Captain’s Log

Stardate – 21st September 2008

Well, the weather gods didn’t disappoint us at the Club Doubles Championships on Sunday, 21^st September.  A lovely, warm, sunny morning gave way to a slightly cloudy, breezy afternoon, but still ideal weather for playing – and watching – bowls.

We started off with 21 participants, so Alan and Kate Barnard kindly agreed to ‘merge’ their considerable individual personalities into one, for the purpose of an even draw, and Lucy Bolton was the lucky one who drew them as her ‘partner’ in Group B.

There were five pairings in each group, and the remainder of Group B consisted of Joe Huckle and David Minter; Liz Cockerill and Norman Sutton; Philip Richardson and Peter Markham; and Janet Gregory and Liz Cobbold.

In Group A, Richard Bolton and Wilf Chamberlain came out of the hat together, followed by John Cobbold and Mike Corbett; Margaret Huckle and Richard Cockerill; David Gregory and David Perrin; and Julia Richardson and Lawrie Moroney.

Richard and Wilf were probably the form favourites in Group A, but they met their match in the two Davids – that encounter resulting in an 8-8 draw, after the stipulated eight ends.  John and Mike started very well, with three wins out of three guaranteeing their place in the semi-final, before their encounter with Wilf and Richard, which they lost, heavily.  One of these wins was over the two Davids, which left them with an uphill struggle, having dropped three points.

Margaret and Richard really didn’t have the rub of the green – I speak as one who played against them and had his fair share of lucky wicks! – and were unfortunate to post ‘nul points’.  Julia and Lawrie gained their only victory over Margaret and David, and also held David G and P to a draw in the last match.

So, the Group winners were Wilf and Richard, with 7 points out of a possible 8, and John and Mike claimed runners-up spot with 6.  David G and P got 4, and Julia and Lawrie, 3.

Group B was hard-fought, too, and no-one emerged empty-handed.  Joe and David M were always going to be hard to beat and, indeed, no-one did beat them at this stage.  Not surprisingly, the single point they did drop was in a 7-7 draw with Philip and Peter, but they, in turn, lost to Janet and Liz Cobbold, and finished with only 5 points.

However, that was the only recorded victory for Janet and Liz, so they had only 2 points – as did Lucy and Kate/Alan, thanks to a sole victory over Janet and Liz!  Meanwhile, Norman and Liz Cockerill played a very ‘middle-of-the-table- tournament, beating Janet/Liz and Lucy/Kate/Alan, but losing to Joe/David and Philip/Peter, to end up with 4 points, one off a runners-up qualification.

Once the Group stages were decided, everything stopped for the barbecue, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all – thanks to everyone who helped, and particularly Alan, for his superb culinary skills!

It was wearing on for three o’clock before the semis were started – by which time the Great Melton Cricket Club Annual President’s Invitation match was well under way.  I was going to say “in the background”, but they would doubtless claim that that was where we were!  Either way, it was a pretty wonderful way to spend a late summer Sunday afternoon – even for a Scotsman!

The first semi-final saw John and Mike take on Joe and David and, although the former pairing gave it their best shot, the fact is that Joe and David had more shots in their locker and, after a fairly even start, they drew away steadily and won convincingly in the end.

If anything, the second semi, between the Wilf and Richard pairing and Philip and Peter was even more one-sided, with Philip/Peter coming ‘on to a game’ at just the right time, while Wilf/Richard seemed to lose their touch with equally perfect timing!

And so to the final, which was watched by a gratifying large attendance of eliminated contestants (might that have something to do with the availability of Bombers, I wonder?) 

It turned out to be a much closer contest than either of the semis, and the standard of bowls played was very high, as befitted the occasion.  For the first six ends, it was really too close to call, but, in the last two, Peter and Philip imposed their grip on the match and ultimately recorded a decisive, if fairly narrow, victory.

This, of course, meant that Philip recorded the historic double – Singles and Doubles Champion – that Joe Huckle achieved last season, and captain Liz Cobbold referred to this in her end–of–tournament speech, when presenting the trophy to the successful pair.

She said – to universal agreement – that the day had set the seal on a very enjoyable and successful season and thanked all members for their support and enthusiasm since April.

Members were reminded of two upcoming dates – 12^th October, and the ensuing week, for major green maintenance work – and 15^th November for the Annual Quiz.

It was good to see David Perrin putting in a full day’s play, and looking so fit and back to his old self.  Once again, the green looked magnificent – thanks, mainly, to David Gregory.  And, Liz read out a card from Mike Blazeby – otherwise engaged at the Norfolk and Norwich, on the day – thanking the club, and all members, for another most enjoyable season, and looking forward to next season already!

I’ll drink to that!

Mike Corbett

Group 1                      Group 2                      Group 3                      Group 4

Mike Corbett              Norman Sutton          Richard Bolton           Stan Huckle

Jane Baker                Janet Gregory            Liz Cockerill               Liz Cobbold

Richard Cockerill      Lucy Bolton                Margaret Huckle        David Perrin

David Gregory           Joe Huckle                 David Minter              Alan Barnard

Kate Barnard             Wilf Chamberlain      Lawrie Moroney        Caroline Savory       

Julia Richardson                                           Philip Richardson

The plan was that each person in a Group would play a match of six ends against everyone else in the group, then the Group winners would play knock-out semi-finals, followed by a final.

And – we got at least halfway through the first series of ties before the heavens opened!  It bucketed!  And it continued to ‘bucket, intermittently, for the next two hours ….

In between downpours – and often during them! – the undaunted competitors continued to hurl their woods through the rising floodwater and, slowly but inexorably, the games were played, and the leagues began to take shape.

Following a sustained torrent at about 11o’clock, it was decided to take an early lunch and see how things looked afterwards.  One or two – all from Group 4, and all for good reasons – decided to call it a day at this point, but the rest soldiered on and, although it was still a bit ‘moist’ immediately after lunch, gradually the sun broke through and, by the time the Group stage was nearing its conclusion, not only was the weather dry, but, unbelievably, so was the green – a real tribute to the loving care and attention lavished on it by greenkeeper David Gregory this season.

