Welford trio help Warwickshire to narrow win at Notts

BOWLS

By Colin Stoner

WELFORD trio Alan Apsey, Andy Prickett and Martin Timms played their part to help Warwickshire secure a one-shot win at Nottinghamshire in the opening round of the Midland Counties League.

In an afternoon that included sleet and sunshine at Newark Northern BC, Warwickshire took the game to the final wood, securing a 111-110 win, but they had only winning two rinks so they picked up 14 of the available 22 points.

With his last wood to bowl, Timms held one shot, with the overall match situation so tight there was a brief delay to double check the overall scores. The Bears would win overall by a shot as things stood, so Timms decided against playing his final wood. It left the rink score 24-17 to Notts but an overall victory for Warwickshire.

Apsey’s rink went down 18-17, despite the quartet of Martyn Murley (Nuneaton), Rob Robinson (Erdington Court), Matt Wells (Rugby) and Apsey leading by six shots halfway through.

Prickett joined Darren Ward (Rugby), Richard Brittan and Mark Ireland (both Erdington Court) to lead by four after five ends but Notts moved four shot ahead before the Bears recovered two shots in the final end.

* The inter-county friendlies started with Warwickshire welcoming Surrey to Royal Leamington Spa BC, and the visitors winning on five out of six rinks for an overall 125-87 victory.

Avon’s Peter Vale-Humphreys, the county’s Junior Vice President, was part of a rink with Chris Vipond (Matrix), Tom Duggins (Executive) and Nigel Hewitson (Rugby) which lost 20-12.

Bidford’s Bernard Kendry skipped a rink with Owen Petherick (Stoke), Life Member Arnold Goad, and Martin Preedy (Lillington) and went down 22-11.

See this week's Herald for a round-up of bowls news.