2022 Season match results

This is a summary of all the matches played in the 2022 season - taken from the weekly reports

 
24 April - 30 April 2022
 
Two friendly matches this week to start the season.

Ewhurst

Five mixed triples turned out in arctic conditions for an away game against Ewhurst.
After a keenly fought contest Ewhurst won by 3 rinks to 2.
All rinks were close with John, Sue and Charlie only losing out by one shot on the last end. A great recovery from Alec, Pat and Sonia saw them score 7 unanswered shots in the last 5 ends to win 18-15. A two shot win was also recorded by Carol, Martin and John.
The afternoon was so cold that Ewhurst loaned our travelling fan Paula their golden retriever to keep het feet warm. Now that’s what I call a friendly gesture.
The game was played in a great friendly spirit as the photo of the 2 teams in post match refreshments shows. 

Police

On Thursday evening DBC stepped out on our green as the away team for once, for a friendly triples match with the Police. As usual, it was a friendly affair played in good spirit. With the light fading fast and the temperature dropping to what seemed like arctic conditions, all rinks managed to finish the 18 ends and the rush for the warmth of the clubhouse. In each game, the team that took the early lead was destined to continue their winning way, with the long arm of the law taking two of the rinks comfortably and DBC just one. Well done to the Police !
 
1 May - 7 May

Redhill

Sunday May 1st saw the first competitive match of the season and was played at Redhill in the mixed triples North Downs League.

The match was competitive but friendly, and by the laughter coming from the rinks, all enjoyed getting back on the green, which certainly played very well.  There were some moments of drama on rink 3, captained by Peter.  A tied end occurred in the 16th end, where the bowl from both sides was in contact with the jack.  Do you know how this is dealt with and how the points are decided? Answer at the end of this report.

It was a very close match.  Rink 1 skipped by Graham enjoyed an early lead, but by end 10 this had been whittled way.  The other two league rinks were always playing catch up, and in the end we narrowly lost on all league rinks.  So nil points for us, 10 to Redhill.  But the friendly on rink 4 skipped by David gave our captain, Peter, the opportunity to say in his speech that if all rinks could be counted, then we would have won.

Brockham

Saturday 7th May saw a rare occassion these days when 30 bowlers took to the green in whites, as DBC took on Brockham in 5 mixed triple matches.  Four of the matches were fairly one-sided, with honours finishing even - two matches to Brockham (Sue, Patricia & John H on 10-23 against and Paul S, Christine & Kevin on 8-27 against) and two to DBC (Richard S, Barbara & Trevor on 20-13 for and Sheila, Paula & Graham on 20-9 for).  So overall rink honours were down to Val, Martin and captain for th day, John S (who had remembered his whites after all !!!): down 0-9 after 4 ends, they fought back to 11-10 up after 10 ends, only to slip over the last 8 ends to 15-23.  So overall a 3-2 win for brockham with total points also to them at 95-73.  A threatening shower passed with just a few drops and all enjoyed a game played in friendly spirit, followed by an enjoyable social tea and biscuits.

Answer to a tied end: both teams are awarded nil points, but the end is counted and recorded as nil-nil.

 

 
8 May - 14 May

A busy week with DBC involved in five matches

Shirley Park Sunday May 8th

The first Men's ESL match of the season was played on Sunday at Shirley Park in glorious sunshine. The DBC team of the day were Richard W., Martin, John S. and Peter R. who lead from the beginning, winning 20-9 against a very good Shirley Park team.

Trevor, Alec, Kevin, and Peter H. also started strong going 12-3 up after 6, but couldn't find the green when their opponents put the mat up and, after edging back towards the end, were beaten 19-23.

The third rink of Steve, John B., Neil (great to see you back Neil !), and David M. were going slow with 5 ends still to play when the other two games had finished. BUT an exciting game it was, going 6 down after the first end they fought back to lead by 5 after 14 ends only to slip back to 1 down after the 20th end. So it was all on the last end - where Neil put the jack and his bowl in the ditch ! That secured a point for DBC and the match finished on a draw 20-20.

So the rinks were shared equally on the day but DBC won the overall score tally 59-52, so well done DBC getting 7 points to 3 as a winning start in the ESL. It was the first time the DBC players could remember winning at Shirley Park.

Ewhurst Tuesday May 10th

The ladies had a friendly match at Ewhurst on Tuesday afternoon in bright sunshine. Ewhurst loaned Dorking a player due to a late withdrawal by a sick player.

A very friendly afternoon ended in a draw followed by tea and biscuits.

