The Broadwas High Handicap GC team visited pastures new on Thursday, when they travelled to Wiltshire to face Bradford-on-Avon.
Bradford-on-Avon are new to the South West Federation’s High Handicap (North) league and it was the first time a Broadwas team had visited their Pound Lane lawn.
And what a lawn! Bradford-on-Avon share their ground with the bowls club and our team of four was confronted with a gloriously lush, smooth flat lawn. It was the best away lawn any of the Broadwas team of four had ever played on.
Having very much enjoyed the visit by the friendly Bradford-on-Avon squad in May, we were very much looking forward to the return game. In May, we were beaten 10-6 by a fearless Bradford-on-Avon team which was undaunted by Stoney Ley undulations.
On Thursday the Broadwas team comprised Gill Brooks 11, Derry Bancroft 20, Debbie Kaner 12 and captain Paul Felton 12.
Bradford-on-Avon comprised captain Carol Gorvett 9, Geraldine Edmunds 18, Steve Williams 12, John De-Ath 12, Roger Edmunds 12 and Moira Alabaster 10.
Because there was only one lawn, we played 12 games instead of the standard South West Federation 20 games and double-banked all day. The games were all played under the newly introduced advantage handicap target score rules.
After a warm welcome and refreshments, it was down to business.
Broadwas enjoyed early success in the doubles, with Debbie Kaner and Paul Felton convincingly beating Moira Alabaster and Roger Edmunds 7-2 in the early-morning sunshine.
In the second round of singles, Debbie Kaner 12 triumphed again, in a 13-hooper clash with John De-Ath 12, beating John 7-6, while Paul Felton just missed out when he was beaten 7/7 to 5/6 by on-form Carol Gorvett.
Broadwas drew level (4-4) with the home side in the next round when the seemingly unstoppable Debbie Kaner beat ten-handicap Moira Alabaster, 7-3. Debbie triumphed in three of her four games during the day.
Meanwhile, Paul Felton beat fellow 12-handicap John De-Ath 7-6 after luck went his way. With John’s black in the jaws and only a jump shot could win the hoop, John’s long-distance attempt to clear Paul’s red with his blue, inadvertently removed the black from the jaws to leave Broadwas to take the hoop with red. You could probably hear the sigh of relief echo in the Broadwas clubhouse.
Broadwas just failed to keep up the momentum in the last few games of the day, but in the last game of the match, watched by all gathered outside the lovely Bradford-on-Avon clubhouse, Gill Brooks enjoyed a great win, beating the tricky John De’Ath, 7-5.
The final score was Bradford on Avon 7 Broadwas 5.
This was an impressive result for the intrepid four, improving markedly on the result from our home encounter with Bradford-on-Avon earlier in the season.
Many thanks to Bradford-on-Avon for their hospitality and warm welcome. On both occasions we have met, all members of the squad have been exceptionally friendly.
Thanks, in particular, go to captain Carol Gorvett for her pre-match help in organising the playing order and to the Broadwas players who endured a two-hour journey to Bradford-on-Avon and an even longer detoured journey back to Worcestershire due to incidents on the M5.
Next stop, Cheltenham.
Paul Felton
