Bowls
Worthing success for Broadway bowlers

BROADWAY Bowling Club enjoyed a successful week at the National Bowls Finals at Worthing as Andrew Walters, Amy Stanton, Lynne Bowen and Adie Burbridge (from Worcester BC) reached the final of the National Mixed Fours Competition, only to lose 22-8 to Devon.

Their progress to the final had been impressive to say the least, with comfortable wins against Huntingdonshire 29-8, Essex 24-15 and in the semi-final against Northumberland 24-4.

In the National Pairs Championship, Walters and Steve Aldren progressed steadily through two rounds against Surrey 20-10 and Nottinghamshire 24-9 before they met the in-form Wiltshire in the last 32 and went down 23-12.

In the Men's Two Fours competition Broadway played Wandilea from Surrey but on a difficult green went down 40-27 in the quarter-final.

Back on the home front Broadway built up some momentum in their efforts to retain the Concorde League title with a convincing win over Vines Park 96-80.75, winning on three rinks to two.

They also entertained Hewell BC in their last home game of the campaign and ran out easy winners 136-75, winning on four out of five rinks.

Walters was again in top form as he got the better of Mike Lawrence 37-15, although John Oliver won by a bigger margin in beating Roger Nicklin 35-11.

Mark Rainbow was never headed in his game as he won 22-14 whilst Aldren picked up two sixes in his 27-19 defeat of Joe Moore.

Colin Cooper lost by the narrowest of margins against Mike Rowe, who edged home 16-15 on the last end.

Rink scores: R Pinder, E Shorthouse, M Aubrey, J Oliver won 35-11; D Leroy, J Harris, R Ashby, A Walters won 37-15; N Furminger, B Sturgess, H Keyte, M Rainbow won 22-13; T Chambers, T Hopkins, B Ford, S Aldren won 27-19; P Smith, D Oldcorn, D Hall, C Cooper lost 16-15.

Broadway travel to Overbury on September 8 for their final game with a ten-point advantage over Littleton, who have a game in hand. For the second season running it looks like it will go down to the final woods of the 2012 season.

MEANWHILE, Broadway ladies have reached the last eight in the country in the Ladies Top Club Competition thanks to another convincing 4-0 win over Gloucestershire's Caer Glow Bowling Club at Norgren on Bank Holiday Monday.

Broadway shot off to a great start in all four disciplines, with the Fours leading 18-0 after seven ends, the Pairs 8-1 after five ends and the Triples 6-0 after three ends.

Broadway's Lynne Bowen faced a very strong opponent in Kay Gent in the Four Wood Singles but bowled brilliantly yet again to win convincingly 21-9.

The other disciplines stayed in front the whole game, despite heavy rain in the last quarter, and finished the match with the pairs winning 25-16, the triples winning 17-12 and the Fours winning 23-15 to give an overall win of 86-52.

Result (Broadway names first): Lynne Bowen beat Kay Gent 21-9; Lynn Ashby, Amy Stanton beat Iona Bird, Pauline Gunn 25-16; Trish Emms, Viv Hall, Joan Parfitt beat Ann Leach, Maureen Richards-Smart, Shirley Haberfield 17-12; Betty Mansion, Maureen Ford, Yvonne Hopkins, Bridget Cresswell beat Evelyn Kendall, Maryan Pye, Jill Skelton, Jan Tee 23-15.

Broadway will play Milton Regis or Croydon in the quarter-final, to be held at Royal Leamington Spa on the afternoon of Saturday, September 15.

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