Hello to all our Barnet League players and followers. As summer draws to a close our league begins. Last night The Hive saw eight teams fight it out on four mats to take top spot in this our first week of the new season. Although we have lost a few teams from last year we welcome two new teams, both from clubs that have not entered this competition before. They are Fairfield AFC Falcons who played last night and Potters Bar Kestrels.
Mat one had the Greenwood Peckers team of Audrey, Colin and Brian take on Shillington Red’s Tom, Carol and Neil. Reds started well by taking a four on the first end. Peckers (last year’s division one winners) came straight back by taking a single, they followed this with two further singles to get within one shot of Reds. The Reds fought back to win their second end with a second four to go 8 - 3 up after five ends. Peckers came in for a double but Reds increased their lead by taking a triple followed by a single for a 12 - 5 lead at the halfway stage. Then everything changed, Peckers took a hotshot six and followed this with a double to go in the lead for the first time at 13 - 12 after ten ends. Reds fought back by matching the double and retook the lead, the score now 14 - 13 with four ends to go. Peckers fought back, taking a four for the lead and then a single they had an 18 - 14 lead with two to go. Reds came back for a single and went into the last end needing a triple for the draw. As the final bowl rolled into place Reds had won the last end by taking a double, Peckers had managed to get the win at 18 - 17 in this exciting first game of the season.
Mat two and last year’s Division one runners up Northiam East’s Jeff, Mike and Martin played our League Secretaries team Letchworth Lions, this week consisting of Andrew, Margaret and Alan. East got on the scorecard first taking a single. The Lions roared by taking a four on the second end only to see East reply with a triple to level the score followed by a magnificent five. Lions fought back by holding a single on end five but with East taking a four and following it with a single they had a commanding lead at 14 - 5 after seven ends. Lions roared again by taking a triple. With the following two ends going for a single apiece East had the lead at 15 - 9 after ten ends. With another single apiece East were maintaining their six shot lead with three ends to play. Lions held end thirteen for a single and followed it with a double. In the same position as the Reds in game one, they needed three for the draw. In a nail-biting last end, just like the Reds the Lions held a double meaning that East had the win by one shot at 16 - 15.
Don’t know about you readers but I’m finding this too exciting to type.
Mat three and Greenwood Hawks Barry, Val and Darren played one of our two new teams; Fairfield AFC Falcons. Falcons team of Bev, Gordon and Jill started well by taking a single. They followed this with a second single and then a triple before Hawks managed to get on the scoreboard with a single on end four. Falcons came straight back with a single for a 6 - 1 lead after five ends. They were playing well as a new team in our league, especially when you know that Hawks skip was our ICC manager! Hawks then took control, holding a five on end six they had levelled the score. Following this with a four they took the lead at 10 - 6 at the halfway stage. Falcons fought straight back, reducing their deficit with a double and then regaining the lead with a four on end nine to be 12 - 10 up. Hawks then fought back by taking a single followed by a double to regain the lead by one shot. Following this with a second five, all of a sudden they had an 18 - 12 lead with three ends to play. Falcons came back on end thirteen for a single, however by taking a double followed by a single on the last end Hawks had the win at 21 - 13.
Mat four our final game of this first round had Harpenden Eagles Valerie, Deidre and Gordon playing Shillington Black’s Tony, Paul and Julia. This game saw Blacks start with a single, they followed this with a four and two doubles to go 9 - 0 up after four ends. Eagles then soared above and reduced Blacks lead by taking a double on end five. Blacks dug in, taking two doubles followed by two singles and two further doubles, they pulled further in the lead at 19 - 2 after eleven ends. Eagles got some wind under their wings, taking a single and following this with a triple they had pulled the score back a little to 6 - 19. The last two ends saw Blacks hold on by taking a single and finishing with a triple for a 23 - 6 win.
Well, what a great first week. With two incredibly close matches the competition is under way. Shillington Black currently top the table as they have the best shot difference. With four more matches next week and Blacks having a rest week, the top of the table will change as our second and third placed Greenwood teams are playing each other. Our fourth placed team of Northiam East are also playing so could they sneak into that top spot? Watch this space for next week’s instalment of our Hertfordshire Short Mat Bowls premier competition.