So, against all the odds, we eventually had four worthy winners to contest the semi-finals.

In Group 1, Richard and Kate shared the distinction of fighting out one of the only two draws of the day, but the battle for supremacy turned out to be between Julia, David and Mike, with Julia emerging triumphant, losing only to Richard, but beating both her closest rivals, to score 8 points, against 6 for David and Mike, Richard on 5, Kate on 3 and Jane on 2.

Group 2 – one of the ‘Groups of Death’ – lived up to its reputation, with Norman beating Wilf, Wilf beating Joe, and Joe beating Norman, so they each ended up with 6 points!  Wilf, however, went through to the semi-final by virtue of having scored the most points (well – probably!) Lucy won the battle of the ladies, to grab the two remaining points!

On paper, Group 3 had the look of another Group of Death, but it was quickly apparent that Philip hadn’t made the long journey from Manor Farm for nothing!  He actually emerged unbeaten in his five matches, missing a ‘perfect ten’ only by virtue of the other draw of the day – with Liz Cockerill – 4-4.  An apparently strong opposition ended up trailing in his wake – David M came closest, with 6 points, followed by Liz with 5, Richard and Lawrie on 4, and Margaret on 2.

Group 4 saw the very welcome return of David Perrin, after his recent operation, but the horrendous weather brought an early end to his comeback, and this group also saw two more weather-related early departures.  Caroline eventually pipped her Uncle Stan to claim the fourth semi-final spot.

The semi-finals paired up Caroline and Philip, and Julia and Wilf, and both turned out to be absorbing contests.

Philip led Caroline 3-2 after the second end, but then Caroline got a 2, followed by a 1, to hold a 5-3 lead going into the 5^th.  Philip won that one by a single shot and went into the last 4-5 down.  But, he kept his cool and got a 2-shot win on the final end, to squeak through – 6-5.

In the other semi, Wilf had a 4-2 lead after 2, but Julia drew level with a 2 in the 3rd.  Wilf restored his 2-shot lead in the 4^th, but Julia pegged one back in the 5^th.  6-5 to Wilf as they started the last end – and Wilf took it by 1, to go into the final a 7-5 winner.

The final, between Wilf and Philip, was not only incredibly close, but of very high quality. Each of the first 4 ends was won by a single shot, only – and, each time, the winner was Philip.  This left Wilf having to win the 5^th to stay in the match – and he did, by a single shot!  But Philip was unbeatable on the day – a very tight and accurate final end also went his way – inevitably, by a single shot!

A very worthy winner.  A doughty opponent in the final.  Two excellent defeated semi-finalists.  And a big thank you to all the rest of the ‘heroes’ for sticking it out and turning what could have been a miserable day into a very enjoyable one.

Let’s keep our collective fingers crossed for Sunday the 21^st – roll on the Doubles!

Mike Corbett

Captain’s Log

Stardate – 19th August 2008

Once again, the capricious summer weather looked as if it would put paid to a fixture with Hethersett Social, but, after a very showery afternoon, the skies, if they didn’t exactly brighten, lost some of that leaden look, and we were able to take to the green at 6.30 with at least an even chance of seeing the match through.

Our results against tonight’s opposition, last season, gave us no grounds for optimism about the eventual result, however, and, by and large, the early ends suggested that another bowls lesson was in the offing.

Joe Huckle was skip on Rink 2, with Chris Blazeby as his lead, and John Cobbold at number two, and the first 7 ends saw them slump to a 9-1 deficit.  On Rink 3, Norman Sutton skipped Lawrie Moroney (lead) and Richard Bolton (No.2) and honours were pretty well even in the first half of the game, with the score 9-7 in Melton’s favour after the 9^th end.

Peter Markham suffered a disastrous 5 on the first end on Rink 4 – Liz Cobbold leading and David Gregory second – but clawed his way back to 7-7 after 7 ends, while, on Rink 6, where Caroline Savory led, with Mike Blazeby at 2, and Mike Corbett skip, Melton were really enjoying a purple patch – 16-1 ahead after the 8^th!

On Rink 2, there was a real change of fortunes. Joe’s block won six consecutive ends, after the 7^th, and held a 10-9 lead going into the 14^th. Unfortunately, though, they lost momentum, and took only a single point from the last five ends. Final result – 11-16.

Norman’s block went well in the early part of the second half, and a 5 at the 14^th gave them a handsome 18-10 advantage with four ends to play. Once again, though, the opposition came back, and, with the aid of a 5 of their own on the second last end, snatched victory at the final whistle – 20-18.

Peter’s three struggled throughout the second half, standing 11-20 down with two ends to play. To their credit, they took threes on each of the last two, but still went down 17-20.

Mike C’s block held it together until the 13^th, where they led 22-6, but then lost the plot a little and conceded another 8 on the last five ends, to settle for a 22-14 win.

When the final reckoning took place, it was frustrating to lose by only two points – 68-70 – when so many were thrown away in the gathering dusk of the last four ends. On the other hand, it was a lesson from our more battle-hardened neighbours in keeping focussed, even when the cause seemed lost – or, in our case, won!

That said, it was a most enjoyable match, and the post-match refreshments were enjoyed in a very convivial and friendly atmosphere. This was reflected in both captains’ speeches, which looked forward to further ‘close encounters’ in future seasons.

Mike Corbett

PS – sadly, it will not be possible to re-arrange the match at Hethersett, rained off on 29^th May, but we have managed to agree a date with Brooke for the 3^rd June cancellation. That will now be our last match of the season – 6.00 p.m. on Thursday, 4^th September, at Brooke.

Captain’s Log

Stardate – 12th August 2008

At 11 o’clock this morning, we could have had a decent paddle on the green at Great Melton, but the clouds passed over for the visit of Brooke, and we really had quite a decent evening – weather-wise, at any rate!