Esher Thursday May 12th

A Mixed triples friendly at Esher took place on Thursday afternoon and resulted in a win for Dorking by two rinks to one and a points total of 50-42 in favor of Dorking with Paula John B and Dave M being the stars of the day winning by 7 shots 18-11. Ray, Kevin and Marilyn managed a 20-15 win while a narrow defeat for Martin, Chris and a borrowed Esher player 12-16 in spite of a gallant fight back with 6 shots on the final few ends.

A tea and drinks followed and our thanks go to Esher for a very enjoyable afternoon and the loan of a player.

Old Coulsdon Friday 13th May

Mens National Top Eleven.

A special Friday the 13th when for the first time in living memory, DBC took on Old Coulsdon (a club full of Surrey players) in the National Top 11 competition.

Drawn against the same club that beat us in the final of the ESL Top 11 last year, the rematch was at their green.

Last to start and first to finish was Trevor in the 2-woods. Off to a good start and initially in the lead, he couldn't make it last and the game was over after 17 ends.

Captain Peter was next to fall, having put a great fight against the England under-25 Captain and leading after a dozen or so ends, the loss of four points on consecutive ends gave the win to OC.

Next to finish were Neil, Kevin, John By., and Jim in the Fours, who really never found the green on the evening.

Much closer games in the pairs (Richard W. and Peter R. ) and in the triples (Paul Mc, Dan, and John S.) were to be of no consequence and the match was over.

Maybe the highlight was the 7 taken by Richard and Peter R. on one end OR maybe it was the convivial discussion, drinks, and sandwiches afterwards ?

Hopefully all enjoyed their games and found it a positive learning experience.

Cheam Fields Saturday 14th May

The second ESL Men's match of the season was away at Cheam Fields in strong sunshine.

On Rink 1, Richard S., Alec, Martin, and Captain Peter were coming back towards the end but couldn't close the gap.

Rink 2 with Steve, Trevor, Paul Mc., and John By. were up, down, drawn, and then down again at the end with a close loss.

Rink 3 however saw a good win for Brian, Peter D. (great to see you on the green Peter D.!), John S. and Vice-Captain Peter. Their score was sufficiently good to see DBC win the total by just one point 54-53 ! So overall a winning day for DBC again in the ESL, taking 6 points to 4. So 13 out of 20 from 2 games.

 

Quote of the day:  OHH !! why did you change your hand?  Answer: 'I thought it was a good idea at the time.'

 

15 May - 21 May

Tuesday was a busy day with two league matches in the afternoon.

Ladies friendly match v Cheam Fields

This was the first time in many years that the ladies had played Cheam Fields’ Ladies and what a friendly and enjoyable match it was. The sun shone on us with both hats and sun cream being needed. Dorking had a good win on both rinks winning by 42 shots to 18. The afternoon ended with a much needed cup of tea and some biscuits. The visiting ladies remarked on the wonderful atmosphere on the green and in the club house. It had been a very busy afternoon with 5 rinks taken with matches and one with a roll up between 4 members and the the start of an internal competition so the green was full as was the club house afterwards. When players started arriving for the TNT they were amazed at the amount of activity in DBC. 

NSL League Match V Supreme

DBC kicked off their NSL Triples season with a last end dramatic win. Rink 6 (Dave M, Alec and John B) started well racing to a 6-0 lead but then struggled apart from an excellent 6 on the 14th end but recording a 15-28 defeat. Rink 5 (John S, John By and Ray) had a nip and tuck contest. The DBC team went into the final end one down but pulled out a 4 on the final end to secure a win. Rink 4 ( Peter R, Trevor and Richard W) raced into a big lead only to see a fight back by supreme. However with the DBC team needing a three on their final end to secure a draw on shots, they over achieved with a 4 winning the match by 2 rinks to 1 and 58 shots to 57 and an 8 points to 2 victory for Dorking. With two four shot wins on the final ends for two of our rinks it just goes to show it’s not over till it’s over! Eric opened the bar for us so all went away happy after a friendly drink.

Wednesday DBC Home Match against Croydon MO in the North Downs League

This was the first North Downs League triples match against Croydon MO, who are new joiners. The match was played in ideal conditions of warm sunshine. The green played faster than previously, helped by drying sun and warmer conditions.

We lost on two rinks 6 to 21 and 14 to 21 shots, but Captain Marilyn with Paula and Kevin won on the remaining rink 20 to 15. Overall CMO had 57 shots to our 40. This gives 8 points to CMO and 2 to us. The game was thoroughly enjoyed by all, as was the cup of tea or a pint with biscuits and savouries prepared by Christine and Grayham. All in all a really good afternoon and we look forward to meeting them again in the ESL at Croydon later this month.

