Chadsmoor bowlers take Midland’s top team title - Staffordshire County Crown Green Bowls Association - Staffordshire County Crown Green Bowls Association

Chadsmoor bowlers take Midland’s top team title

Friday, 25 January 2008

The bowlers from Chadsmoor Progressive Club won the top prize in Midlands team bowling on Tuesday evening when they beat Mitchells & Butlers Sports Club in the final of the Springfield Bitter Top Team competition.

In an exciting final at GEC Bowling Club Stafford the Chase side defeated M&B by 36 shots. As expected the all-Staffordshire final produced some marvellous bowling from two of the county’s leading sides.

Chadsmoor opening four looked like building a commanding lead with the newly crowned individual county merit champion Roy Peach defeating John Cheshire 21-6. Norman Dawkes built up a 17-3 lead over Staffordshire Junior champion Neil Turner only for Turner to fight back finally going down 15-21.M&B then produced two wining cards as Brian Fleet beat Ernie Whyton 21-14 and Captain John Cole defeated Albert Evans by the same score to give Chadsmoor a lead of seven after the first four ends.

Card 5 produced another M&B winner as Cliff Edwards beat Derek Moore 21-15 to reduce Chadsmoor’s lead to just two shots. Chadsmoor hit back strongly taking the other three middle four cards with Jack Wakefield beating Ken Prior 21-17, Phil Spencer deafting Brian Poole 21-13 and Frank Turner edging home 21-17 against John Roberts. All this meant Chadsmoor stretched their lead to seventeen shots going into the back four.

Les Evans then produced a crucial 21-12 win for Chadsmoor over Derek Cox and Mel Evans put the game beyond M&B’s reach with a comfortable 21-10 success over George MacGill. The final two ends produced close games with M&B’s Chris Huntbatch edging out John Turner 21-18 and Ron Thomas scoring 19 against Chadsmoor’s Alf Preece after trailing 4-17. The final score was Chadsmoor 229 M&B Sports Club 193.

Chadsmoor’s senior player Jack Wakefield received the £250 first prize and the trophy from Staffordshire county President Dennis Keeble. Wakefield said “This is the finest day in the history of Chadsmoor Bowls Club” Chadsmoor Captain Mel Evans said “It is a great honour for the club and also for Chase bowling in general”

Pictured below the victorious Chadsmoor team: Back Row L to R: Les Evans, Danny Harvey, John Turner, Mel Evans, Derek Moore, Norman Dawkes, Frank Turner, E.Whyton. Front Row L to R: Albert Evans, Mervyn Brough, Jack Wakefield, Roy Peach, Phil Spencer, A.Preece.

The losing finalists Mitchells & Butlers: Back Row L to R: John Roberts, Cliff Edwards, Peter Darby, Brian Poole, Chris Huntbatch, Brian Fleet, Neil Turner. Front Row L to R: George MacGill, Dave Goddard, John Cheshire, Ken Prior, John Cole, Ron Thomas

Springfield Bitter Top Team Tournament Final 1979
At G.E.C. No. 1 Stafford on Tuesday 4th September 1979

Chadsmoor Progressive Mitchells & Butlers

R.Peach 21 J.Cheshire 6
E.Whyton 14 B.Fleet 21
N.Dawkes 21 N.Turner 15
A.Evans 14 J.Cole 21
D.Moore 15 C.Edwards 21
J.Wakefield 21 K.Prior 17
P.Spencer 21 B.Poole 13
F.Turner 21 J.Roberts 17
L.Evans 21 D.Cox 12
A.Preece 21 R.Thomas 19
J.Turner 18 C.Huntbatch 21
M.Evans 21 G. MacGill 10

Totals: 229 193

Reserves:
M.Brough D.Goddard
D.Harvey P.Darby
W.Nicholls G.Clarke
A.Parsons
A.Wilkes

Referee: D.Keable