If I’m being totally honest, I have to confess I was ‘quietly confident’ about tonight’s match, despite the absence of some of our more successful regular performers. The green at Brooke is quite small, and I have this idea that they can’t cope with our wide open spaces! Shows how much I know!

The match was played on Rinks 2,3,4 and 5, and, on Rink 2, Joe Huckle, with wife Margaret leading, and Chris Blazeby at 2, started OK with a couple of 1-shot wins, but then it went a bit pear-shaped, and his opponents went on a run of 6 wins out of the next 7 ends, to lead 12-4 at the halfway point.

Next door, on Rink 3, where Richard Bolton was skip, with Mike Blazeby at No. 2 and Liz Cobbold leading, things were, if possible, even worse, with just two 1-shot victories out of the first 9 ends – score at halfway – 2-10!

Norman Sutton was skip on Rink 4, with Lawrie Moroney leading and Mike Corbett second, and a high-scoring first half saw Brooke ahead with a narrow lead of 10-8, while, on Rink 5, Peter Markham (skip), Stan Huckle (lead) and John Cobbold (No.2) were just in touch at 8-5 down.

At this point, with all four of our blocks behind, the prospects for the match were not good, and, although Joe, Chris and Margaret didn’t improve their position on Rink 2, they didn’t drop further back, either, finishing 19-11 down.

On Rink 3, however, Richard’s happy crew began to claw back their deficit, but were still 7 points down after 15 ends – 8-15.  Then, unbelievably, they picked up a 5 on the 16^th, a 2 on the 17^th, and topped it all off with another 2 in the final end to triumph 17-15.

Norman had a brief renaissance on Rink 4 at the start of the second period, pulling back to lead 11-10, but then suffered the twin nightmares of some fairly cruel luck and a very good opposing skip to see the game slip away again, eventually going down 22-12.

Peter, on Rink 5, pulled back to level pegging on the 14^th end, squaring the scores at 13-13, then, with his customary tenacity, built on that to finish, ultimately, a fairly comfortable winner at 20-14, but the final overall reckoning gave the match to the visitors by 70-60, and we couldn’t complain about that.

The post-match supper was thoroughly enjoyed by all, and both captains referred in their addresses to the pleasant atmosphere between the two teams, both on and off the green. Regrets were expressed about the fixture at Brooke, which had fallen foul of the weather, earlier in the season, and some not very optimistic hopes of re-arranging before the end of the season were put forward.

Failing that, we look forward to renewing our friendly rivalry with Brooke next year, after a very enjoyable evening.

Mike Corbett

Captain’s Log

Stardate – 7th August 2008

When Wicklewood visited us just over a month ago, they were, by their own admission, not at full strength, and the final result showed that. So we were prepared for some pretty stiff resistance when we trundled over there for the return fixture.  There had been ominous rumbles of thunder throughout the afternoon, but the weather held, and the Wicklewood green looked in very fine condition.

The first match, on Rink 1, was very close from start to finish.  Joe Huckle skipped the Great Melton block, and Julia Richardson played lead, with Lawrie Moroney at number 2. They conceded 5 in the first 2 ends, but then got the hang of the green and a ‘pendulum’ contest ensued.  At halfway, after 8 ends, the score stood at 8-8!

On Rink 2, Peter Markham had Liz Cobbold in the lead berth, and Mike Corbett at 2.  They settled very quickly, and a 5 on the second end contributed to a comfortable 10-2 lead at the halfway stage.  Matters were much closer on Rink 3, where Chris Blazeby was leading, with Trevor Hollidge at 2, to Norman Sutton’s skip.  At halfway, Wicklewood held a slender 7-6 advantage, but seemed to be getting their noses in front.

Philip Richardson skipped on Rink 4, with Stan Huckle lead and Richard Bolton at 2, and they took control early, winning 6 of the first 8 ends, to lead 11-2 at the halfway point.

In the second half, Joe’s block on Rink 1 went ahead with a couple of 1-shot wins on the 9^th and 10^th, but then the home team came back to regain the advantage – and they didn’t let go, eventually running out worthy winners at 16-11.

On Rink 2, Wicklewood did pick up a couple of 3-shot victories in the second period, but Peter’s block came back with a pair of 5’s, among others, and recorded a conclusive 27-8 winning margin at the end of the game.

Norman’s block, on Rink 3, conceded a 4 in the 10^th end, opening up a 6-point lead for Wicklewood, but then Melton slowly clawed their way back and a 5 at the 15^th put them back in front – 14-13.  Alas for Norman and his valiant band, the home team turned the tables in the final end, taking it by 4, to give them a final winning margin of 17-14.

The second half of Philip’s tussle on Rink 4 was a really miserly affair, with six 1-shot, and two 2-shot, ends.  The home team fared better in this part of the match, matching the Melton score, so the 9-point halfway margin was maintained, for a final result of 16-7 in our favour.

So – two games to Wicklewood and two to Great Melton – but the points difference was 68-48 in our favour, so we did achieve the ‘double’ over our hosts this season. 

We enjoyed a very convivial post-match supper and really look forward to locking horns again next year.  Thanks to our friends at Wicklewood for their hospitality.

Mike Corbett

Captain’s Log

Stardate – 1st August 2008

August opened with a ‘revenge’ match against Cringleford – “revenge” by virtue of the fact that they saw us off fairly comprehensively on their home patch in late June, and one or two, at least, of the vanquished Melton side on that occasion were looking forward to the return encounter with some relish.

Cringleford didn’t get off to the best of starts. One of their team didn’t manage to step up to the mark, and – not for the first time! – David Gregory made himself available for the visitors, and, incidentally, played a little better than club loyalty might have dictated!

He turned out on Rink 2, where Philip Richardson skipped for Great Melton, with Chris Blazeby leading and Mike Corbett turning out at number 2.  The home team raced to an early 7-0 lead after 3 ends, but then shipped 6 in the next 3, to stand 7-6 up after 6. However, this turned out to be a temporary ‘blip’, and Melton took the next 7 ends, to lead 23-6 after the 13^th.