Friday  Mens WSL Home match against Newdigate

A very competitive match saw our Dorking hero’s (Alec, John Bo, John By, and Peter H.) stage a remarkable come back from around 11-19 down to win.

Saturday Home Match Bletchingley in East Surrey League

It was the first home ESL match of the season on Saturday as Bletchingley came to town. And a successful day for the Men it was too, with a clean sweep of all points in three very well contested, close rinks - maybe the roars of the crowd were for us (or maybe the Wanderers). Brian, Alec, Kevin and Peter H, moved ahead early and held off a late comeback from Bletchingley. The other two rinks were up and down throughout the match, very keenly contested, but Neil, Martin, David, and John By, came through towards the end and Richard W., John L., Trevor and John S. held on to theirs too. So all 10 points to Dorking - that's three wins from the first three games and a total of 23 points out of 30.

The day also included a Ladies friendly triples where Barbara, Marilyn, and Sonia had an enjoyable day out but were always down on points. Mention and thanks must also go to Paula who handled the teas on her own and made sure water was available on the green.

 

The Surrey competitions have started and congratulations to John, Richard W and Peter R for their success in the triples and to Trevor, Graham and John S for winning their first round unbadged singles matches.

 

22 May - 29 May

Wednesday NDL Home Match V Pippbrook

A cold and wet afternoon saw Dorking lose on two rinks and win on one.
A heavy rain shower did not disrupt play but made playing conditions difficult for both teams.
Dorking squeezed a final end win on rink 5 (Ray S, Vicky and Alan W) to break a 14-14 deadlock. Pippbrook took the other two rinks 17-14 and 22-15 giving them an overall points total of 53 to Dorking’s 44. So 8 points to Pippbrook and 2 to Dorking.
Well done Pippbrook.
Report By Ray Smith

Saturday ESL Away Match against Croydon

Well our luck had to change and change it did at Croydon MO ! But only for the Mens‘ games. The Ladies won comfortably and thoroughly enjoyed their game.
On the ESL games Peter H on rink 2 started off well with an early lead, but in the second half only won one end and ended well down. Rinks 3 and 4 were in contention right up the last few ends, but couldn’t maintain the pressure. Rink 2 with David M lost by a shot in spite of John B getting 2 shots in the final end. Rink 4 with John S were one down in the penultimate end and gave away 2 shots, so ending 3 shots down.
All in all, great hopes were dashed and we came way with nil points to their ten. Final shots total 41 to 57. There was a dramatic call in the penultimate end on rink 3, when two bowls could not be separated by the number 3s. The umpire was called upon to use callipers and after measure and re-measure Croydon were awarded the shot. This meant we had to get 3 points and despite John’s 2 shots David couldn’t get more. That’s bowls! All very exciting stuff.
From our Ace Reporter Dave Macklin

Other News

Surrey Competitions 

Congratulations to Richard Woodman, Trevor Thomas, Kevin Moutrie and John Stenton in making the third round of the Surrey Unbadged Singles.
 
Well done to Graham and Dan on winning their first round of the Surrey Pairs competition
 
29 May - 4 June

Yes it happens - even in Dorking - hail stops play

 

Tuesday - NDL Home V Banstead Neville

An eventful match. With only 8 ends played and the match finely poised and with Dorking up on one rink, down on one and level on the third, the heavens opened. The green turned white with hailstones then torrential rain flooded the green. The teams ran for cover and consoled themselves with an early tea and a drink from the bar. The captains agreed to share the points 5-5 as the required number of ends had not been played to constitute a match.

Wednesday - ESL Top Eleven Home V Purley Bury

Bowls is a game of fine margins where a lucky wick or one loose bowl can turn a game.
This proved to be the case in our match against a strong Purley Bury team in the knockout ESL top eleven cup. The results were as follows
4 Wood Singles - Richard Woodman won 21 to 17, coming from a 16-12 deficit to win. Well done Richard.
2 Wood Singles - Kevin lost 11 to 15, having held a 10-6 lead
Pairs - John Stenton and Ray Smith lost 15 to 21. They were level on 15-15 with two ends to go having been in the lead for most of the game. Losing a 3 on the 17th end when holding 4 with one opponents bowl to go and then dropping another 3 on the final end chasing the game.
Triples - Jim Mason, John Byrne and Paul McAllister lost 13 to 19. A rocky start left them too much to do but they outscored the opposition in the last 10 ends.
Fours - David Macklin, Dan Cooke, Steve Jefferson and Martin Saul lost 16 to 18 An excellent start saw our team 7-1 up, 15-11 down and then tied at 16-16 on the final end only to drop a 2 at the end  
The final score of 4-1 did not reflect the closeness of the match, but Dorking can be proud of a great game. Purley Bury were excellent opponents with the game being played in a competitive, enthusiastic and friendly manner. Thanks also to the great support at the game from the Dorking members.

