sunny and dry.

The match was closely fought, with the lead moving first one way and then the other. After a break for tea and cake, both sides resumed battle much refreshed. The eventual outcome went in Liphook’s favour, with a score of 81-62. Liphook won on three rinks but congratulations to Ron, Len, and Bob on their win of 22-20. There was a narrow loss by a single point for Lorna, Debbie, and John; well played, you nearly made it.

We look forward to entertaining Liphook later in the year.

Don’t forget, it’s our first Open Day of 2019 on Sunday 12th. Come along for a roll-up and bring a friend if you can.

A very enjoyable fixture! Despite several interruptions for heavy showers and a pitch, much heavier than ours at Merrow, we competed well against very sociable and evenly matched opposition, losing by just 6 points overall but winning on two rinks.

To begin the 90th anniversary season, our first match on 28th April was againt Albury.

After a glorious Easter weekend, we were presented with a cold and overcast day with some light rain. However, spirits were high in anticipation of a good match.

We played four rinks of triples on a green that was a revelation after the problems of last year, running true and at a good speed. Albury proved to be very strong opponents, winning 51-77. However, two of our rinks did manage a draw. Rink 1 (Lesley, Tony, and David E) drew 15-15, while Rink 4 (Judy, Ken, and John) drew 18-18. Well done for such great performances against strong opposition!

Our thanks to Brian T for the half-time tea and cake. We all needed warming up!

2019 is the 90th anniversary year for Merrow Village Bowls Club. To help get this special year off to a flying start, our local MP Anne Milton came to formally inaugurate the season.

Anne was welcomed by our president David Matthews, chairman Brian Taylor, and two representatives from the parent club committee, Mike Eagle, and Jim Drey. After a brief introduction by president David Matthews, Anne made a short speech, extolling the virtues of community organisations such as our club, providing sporting and social activities. Following the speeches, Anne took on the challenge of trying her hand at bowls, with our coach David giving some advice.

After the speeches, there was an opportunity for some photos with the club members before Anne cut a special anniversary cake, baked and decorated by Debbie. Anne took this opportunity to speak to several club members before leaving.

Woo-hoo! We have been featured in the May edition of Merrow Pages, with Sue making a starring appearance on the front cover.

Let’s hope the article prompts some potential new members to get in touch.

Our unofficial opening to declare the green open for practice took place in glorious weather on Sunday, 21st April. Our President, David Matthews, sent up a longish jack and managed to trail it with his first bowl remarking it was something he had waited 25 years to achieve.
Three rinks were used for roll ups and short games and there were some very tidy looking heads achieved which bodes well for the coming season.
The Official Opening by Anne Milton MP will be 28th at 1pm followed by a friendly match against Albury. We wonder if David can repeat his jack trailing, come and see!