Wilf Chamberlain hasn’t played in many matches this season, and it was good to see him in good form on Rink 3, with Julia Richardson at lead and Richard Bolton at No. 2.  They, too, took an early stranglehold on the game, winning 11 of the first 14 ends, to hold a 26-3 lead with just 4 to play.

Joe Huckle seemed to be in similar control on Rink 4, where he had the pleasure of a “pair of Cobbolds” in his team – Liz leading, and John at No.2.  After 10 ends, they held an apparently comfortable 13-3 advantage, and seemed to be cruising along contentedly, but, whether Liz and John (who seemed to be on very familiar terms with our visitors!) were ‘got at’, or the worm simply turned, the fact is that the game then turned on its head and Cringleford picked up a 3 and two 4’s in successive ends, to snatch back the lead.

The real mayhem, however, was happening on Rink 5 – surprise; surprise! – where Peter Markham skipped a block consisting of Lucy Bolton as lead and Caroline Savory in the number 2 berth.  A 7 on the first end was followed by a 5 on the second.  12-0 after 2 ends!  The opposition managed an occasional 1-shot victory, but they reached the 10^th end 23-3 down – then snatched a 6! Was a comeback of Lazarus proportions on the cards?

In fact, the last few ends went very much the way of the visitors, on most of the rinks. On 2, Philip’s block mustered just 3 points from the last 5 ends, to their opponents’ 6, but still emerged comfortable winners by 26-12.  Wilf could only win one of his last 4 ends on Rink 3, and Cringleford just missed out on double-figure ‘respectability’, finishing up with 9 shots, to the home team’s 28.

On Rink 4, Joe Huckle’s team managed a single victory in the last 8 ends, and Cringleford put in a very spirited performance to register a solid 21-15 triumph, but Peter’s block put an end to any dreams of reincarnation on Rink 5, battening down the hatches to maintain a sizeable winning margin – 30-12.

The final count-up resulted in a 99-54 victory for Great Melton, but, as ever, the camaraderie on the green, and afterwards, was the most enjoyable part of the evening. Thanks to all concerned.  We look forward to renewing our acquaintance next season.

Mike Corbett

Captain’s Log

Stardate – 24th July 2008

Two reports rolled into one again – the matches are turning up quicker than I can write about them!

On Thursday 17^th July we entertained our old adversaries, and friends, from Hethersett Playing Field.  It wasn’t the best night for a game of bowls, but the rain stayed away and a good evening was had by all.  We had enjoyed a (very) narrow victory in the away fixture on 15^th May, so the visitors came looking for revenge!

On Rink 1, Peter Markham skipped, ably abetted by Liz Cobbold (lead) and Mike Corbett (No.2), and raced into a 12-2 lead after 7 ends, but was pegged back to 12-5 at the halfway point.  Next door, David Minter was having a much tighter tussle on Rink 2, where he had Stan Huckle in the lead and Jane Baker at number 2.  The advantage went one way, then the other, until a 4 for Melton in the 9^th end gave them an 11-9 lead at halfway.

Mike Jones made a rare, and welcome, appearance on Rink 3, as lead for Norman Sutton, with John Cobbold at number 2, and the 9^th end finished with the sides neck-and-neck at 8-8!  Rink 4 was a real family affair, from the Great Melton point of view, with Joe Huckle skipping; wife Margaret leading; and daughter Caroline number 2!  And - it seemed to be working, with the home side enjoying a 15-3 advantage at the midway point.

In the second half, Peter’s block had a good run in the first 4 ends, when the gap increased to 23-5. Then the visitors fought back, but they had given themselves too much to do, and the final score was 24-12 in Melton’s favour.  David’s block on Rink 2 continued to enjoy a real tooth and nail battle with their guests, and just held on at the last to scrape through by the narrowest of margins – 18-17.

Norman started the second period well, with wins in the first two ends, but then it all went black, and he conceded the next six, finishing up 12-18 in arrear.  Joe, too, went ‘off the boil’ in the second half, winning only three ‘single-shot’ ends, but he had enough in reserve to record a good 18-12 victory – thereby cancelling out Norman’s reverse!

When the final count-up was done, the score was announced as 72-59 in Great Melton’s favour (although a subsequent recount showed it to be, actually, 71-59!) but the two captains were unanimous in voting both the match and the subsequent social gathering and refreshments extremely enjoyable.  We look forward to locking horns again next season!

On Tuesday the 22^nd, we made the hitherto uncharted journey across the A11 to Shotesham, which turned out to be a delightful club, and green, in a very picturesque village, which your correspondent, for one, had never visited before.  The weather, too, was first-rate – warm and dry ; if only we’d got off to a better start!

Norman Sutton skipped on Rink 1, supported by Liz Cockerill in the lead and Lawrie Moroney at 2, but a couple of 3-shot victories in the first 9 ends only flattered to deceive, and they trailed 11-6 at the midway point.  Peter Markham was having an even more torrid time on Rink 2, where Margaret Huckle was his lead, with John Cobbold at number 2, and they were really suffering at 14-3 down after 8 ends.

Fortunately, Joe Huckle, with Liz Cobbold leading and Richard Bolton at 2, was faring rather better on Rink 3, and had carved out a 10-5 lead after the 9^th.  But the tale of woe continued on Rink 4 – Wilf Chamberlain skipped, with Jane Baker lead and Mike Corbett No.2, and halfway arrived with Great Melton on the wrong end of a 10-5 scoreline.

At that point, the outlook was very bleak, indeed, and, in all fairness, it didn’t brighten up much for Norman and his merry band on Rink 1.  The second half brought about only 3 single-shot wins, and the final result was 24-9 in favour of Shotesham.  Peter’s block fared slightly better on Rink 2, but, although they won a majority of ends, the margins were close, and the final tally was 23-13 against.

However, Joe, on Rink 3, continued to peg back the opposition and only the concession of a 4-shot reverse on the last end kept his winning margin down to 24-11.  Similarly, Wilf had a very good second half, and actually led by 2 shots going into the last, but a 3-shot reverse (2 of them very close measures!) robbed him of a hard-fought victory.  Final score – 18-19.