Thursday - Friendly Home V Horsham Park

A fine sunny afternoon saw Dorking win on two of the three rinks with a 69-36 winning margin.
John Byrne, Chris Ross and James Washer won 31-12
Ray Smith, Barbara Skelton and Alan Hodgson won 25-8
Kevin Moutrie, Peter Dunkley and Sheila Gray lost 13-16 but performed a great comeback scoring 8 on the last three ends

Surrey Competition Successes

A great win in the ladies triples for Marilyn Macklin, Vicky Goddard and Paula Saull with a 22-3 win with opponents conceding after 14 ends.
Peter Hamilton, Kevin Moutrie and Ray Smith beat a strong Horley side in the mens triples 18-14
Peter Revell and Richard Woodman won their pairs 20-19
Kevin Moutrie won his unbadged Singles to make the fourth round
Your Match Reporter for all games this week Ray Smith
 
5 June - 11 June

Wednesday NDL Away to Reigate Priory

An afternoon that threatened rain but fortunately stayed dry.
 
The three rinks of NDL triples resulted in a win for Dorking by 8 points to two.
Alec, Sonia and Ray recorded a 21-10 victory.  
Steve, Marilyn and John S delivered an 18-15 win after a very close match. 
Paula, Vicky and Dave M were leading by 7 shots with one end to go but lost the game by one shot! 
So Dorking won 57-44.
 
There were two friendly rinks also in action. Shirley, John B and Jim recording a 21- 14 win and Sheila, Peter D and Barbara losing 14-19 after a close fought match.
 
Reigate Priory were gracious hosts as usual with a lot of friendly discussions over tea and drinks after the game.
Report By Ray

Thursday Boarder League Home to Popes Mead

This was our first Boarder League game if the season. A cold evening threatened rain but stayed mostly dry.
A competitive match saw Dorking lose on two rinks and win on one, with Two points to Dorking and Eight to Popes Mead.
Peter Revell, Richard, Alec and Paul Mc A won the last end to win by one shot. 
The other two rinks were closely fought with Martin S, Ted, Ray and Dave M going down by four shots and James W, Graham, Trevor and John B also narrowly losing
 
A special mention for Ted who played his first border league game and acquitted himself well. Ted was a new starter last season and it’s great to see new faces coming through.
Report by Ray

Saturday ESL Away to Croydon

This was an away East Surrey fours match at Croydon and we expected tough games on a fast green. In fact the green was superb and the fastest we have played on so far. But we all knuckled down and gave an excellent account of ourselves. Jim M’s rink ( Jim, Richard, Martin and Trevor) made an impressive 13 points in the first half but then struggled and the opposition clawed back to finish in a draw 16 all.
Peter H’s rink ( Peter, James, Alec and Kevin) established a commanding 18 to 2 lead by the 11th end and continued to finish well up at 21 to 13. Peter R’s rink ( Peter, Steve J Paul Mc and David M) had a good start, with good lead play from Steve J, but it was nick and tuck for most of the match. Finally with some really superb draws from Paul Mc, particularly over the final 3 ends, we came up trumps at 22 to 19. Overall what a result for us; two winning rinks and one drawn!
Last but not least, the Ladies (Marilyn, Paula and Shirley) won on their friendly triple. All the games were played in a competitive sporting way on a beautiful sunny afternoon. To my mind, it was bowls as good as you can imagine.
Written by our ace reporter Dave Macklin

Surrey Competitions

Congratulations to Richard Woodman and Peter Revell in winning their second round Surrey Pairs match this week.
Trevor Thomas and Richard Woodman are through to round 3 of the unbadged singles.
Trevor Thomas and Paul Mc are also through to round 3 of the Surrey Pairs.
Round 2 of the triples is played this week with three Dorking teams in action at home on Tuesday. 
Report by Ray Smith
 
12 June - 19 June

Thursday NDL Ashtead -Away. To be rescheduled

Thursday BL Newdigate - Away

Dorking achieved a stunning victory on Thursday evening.
We were behind on all rinks after 6 ends, behind on 2 rinks after 12 ends, behind on 2 rinks after 17 ends with a 6 shot difference.
However our "never-say die" attitude lead to 7 shots for Dorking on the 18th end and victory on two rinks.
Dorking scored 8 points and Newdigate 2 points
An excellent team performance 
Match Report - Peter Revell

Saturday ESL Redhill

New boys to the ESL, Redhill, came to town on Saturday and what an extremely close and enjoyable match it was. 

