W.Y.S.M.B.A
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The 2025 Annual NEMSBA Championships commenced over the weekend for everyone in the NESMBA zone at the York Indoor Bowls Centre.
Report as follows from a West Yorkshire perspective:
SATURDAY MORNING [FOURS]
Of the 5 fours that made it through to York, only 2 unfortunately made it through the group phase, Mel, Tom, Royston & Darren as 1 four, and John, Andy Miles, Joanne and Dave the other four. John Packer's four made it through the 1st KO round but fell to Martin Grange's Staffordshire 4 In the next round.
Darren's four faired better by getting right to the final before coming unstuck to Martin Simcock's Staffordshire's team.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON [SINGLES]
Darren, Royston, Daniel Sands and Matthew would qualify from the group phase with John Packer just missing out. Royston was then narrowly beat by Dave Newsome in the next round which also saw Daniel Sands bow out too. Darren and Matthew would go onto the QF phase before both eventually losing. Peter Roberts would beat Adam Lamb in the final in a repeat of last year's finale too.
SUNDAY MORNING [PAIRS]
All 4 of our participants made it through the groups in this one. In the next round Dave & Matthew and Royston & Darren were beaten. Daniel Sands & Robyn fell in the next round leaving just Tom Morris & John Packer remaining, cue a great run... cutting through Peter & Steve Roberts, then Chris and June Crowther in the semis to win the whole damn thing against Darren Kerr and Janice of Staffordshire to a rapturous WY ovation! Excellent
SUNDAY AFTERNOON [TRIPLES]
4 from 5 of our entrants qualified with Angie, Mel and Hannah unfortunately not making it through.
Daniel Sands, Tom and Steve Briggs were beaten in the QF stage, as too were Joanne, Royston and Darren. An all (and only one all weekend) WY Clash in one of the semi finals saw Andy Miles, Dave Fletcher and Matthew Leaf pip Kathryn Jones, Andy Jones and John Packer on the last end for a spot in the final. Despite a great effort throughout, a costly 5 count cost WY dear as Clint and Chris Crowther with Gary Williamson would go onto win the triples for Stockport.
3 participants from the 4 final disciplines is superb and how the results unfolded just shows how we've done as both a squad and some fantastic individual performances, The pairs was a standout, John and Tom couldn't really of gone through many more tougher opponents to record what will be a famous win for these guys and a memory that they'll keep for a lifetime and how they did it too which made picking up the county shield as West Yorkshire captain a proud moment for me too.
I think it goes (rather undeservedly) that we are sometimes overlooked compared to Staffs and Stockport's firepower but as results have shown over this weekend, we can still match them and can have our way with them too. So a huge thankyou and well done to all those that gave as good as they got!! Exceptional!
The County shield winners were WEST YORKSHIRE for their combined performances from the Knock Out stage onwards too!!!
[1]WY 17pts
[2]Staffs 16pts
[3]Stockport 14pts
20 November 2022
Staffordshire v West Yorkshire
20-11-22
A daunting trip in prospect for the West Yorkshire 20 would see us coming away with a whole lot of 'what might of been' on our minds. Staffordshire are a well drilled and very match tough side with a whole host of England / regular nationals players in their side and it showed, but not without a scrap first.
Singles
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Tom Morris and Andy Jones took to the singles mat versus Adam Lamb and Gareth Stanway. Tom had a clear game plan and executed it extremely well with the weighted shots and would pick off Adam Lamb with 99% of his conversion shots in a fantastic, and arguably Tom's best win of the season 13-11.
Similar Andy Jones gave Gareth a torrid time in this 1st game, Andy, refusing to buckle and hitting back with everything he was getting until Gareth just creeper over the line 12-11, Adam similarly seemed to struggle to put Andy Jones away after lunch, still Andy kept hitting back with some fantastic drawing shots as Adam had to keep moving the jack around as he too creeped over the line 14-11. Tom's last game versus Gareth seemed a one sided affair with the score but Tom did his utmost to keep Gareth out but succumbed 3-20.
2 POINTS
Pairs
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Andrea and Ian Chiverton and Dennis Walters and Steve Caley were our pairs, Andrea and Ian lost their 1st game 8-16, while Dennis and Steve Caley very nearly best Nick Tideswell and Janice Johnson, but lost it on the last end 16-17. The games after lunch were a 7-20 loss and a 1-31 loss but the scores don't do the bowling justice.
0 POINTS
Triples
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Steve Briggs, Dave Fletcher and Daniel Sands would win both games with some fantastic bowls 12-4 and 11-6 as Tony, myself and Darren found going tough as we lost them both 4-16 and 10-11, the last game we were well behind after 6 ends but battled back to level it on end 9, holding a 2 shot lead on end 11 and lying 2 up, Tony Colclough converted that to 3 of their own in a sickening turnaround for us.
5 POINTS
Fours
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Our fours struggled today in what is another difficult mat with no wins or draws recorded in the rinks, plenty of firing and hitting by the skips and thirds, but didn't go our way.
0 POINTS
Would we of taken 7 at the start? I'd of liked 8 as a minimum but 7 isn't terrible for our side. As I said earlier the scores don't reflect the games sometimes and yet again there was 4 games where we lost by 3 shots or less, similar to Stockport, on another day we could of gone away with 11 - 15 points! The effort by everyone today was huge, how Andy Jones didn't quite register a win against Adam or Gareth in the singles is mystifying. Andy was resolute for 30 ends and shows how much his game has improved, our pairs gave it their all especially in the first half and took some inspired bowling from Martin Simcock to see off the Chivertons and Nick Tideswell last ditch fire to pick Dennis and Steve Caleys pockets on the last end to win by a shot, Dennis was both fuming and congratulatory in defeat in what was a gargantuan fight with Nick and Janice and can be proud of their efforts. Tom with that incredible win, Adam won't lose many singles game at home fullstop, never mind this season and will be featuring in the singles from here on In now.
Daniel Sands just makes it look so simple though, converting 2 shots to 3 or 4, drawing in, weighted shots, positional play, all of it is excellent from him backed up by Steve Briggs and Dave Fletcher who both played sublime.
16 points we've took off Staffs and Stockport at their places and It could of been more!
Well played today everyone win or lose. Final score from Baddeley Green is
Staffordshire 33
West Yorkshire 7
Next up is Stockport at home in 3 weeks time.