The overall result – 77-64 in favour of our hosts – was, indeed, decisive, but we’d have settled for that at the halfway point, and I think we have grounds for optimism for the return fixture on 21^st August, where we will undoubtedly vary the length more than we were able to do on the fairly tight rink at Shotesham.

Anyway, the match result isn’t all-important (especially when we lose!) and this first fixture between our two clubs was an undoubted success.  Our hosts entertained us to a lovely supper – in the course of which a couple of ex-National Servicemen became re-acquainted after a gap of 50 years! – and the rest of us developed the friendly relations we had established on the green.  We look forward to returning their generous hospitality in a few weeks’ time.

Mike Corbett

Captain’s Log

Stardate – 9th July 2008

We played our return match against Barnham Broom last night – just three weeks after our inaugural, first-ever fixture against them, at Melton.  Just to refresh any failing memories, we squeaked home in that one by the smallest possible margin – I point – in a 54-53 ‘thriller’!

Of course, on their home patch, things were different – a lot different!  For a start, we played two-wood triples, rather than our customary three, and we played ‘roving cot’ – a new experience for one or two of the team – i.e. those who have not yet had the pleasure of visiting Hethersett Playing Field!

However, it all started in a pretty orthodox fashion, with everyone playing up and down, side by side, and Richard Bolton’s block, including Mike Corbett (lead) and Caroline Savory (No. 2) got off to a flying start, with a 9-2 lead after 7 of the 21 ends.  Next door (no rink numbers in roving cot!), David Minter, with Chris Blazeby leading and Lawrie Moroney at 2, was also setting the pace, holding an 11-3 lead after 9.

Further along, Joe Huckle was engaged in a ding-dong battle with Barnham Broom captain Tom Gray.  Jane Baker was leading, with John Cobbold at number 2, and the scoring fluctuated fairly wildly, especially when Tom invoked the ‘roving cot’ rule, and started to play across everyone else!  Halfway through, though, despite the changing fortunes, Joe still had his nose in front – 9-8.

Norman Sutton skipped our other rink, with Liz Cobbold playing lead and Mike Blazeby number 2.  They picked up a 5 on the 2^nd end, then conceded two 4’s in the next three and, after 9 ends, were trailing by the tiny margin of 9-10.

By this time, Barnham Broom skip Brian Read had also switched to roving cot, to try to upset Richard Bolton’s trio, but, apart from one or two slips, the Melton side held their nerve, and closed out a 25-17 win.  David Minter, too, with Chris and Lawrie, played steadily and kept a substantial margin between them and their opponents, finishing up as 23-14 winners.

Things were much tighter with Joe Huckle, though. There was never a gap larger than 4 points between the two blocks and, although Joe had a 3-point lead going into the last end, the home team made him fight all the way, winning it by 2, to record a final score of 17-16 in Great Melton’s favour. 

Norman’s block, however, hit a losing streak after the 9^th end to trail 18-9 after the 14^th and, although they staged a mini-recovery, they never got back on terms, eventually succumbing by 21-15.

Nevertheless, when all the counting was done, Great Melton emerged as fairly convincing winners, overall, by 80 points to 68, and all concerned repaired to the Bell Inn for an excellent supper, and cementing of the cordial atmosphere built up on the green.  The post-match speeches from each of the captains expressed the hope that this would be an annual exchange, and there seems to be little doubt that it will.

Mike Corbett

Captain’s Log

Stardate – 7th July 2008

Well, I made the fatal mistake of popping across the Atlantic to strut my kilted stuff at a family wedding near Detroit, thinking I was leaving the team in good hands for the visit to Cringleford on 23^rd June, but, apparently, the Curse of Rink 3 fell upon us, with familiar results!

In my experience, all the rinks at Cringleford bear some type of a curse, but Peter Markham feels quite strongly about Rink 3 – particularly after this match, in which he skipped a block consisting of Jane Baker (lead) and Julia Richardson (No. 2).  The game progressed quite encouragingly in the first 6 ends, following which we held a comfortable, if narrow, 5-3 lead.  However, we shipped a 5 on the 7^th end, and things headed rapidly downhill.  Ends 7 to 14 yielded only 1 point for Great Melton, and 15 for the opposition.  We staged a mini-recovery on ends 15 and 16, picking up 5, but it was a false dawn, and the game finished, after 21 ends, in a 24-11 defeat.

Our most successful block, on the night, was a relatively inexperienced one, consisting of Chris Blazeby (lead), Lucy Bolton (No. 2) and Richard Bolton (skip) on Rink 1.  The balance seesawed one way, then the other, for the first 6 ends, but we took a 6-5 lead in the 7^th, and never fell behind after that, progressing steadily and confidently to a final winning margin of 17-12.

Next door, on Rink 2, Philip Richardson skipped Caroline Savory (No. 2) and “Uncle” Stan Huckle (lead) in a very tense and exciting encounter.  The game went Cringleford’s way for the first 9 ends, but we then picked up 5 in 2 ends to wipe out an 8-3 deficit, then dropped 4, then picked up 5 again!  From then on, it was nip and tuck, with Great Melton leading 17-16 going into the last, but losing it by 2, for a final result of 17-18.

Trevor Hollidge made his team debut as skip on Rink 4, with Mike Blazeby leading and Lawrie Moroney at number 2.  Although this, too, was quite a tight game, Trevor’s block never really recovered from dropping 7 in the first 3 ends.  They fought back to 6-7 after 6, but the home team had their noses in front all the way through, finally gaining victory by 20-16.

The aggregate score, therefore, was 74-61 for Cringleford, but it has to be said that we have lost at this particular venue in the past 2 seasons, as well – and reversed the result in the home match.  I am assured that the game, as ever, was played in the best of spirits, and we were royally entertained by our hosts.  We will endeavour to match them in hospitality – and beat them on the green! – when we lock horns at Great Melton on 1^st August.