Maybe the stars were Alec, John H., Kevin, and Peter H. who fought back from a significant deficit to draw the match on the last end 18-18. It was certainly the noisiest rink!

Or maybe it was James, Peter R., John B., and David who played a close game of 'now you see me, now you don't' throughout the whole evening, only to also end on a draw 17-17.

So it was all down to the last rink, where a closely contested match, nip-and-tuck all evening, was 17-17 after 20 ends. All on the last end then, when their lead put two excellent bowls right on the jack and neither Martin, Dennis, Trevor, or John S. could better them.

It was good to see Dennis though back on the green and bowling well.

No points were at stake in this match as this is a trial year for Redhill.

Match Report - Trevor Thomas

Surrey Competitions 

Richard Woodman, John Stenton and Peter Revell won their second round triples match this week. Well done chaps.
 
Kevin had a very close match, losing his 5th round Unbadged Singles but a great performance by Kevin to make it so far in a very tough competition.
 
The fours reach the second round next week with Peter Hamilton, John Lawrence, Ray Smith and Kevin Moutrie representing Dorking.
 
19 June - 25 June

Wednesday NDL Chipstead - Away

A glorious sunny afternoon for an excellent game of bowls saw Dorking take 7 points to Chipsteads 3.Richard S, John By and Marilyn had a nip and tuck game all afternoon so it seemed fitting that the game ended in a 17-17 draw.. 
Jim M, Alec and Christine also had a very close match with each team taking and losing the lead throughout the game. However Chipstead had a good run over the last 5 ends to see them home by 3 points at 15-18. The final rink of Ray, Paula and Dave M made a slow start being 5 down after 3 ends.
They then however only lost  a further 5 points over the whole game and ran away to a 25-10 victory. The final tally of points to Dorking being 58-45.
Match Report by Ray Smith

Thursday NDL Purley Bury - Home

This was a very tough North Downs League match against strong opponents. All the 3 triples teams struggled to gain points on a rather muggy afternoon that threatened rain, but other than a few drops, didn’t materialise. In the end we succumbed on all 3 rinks with a score total of 38 to Dorking and 68 to Purley Bury. So no points for us, 10 for PB. Afterwards we enjoyed tea prepared by Shirley and biscuits both sweet and savoury, as well as drinks from the bar run as usual by Eric. Reporter Dave Macklin

Thursday Border League Horley - Away

Another tough match for Dorking away to Horley on a fast green.We lost on all three rinks and came away with no points. The match was very close up to the two thirds mark, but Horley pulled away in the final third to win convincingly by 33- 55 points. Interestingly Dorking tied on the number of ends won.
Horley, as usual, were welcoming and friendly hosts and played the game in a competitive but sporting manner. We look forward to the return match at Dorking later in the season.On a positive note, it was good to see Chris Morris back in action after his recent lay off and to see Chris Hill for his first Border League game in Dorking Colours.
Report by Ray Smith

Saturday ESL Caterham - Home

Dorking played Caterham Bowls Club in an East Surrey League fixture on Saturday 25 June and enjoyed a good win. Richard W, David M, John Byrne and John S proved too strong for their Caterham opponents, winning 34 points to 7. 
Richard S, Alec O, Peter R and Peter H were in front throughout the game and won on their rink 27 points to 14. James W, Martin S, Chris H and Trevor T won a closer match against a 3 man Caterham team, 17 points to 12.
A maximum 10 points to nil match win keeps Dorking near the top of the ESL Division 2 League. The weather stayed fair apart from a few drops of rain, and we all enjoyed drinks, snacks and a friendly chat in the club house afterwards. A very enjoyable afternoon was had by all.
Match Reporter - Richard Woodman.

Surrey Competitions

Well done to Richard Woodman, John Stenton and Peter Revell for their victory in the third round of the Surrey Mens Triples. They are at home on Tuesday to a team from Caterham, so come along and support them.
Report by Ray Smith
 
26 June - 2 July

Tuesday 28th June NDL Warlingham Park - Home

A very close match indeed with both teams finishing on 53 shots.
However a win by Sheila, Sonia and Dave M by 5 shots and a win by Paula, John B and Marilyn by one shot saw Dorking taking 6 points to Warlingham Park 4 points.
Report by Marilyn Macklin

Wednesday 29th June Friendly Horsham - Home

A convincing win by Horsham. Dorking blooded two of this years new members into their first match and both Gail and Moira equipped themselves well. It’s great to see the new members prepared to put their names in the frame and bodes well for the future of the club.
Report by Ray Smith