On 3^rd July, we had the pleasure of entertaining old adversaries, Wicklewood, at Great Melton, for our first encounter of the season. 

It has to be said that our visitors, who, unlike ourselves, have considerable league commitments, did find themselves short on experienced players for this encounter, and I think it would be fair to say that each block carried one member who was less than battle-hardened.

As a result, our team, which, I think, we would have regarded as one of our strongest, did establish a sizeable early lead, and never really let go.

Richard Bolton skipped on Rink 1, with Stan Huckle leading, and Julia Richardson at number 2, and, despite being up against the experienced Wilf Reynolds, achieved a solid 22-8 winning margin.

David Minter skipped on Rink 2, against the fairly redoubtable Graham Mann (I speak from bitter experience!) but, with Caroline Savory (lead) and Peter Markham (No. 2) in support, managed an impressive 29-8 victory.

Captain Liz Cobbold was the lead on Rink 3 to Lawrie Moroney’s number 2 and Joe Huckle’s skip.  They took a little time to find their feet, but eventually established a supremacy over their opponents, and turned in a 22-7 win.

Norman Sutton was the skip on Rink 4, against the Wicklewood team captain Viv Groom, with John Cobbold at number 2, and Mike Corbett as lead.  Again, the inexperience of the opposing players was a factor in the ultimate 21-9 victory for Great Melton.

The eventual final match result was a 94-32 win for us, but, as ever, the result was secondary to the enjoyment of the evening, and this was reflected in the convivial atmosphere in the pavilion afterwards, and highlighted in the respective captains’ speeches.

The return at Wicklewood is on 7^th August.  The previous 2 matches there resulted in an 85-50 defeat (2007) and a 115-44 victory (2006) – so, no history of close encounters!  It should be very interesting – I look forward to it!

Mike Corbett

Note – In view of David Perrin’s present indisposition, it has now been agreed that Liz Cobbold will formally take over as club captain for this season, with me filling in as vice-captain, in the hope that David will be fit and well enough to take up the captaincy next season.  We saw David at this evening’s roll-up and, although he wasn’t playing, he looked to be well on the mend.  We all wish him a speedy and complete recovery.

MCC

Captain’s Log

Stardate –17th June 2008

The fixture list this season features two new opponents, and tonight we faced the first of them, when Barnham Broom visited Great Melton for our introductory match.

Unfortunately, because of a small membership and other calls on available players, our visitors were only able to bring three ‘blocks’ of three players, but this wasn’t a real problem for us, as we had several absentees, too, due to holidays, and other feeble excuses!

So we lined up with Norman Sutton skipping Chris Blazeby (lead) and Richard Bolton (2) on rink 3, and they started slowly, but a 3 on the 6^th end, followed by a 5 on the 7^th, put them firmly in the driving seat, with a 14-3 lead after 8 ends.

Mike Jones made his first appearance of the season as skip on rink 4. with Stan Huckle leading and Laurie Moroney at No 2, and they played a very tight first half, the lead switching from one to the other, until, halfway through, Barnham Broom held a 9-8 margin.

On rink 5, Peter Markham was in charge, with Mike Corbett leading and Lucy Bolton at 2, and this, too, was a very close-fought match, with the advantage at halfway just in our favour, at 10-9.

In the second half, Norman, Chris and Richard went from strength to strength on rink 3, losing only 3 ends from the final 9, and emerging as very convincing winners by a margin of 25-11.

Sadly, on rink 4, the reverse applied.  Mike J, Laurie and Stan could only win 2 of the last 9, and, dropping a 5 on the last, tumbled to a 22-13 defeat.

This left Peter, Mike C and Lucy battling away on rink 5, and a disastrous 6 on the 13^th set our cause back, but we got back into contention and went into the last end 17-16 down.  With his final wood, Peter put us 2 up on the end, but, to his credit, the visiting skip played the final wood of the match to convert that to a 3-shot advantage for Barnham Broom, and a final score of 20-16 in their favour.

Unusually, all three matches did, in fact, finish almost simultaneously, so it was a few minutes before the scores could be checked and aggregated, and the final result showed Great Melton as winners by the narrowest possible margin – 54-53.

All concerned agreed that it had been a most enjoyable encounter, played in a very happy spirit, and the post-match refreshments rounded off the evening perfectly.

The closing speeches by the respective captains expressed the hope that this would be the start of a long and happy association between our two clubs, and we look forward to the return fixture at Barnham Broom on 8^th July.

Mike Corbett

Captain’s Log

Stardate –10th June 2008

Well, it’s been a pretty ‘mixed’ season, so far – mainly thanks to the dreaded weather!

When I last wrote one of these rambles, we were eagerly anticipating another tight tussle at Brooke, but, once again, the rain put paid to it.  Our opponents did let us know in plenty of time, so no-one had a wasted journey, which is a consideration, especially for this, our farthest-flung fixture, but it is disappointing, just the same.

However, there was never any danger of the return match with Wymondham Priory being rain-affected – we were in more danger of getting sunstroke!  Mind you, the green was still a little damp underneath, and some of the visitors had to pull out all the stops to get up to some of our long cots.

Norman Sutton skipped on Rink 1, with Richard Bolton at No 2 and David Gregory lead.  The first 3 ends saw 6 shots dropped, but then they mounted a bit of a recovery to trail 7-5, only, at the halfway stage.  Next door, on Rink 2, Jane Baker made her match debut leading for Peter Markham, with Lawrie Moroney at 2, and they flew out of the traps to lead by a massive 10-2, halfway through.

On Rink 3, David Minter skipped Caroline Savory (lead) and Stan Huckle (No 2) and this turned out to be a very tight match, the first 8 ends producing only 10 points, split 6-4 in favour of Melton.  On Rink 4, where Joe Huckle was skip, with Liz Cobbold leading and Mike Corbett at No 2, we only won 3 of the first 8 ends, but one of those was by a 6-point margin, so it was 8-8 and all to play for after the 8^th end!