Thursday 30th June Border League Horsham - Home

A good win by Dorking against a strong Horsham team.Dorking won on 2 rinks and the overall shots were 54- 39
Ray, Alec, Peter R and John S had a close match but were never behind and ran out winners by 2 shots. Richard W, John H, Dan and John B had a storming match winning 28-7. James W, Chris M, Graham B and Trevor had a nip and tuck match leading by one shot after 13 ends but Horsham drew away in the final third, finally winning by 20 points to 12.
The final tally was therefore 8 points to Dorking and 2 to Horsham.
A friendly atmosphere in the clubhouse after the game was enhanced by the fact that the Police were hosting Pippbrook on the other 3 rinks and pleasing to hear the fulsome praise from the Pippbrook captain for the Dorking green.
Report by Ray Smith

Saturday 2nd July ESL Purley - Away

Our match against the league leaders was a very close affair. On a fine warm afternoon we played on an excellent fast green. We won on one rink, drew on one rink where Purley equalised with the last bowl and lost on the final rink. Overall the game was very close with Purley just nicking the game by 7 shots so the score was 7-3 in favour of Purley
Match Reporter-Peter Revell
 
3 July - 10 July

Tuesday 5th July NDL Home to Old Coulsdon

Another very close NDL match saw Dorking win by one point with a points total of 51 to 50. Dorking won on two rinks and so secured a 8 points to 2 victory.
Paula, John B and Ray secured a 21-18 win. A seesaw game with Dorking taking an early lead, Old Coulsdon playing strongly in the middle to take a lead but a good recovery by Dorking in the final third to secure victory.
Steve J, Christine and Vicky were always in control until dropping 4 shots on the last end and causing the captain to have palpitations as the match score was now in the balance. But a good win 20-17 meant it was all up to Alec, Pat and John H who managed to restrict Old Coulsdon to one shot on their final end to secure a match points victory. Judging by the laughter coming from their rink they had an enjoyable afternoon losing by 5 shots 10-15.
An enjoyable and friendly tea followed with drinks from the bar courtesy of Eric.
Reporter Ray Smith

Thursday 7th July BL Away to Lindfield

We knew that this would be a tough Border League match against strong opponents. So it turned out to be. All the 3 rinks teams struggled to gain points on a very fast green that was difficult to master. But it was a warm evening perfect for bowls. Rink 2 did well with our new Junior player Rory in the team for the first time, but like the other rinks could not hold the opposition. In the end we succumbed on all 3 rinks with a score total of 32 to Dorking and 67 to Lindfield. So no points for us, 10 for Lindfield. We all enjoyed the company and the after match sweet and savoury snacks, as well as a well earned drink from their bar. Reporter Dave Macklin

 

10 July - 16 July

 
A busy match week for DBC

Sunday July 10th ESL Shirley Park Home

On a hot Sunday afternoon, Dorking played a very strong Shirley Park side and achieved a terrific win. Dorking had to make some last minute changes to the teams, and our thanks go to Alec O and Richard S who agreed to play at short notice.
Martin S, Steve J, John H and John S played challenging opponents, with the lead changing several times. Shirley Park won a very close game 17 - 19. There was another close encounter where James W, Alec O, Peter R and Peter H won on their rink 21 - 18. There were no more than 3 points between the sides during the game and all the team played some very good bowls.
The third rink was a game of two halves. Richard W, Richard S, Trevor T and John Byrne struggled at the start and were down 0 - 11 after 6 ends. Their form improved, and they dominated the rest of the game winning 26 - 16. The overall score was 64 - 53, resulting in an excellent 8 points to Dorking and 2 points to Shirley Park. This keeps Dorking in second place in the ESL Division 2.
Match Reporter Richard Woodman

Tuesday July 12th Friendly Ladies Triples Reigate Priory Away

We played a very friendly ladies match on hot and sticky afternoon against Reigate Priory. Due to circumstances both sides only had 8 players available which included, for Dorking 3 of our new players, Dianne (first ever match), Gail and Moira (their 2nd). We played 2 triples and 1 doubles and, due to weather conditions, played just 10 ends.
The 2 triples narrowly won and the doubles just lost. The overall score was a win to Reigate Priory by only one point. Bearing in mind the inexperience of the DBC side Marilyn, Captain, was very happy with the result and delighted she now has more bowlers to call upon.
The disappointment of losing was also made sweeter with tea and homemade cake to round off the afternoon.