In the second half, Norman’s block, on Rink 1, could never get quite close enough to the visitors to mount a serious challenge, and eventually succumbed 9-14 – although Richard did his best, as official scorer in this tie, to switch the scores on the card!  Sadly, the opposition noticed!

On Rink 2, disaster struck in the 11^th end, when the Priory picked up a 5 to reduce the deficit to 2, and seized the initiative so well that they held a 17-12 lead going into the last end.  Peter’s merry band managed a 3-point win on the last end, though, which proved significant in overall match terms.  Final score in this one – 15-17.

It remained ‘nip and tuck’ on Rink 3, with David Minter leading 9-8 with 2 ends left, but then he, and Caroline and Stan, picked up a brace of 2’s on each of the last 2, to finish up 13-8 winners.

If I say so myself, Joe and Liz and I were bowling steadily on Rink 4 – as were our opponents – and we were locked together at 11-11 after the 11^th, but then we had another big one – a 4, this time, on the 12^th, and we drew away well after that to record a 19-13 win, at the finish.

It took Liz Cobbold and Alan Blades, the Priory captain, a little while to do the totting up, but it resulted in a 56-52 win for Great Melton.  As ever, the post-match refreshments were very much enjoyed by all, and the respective captains’ closing remarks reflected both this, and the friendly, excellent spirit in which the game had been played.  

Mike Corbett

Captain’s Log

Stardate –29th May 2008

Not quite a tale of two cities – more a little story about one village, but one which features twice!  On Tuesday, 15^th May, we travelled hopefully to Hethersett Playing Field for our second fixture of the season. Sadly, I was not among those present, but, if the weather in Norfolk was anything like what it was in East Sussex, where I was, it was absolutely lovely!

Our best start of the evening was achieved by Wilf Chamberlain, on rink 4, with Caroline Savory and Richard Bolton in support. They won the first 4 ends, to take a 5-0 lead. Unfortunately, they lost the next 4, to trail 11-5, then went further behind before staging a bit of a recovery to draw level 15-15 after 15 ends – then 18-18 with just the 21^st to go!

Next door, on rink 3, Joe Huckle’s block – Liz Cobbold leading and Norman Sutton at number 2 – got a nice little 3-shot opener on the first end, but they, too, lost the place to trail 6-3 after 4, then pulled back to 17-all after the 14^th and, thereafter, there were never more than 2 points in it, and they started the last end 20-22 down.

Peter Markham skipped Lucy Bolton (lead) and John Cobbold (No. 2) on rink 2, and stayed in the lead until the 10^th end, when a 7-5 lead was overturned, and a dog-eat-dog contest ensued, with Peter in a 15-16 position going into the 21^st.

David Minter was on rink 1, with Stan Huckle leading and Lawrie Moroney at 2, and they progressed steadily until, after 9, they held a 13-4 lead. Then it all went a little pear-shaped and the home team dragged themselves back into contention – our lead was down to 16-15 after the 15^th – and we held a slight 2-shot lead – 20-18 – going into the last.

Well – what excitement! Two down on rink 3; one down on rink 2; level on rink 4; and two up on rink 1 – I’m glad I wasn’t there; I couldn’t have withstood the pressure!

On rink 4 – bad news, as Wilf’s gallant band succumbed by one shot on the last, to lose 18-19.  On rink 3, Joe won the last – but only by one, so the tie was lost 21-22.  Better news from rink 2, though, where Peter won by two, to turn the one-shot deficit into a victory – by 17-16.  And, on rink 1, David Minter’s block secured a great 3-shot win to make the final score 23-18 in their favour.

So, two wins – two defeats – but, overall, we chalked up a 79-75 winning margin.  We’ve had a few close ones, but not many as close as that!  Well done, everybody.

As luck would have it, our next fixture was also Hethersett-based – tonight (29^th May) against Hethersett Social, whom we played last season, for the first time, and got a couple of heavy defeats for our pains!  But, this time, the weather gods saw us both off. The heavens began to open at around four o’clock and, although we all turned up more in hope than expectation, the game was, quite correctly, called off.  We hope to rearrange it for later in the season (possibly on a Sunday morning?) but, meanwhile we look forward to entertaining both Hethersett teams at Melton in the coming months – Playing Field on 17^th July and Social on 19^th August.

Meanwhile, we are away to Brooke next Tuesday – 3^rd June – and, when I looked tonight, we only had six names down.  So, as someone once said – “Let’s be ‘avin’ ya!”

Mike Corbett

Captain’s Log - Singles Championship - 2007

Stardate – 16th September 2007

The Club Singles Championship was held for the 10^th time today, and attracted a total entry of 23 competitors, on a gloriously sunny Sunday, with blue skies, white fluffy clouds, and the crack of leather on willow in the background!  Life doesn’t get a lot better than this!

The entrants were spilt into 4 groups, 3 of 6 players, and 1 of 5, each group member playing each of the others over 8 ends, and the group winners contesting two semi-finals, then the final itself.

Group 1 comprised Ann Cable, Caroline Savory, Liz Cockerill, Richard Bolton, Mike Corbett and Philip Richardson.  Philip got off to a solid start, against Richard and Ann, as did Caroline and Liz, but then Philip stumbled, while Caroline, particularly, went from strength to strength, reaching her final game with maximum points - 8.  Liz, meanwhile, only slipped up against Richard, so she had 6 when she faced Caroline in the final match, and still stood a chance of a semi-final appearance.  However, a very exciting contest ended in a 5-5 draw, and Caroline booked her semi-final place.

David Minter – last year’s champion – was probably favourite to win Group 2, which also included David Gregory, Owen Early, Liz Cobbold, Lawrie Moroney and David Perrin, and, indeed, he made a convincing opening to the defence of his title with an early victory over David Perrin.  The rest of the group proceeded to make it easy for David M, by beating each other, while he proceeded merrily on, picking up, eventually, 9 points out of a possible 10 to clinch a place against Caroline in the last four.

Group 3, for a time was headed, by Margaret Huckle, but she fell away after lunch!  Norman Sutton blamed a (very!) late night for his meagre haul of 4 points.  Joan Welsby put her measly 2 down to slippery bowls, and it was probably too warm for Julia Richardson, who totalled 6 at the close of proceedings!  Richard Cockerill made no excuses, but only managed 4 by the end, and it was Stan Huckle who sailed quietly through with 8 points, losing only to Julia – probably during that cloudy cold patch just after lunch!

Group 4 boasted only 5 players – Joe Huckle, Janet Gregory, Lucy Bolton, Wilf Chamberlain and Peter Markham – and, not surprisingly, turned out to be the most hotly contested.  Lucy took Peter’s scalp; Peter took Wilf’s; Wilf took Joe’s; and Joe took Lucy’s – and, at the end, Joe and Wilf finished up tied on 6 points, with Joe scraping through on a greater point difference – 32 to Wilf’s 29.

So, David Minter ended up as the only “non-Huckle” to make it into the final shoot-out –  against Caroline (Savory neé Huckle!) – but he found himself up against an opponent in inspired form.  David battled well, playing with excellent length and green, but Caroline was unstoppable and eventually triumphed 10-6 over the 8 ends.

In the battle of the Huckle brothers, Joe got an early stranglehold on Stan and never let go.  Stan fought manfully, but Joe won the day by an 8-3 margin, to earn the right to face his daughter in the grand final!  Possibly a mixed blessing!

In the final, once again, Joe got the early advantage, and he looked to be running away with it, with a 5-point lead, but Caroline hit back with a 3 to put herself right back in contention.  But the deadly accuracy which had accounted for David M in the semi wasn’t quite there and, although the game went right down to the wire, Joe finished up with an 8-5 victory to claim the title – for the fourth time!

A large crowd stayed to watch the final – which gave the captain an excuse to make another speech while he presented the trophy – The Barnard Cup – to the very worthy winner! 

He took the opportunity to congratulate David Gregory on the superb state of the playing surface, and to thank him for his efforts, especially on the previous day, when he had given the green a double cut.  He also acknowledged the smooth way the competition had – again – been run, largely due to the spadework put in by Alan Barnard in preparation.

But, most of all, he thanked all present for making the whole day so enjoyable.  The competition had been played in a wonderful spirit, with not a cross word heard all day – in fact, a typical Great Melton occasion!

Mike Corbett (Captain)

The greens, once again excellently prepared by David Gregory, were in tiptop condition, and a very enjoyable and competitive morning session took place, with fortunes fluctuating, and no clear contenders emerging out of the first half of the competition.

At about 12.30, play ground to a halt as we all gradually succumbed to the tempting odours emanating from the barbecue, where the sizzling steaks and sausages were under the expert control of Masterchef John Cobbold – indistinguishable from Gordon Ramsay only in the matter of language!  (It was pretty easy to avoid confusing him with Nigella, though!)

The “supporting cast” of salads, sauces, savouries and sweets were also most appetising and any minor disappointments at early reverses of fortune on the green were rapidly forgotten as we ate like kings (and queens!)

Thanks to Alan and Kate Barnard for organising the barbecue, to the aforesaid John for his efforts in the apron(!), and to the very many others who pitched in and helped with the preparation, presentation and clearing-up – especially those who weren’t actually playing.  It all contributes to what I’m beginning to recognise as a classic Great Melton experience.

As the league fixtures reached their climaxes in the afternoon, it became clear that no-one had enjoyed complete success by winning all their matches. 

In League 1, David M and Norman had three convincing victories, but fell to Richard B and Chris, who also won three, but lost to Lucy and Alan.  Janet and Liz C came close to beating Richard and Chris, but didn’t quite make it, and, with David P and Richard C, and Lucy and Alan, each winning two out of four, David M and Norman led the league by shot difference from Richard and Chris, each pair having six points.

League 2 was also tight, boasting the only tie of the day – between Mike B and Liz C, and Julia and Joe.  Julia and Joe narrowly beat Philip and Mike C – 8-6 – but Philip and Mike won their other three games.  Joan and Lawrie took a long time to get going and, like David G and Margaret, won two of their four, leaving Philip and Mike as league winners with 6 points, and Julia and Joe runners-up with 5.

So, the first semi-final featured Philip and Mike as winners of League 2 against the runners-up of League 1 – Richard and Chris.  The memory is a little painful!  Suffice to say that the League 1 runners-up had chalked up 16 points without reply after 7 ends, and the crestfallen League 2 winners counted themselves fortunate to salvage a single point on the eighth and last end!

The second semi was more of a contest, but Joe – “The Fox” – Huckle had rediscovered his form of the previous Sunday (having played like a novice in the intervening week!), and, it has to be said, was very ably supported by Julia, presumably revelling in the unaccustomed warmth of the mid-afternoon, with no pre-twilight chill!  In the event, David and Norman ultimately succumbed 14-6 over the 8 ends, and Julia and Joe faced Richard and Chris in the final, before a fairly sizeable gathering.

At this point, it became apparent that Richard and Chris had ‘peaked’ too early, in the semi-final, and Julia and Joe proceeded to do to them what they had dished out to Philip and Mike in the semi.  If memory serves, Julia and Joe won the first 5 ends, building up a sizeable lead and, although Richard and Chris restored a little respectability by the end of the match, there was no disputing the ultimate winners.

So, congratulations to Julia and Joe – very worthy champions.  But, all the games were played with smiles on faces, and none of us who were privileged to enjoy such a pleasant day could count ourselves losers.

A very fitting end to a most enjoyable season.

Mike Corbett (Captain)

P.S. – it occurs to me that this will probably be my last ‘Captain’s Log’ of the season.  If so, it would be very remiss of me not to pay tribute to our website co-ordinator, Sophie, for her invaluable help this season.  She’s another of those good people who help to make the club ‘tick’, without actually hurling a bowl in anger!  Sincere thanks, Sophie – I hope it hasn’t been too much of a trial!

Mike