Match Reporter Sheila Gray

Wednesday July 13th NSL Sutton Home

Dorking won the second fixture of the NSL triples competition gaining 8 points to Suttons 2. Due to illness our reserves, Alan H and Peter R stepped in and joined John S. They all played well and won their rink with comfort by 19 points to 10. Richard W, Eric M and J Byrne started well, but were 5 - 19 behind by 11 ends. An excellent recovery in the final 7 ends was not quite enough, and they lost 16 - 21. The third rink was a very close affair with Alec O, J Bowen and David M keeping just a few points ahead of their opponents for most of the game, and they won 13 - 10. The overall score was 48 to Dorking, 41 to Sutton, and the 8 league points gained keeps Dorking near the top of the NSL league table. It was another very warm afternoon, and both teams enjoyed a friendly match followed by drinks and snacks in the bar afterwards.

Match Reporter Richard Woodman

Thursday July 14th BL Popes Mead Away

Sadly we lost this game 10 points to 0 with the overall shot difference of 30. However when looking closer at the scorecards our first rink played 13 ends where only 1 shot was given or conceded, 1 rink which only lost on the final end - a bitter pill at any time and our final rink won 8 of the 18 ends. So all rinks played a very difficult green as well as the home side This is hopefully a stepping stone to our next game where we can turn our good play into points and move up the table
Match Reporter Peter Revell

Saturday July 16th ESL Cheam Fields Home

On a very hot Saturday afternoon, Dorking had a very close match against Cheam Fields in the East Surrey League, with an overall points difference of a single shot! Martin S, J Bowen, Dan C and John Byrne struggled against a strong team team, and ended their game well behind. Richard W, Mike V, Steve J and P Revell had better fortune winning their rink with a 10 point difference. This was Mike V's first league game for Dorking, and he played extremely well at number 2, and Steve J promoted to number 3 for the first time, was equally impressive. Well done both players. The third rink saw James W, Alec O, Kevin M and Peter H play a very close, and quite a noisy game which resulted in a narrow victory for them. When the points were added up, and following a recount, Dorking lost the overall match by just one point. This was slightly disappointing, but didn't spoil an afternoon of great fun and banter. Refreshing drinks and snacks in the clubhouse were very welcome, and both sides enjoyed a good chat after the game. Our 4 points gained will keep Dorking in second place in ESL division 2.

Match Reporter Richard Woodman

 

17 July - 23 July

Tuesday July 19th NDL Home to Godstone

Unfortunately this match was cancelled to the very hot weather.

Thursday July 21st Border League Home to Newdigate.

A must win match for Dorking in their bid to stay in the top division of the Border League saw Dorking taking 6 points to the oppositions 4 with an overall score of 59-48

Richard W, Dave M, Ray and Peter R had an evening to remember defeating their opponents 27-6. Martin, Richard S, Dan and John B had a tough start finding themselves 19-3 after eleven ends. A five on the twelfth end kick started their game and a 4 and a 3 on the fourteenth and fifteenth end got them back into touch. This proved crucial to the overall points position and although they finally lost 25-16 their contribution helped Dorking win the larger points score.

James W, Alec, Chris M and Peter H had an extremely close and competitive match.

The Dorking team led by one going into the last end but Newdigate scored two on the last end to secure a win. Peter’s final bowl was so close to taking the jack that the Ooos and Ahhs must have been heard in the high street.

There was great support for both teams and a friendly drink in the bar followed. It was nice to hear the best wishes for Dorking from the Newdigate captain with both teams showing how bowls should be played in an extremely competitive but friendly manner.

Match Report by Ray Smith

Saturday 23rd July ESL Away to Bletchingly

This was quite a match played in hot sunshine. Our hosts had placed plenty of cold water stations, and with suncream aplenty we all enjoyed the afternoon. Rink 2 went into an early lead with Peter R at the helm, and never lost their advantage, finishing 25 to 7. Rink 3 with Jim M had a ding dong match and were even stevens almost to the last. But our hosts pulled out a 3 and a single at the end to lead 18 to 14.

Rink 5 under Peter H’s tutoring was just in the lead for much of the time and managed to survive a 3 in the penultimate end and to cross the line with a single shot at 17 to 16. The final shots total was 56 to Dorking and 43 to Bletchingley, and 2 rinks to one, which gives us 8 points and 2 to our hosts.

Our ladies triple of Sonia, Paula and Marilyn had an enjoyable friendly and a good win of 17 to 12. The green was very fast indeed and we noted the use of the ‘iron’ immediately before play, which flattens the grass for an even faster green. We all adjusted well, but home advantage was obvious, so we all did really well to mark up another fine win. Full marks to all our players for coping with the glasslike surface.

I must end by complimenting our hosts’ tea offering of homemade scones and cakes to die for. Not expected but absolutely delicious. I attach a photo of the final end on Peter H’s rink with the suns rays still on the green.

Reporter  David Macklin

 

24 July - 31 July

Wednesday July 27th NSL Southey Home

Unfortunately this match was cancelled as Southey could not raise a team. Southey default meant all 10 points go to Dorking.

Thursday July 28th Friendly Ladies Triples Home

This was a game of two rinks for a friendly ladies triples – straightforward – except Dorking had 6 player and Epsom brought 8 players! So Dorking 1s and 2s played with 3 bowls which included Annie Walker playing in her first match. Well done Annie. Both skips and all of Epsom played with 2 woods.

Both games proved a bit one sided with Dorking having a good win on one rink and Epsom winning the other rink easily with two Surrey players in their team. Overall, Epsom won with the greater number of shots.

Thursday July 28th Border League Horley Home

Dorking played a match against Borger League Division One leaders Horley on Thursday 28 July, and needed as many points as possible as they struggle to avoid relegation.

James W, David M, Trevor T and Peter H took an early lead and cruised to a 23 to 12 points victory on Rink 1. Richard W, Martin S, John Byrne and Peter R had a difficult game, and were always behind their opponents. They eventually lost a 9 points to 17. Chris M, Rory H, Dan C and John S took an small lead early on, but were eventually overcome by very strong opponents, losing 9 points to 16. Our 3 teams started the final end with a 2 point overall lead, but unfortunately lost points on all three rinks, the final overall score ending 41 to Dorking and 45 to Horley. Dorking gain 2 league points to Horley's 8. Horley's win looks likely to secure a league victory for Horley, while Dorking's 2 points make our survival in League One a great challenge. There are 2 "must win" matches left this season, so it's not over yet!! It was a lovely evening for bowls, and we enjoyed and drink, snacks and a good chat after the game. The Horley green keeper complimented our green and said we have made a "massive improvement" which is great to hear.

Saturday July 30th ESL Croydon MO Home plus 2 Ladies Friendly Triples

Saturday afternoon saw 5 rinks in action with two Ladies triples and a men's ESL match.

Both Ladies games were very close matches and Paula Vicky, and Marilyn on rink 1 and Barbara, Val, and Sonia on rink 2 had good close wins. So the Ladies had a great afternoon.

The Men entered their 11th ESL match of the season lying in first place in Division 2, by just one point. Croydon MO had taken all 10 points from Dorking earlier in the season when we visited them - so it was all to play for to keep the chance of promotion alive. A really enjoyable game was played in good spirits on all rinks.

Star rink for Dorking was Martin, Richard S, David M., and John S. that moved ahead to win handily 19-11. Playing on rink 6 Paul Mc, James, John B., and Peter R were always close and sometimes equal but lost 17-20 at the end. Alec, Charlie, Trevor, and Peter H. had a challenging game finally winning 20-16. So overall a close win to Dorking of 56-47 and 8 points to 2.

Hopefully Dorking will stay in first place after this good win.

 

31 July - 7 August

Wednesday August 3rd Friendly Ladies Triples

Dorking welcomed a team from Brockham for a ladies friendly triples match on Wednesday afternoon. The Dorking ladies were Sue G, Paula S and Vicky G, plus Christine R, Pat T and Barbara S. Two triples were played over 15 ends in this friendly due to the warm afternoon.

Dorking won comfortably on both rinks with the overall score well in favor of Dorking. The game was followed, as usual, with tea and a friendly discussion

Thursday August 4th Border League Horsham Away

This match was a relegation must win for Dorking with Horsham starting the match six points higher than Dorking and Newdigate just below Dorking. With two teams to be relegated Dorking needed a good win. Unfortunately we lost on two rinks and won on the third with an overall shots tally of 48-57 in favor of Horsham. This makes relegation inevitable with one match still to play.

Martin, John H, Trevor and Peter H were the winners 23-19 scoring a five on the last end to secure victory. Chris M, Steve J, Ray and John S had a tight match for most of the game and lead by two shots after 13 ends. Unfortunately they gave away three shots on end 15,17 and 18 to lose 11-18. Richard W, John B, Dan and Peter R were 6-14 down after 13 ends. They rallied with a 3 and a 5 on ends 14 and 15, but lost 14-20 in the end.

Dorking Border League season ends next Thursday with a home match against league leaders Lindfield. It’s been a season of “if only” and missed opportunities for Dorking in the top flight of the Border League but we hope that will make us more determined to bounce back next season and secure promotion again.

 

7 August - 13 August

Due to the hot weather both the Thursdays home NDL match against Caterham and Saturdays home ESL match against Croydon were cancelled. So the only match this week was the home Border League match against Lindfield.

Thursday August 11th Border League home

Lindfield sent a very strong team to ensure maximum points to finish in second place. All three rinks provided them with a stiff challenge but unfortunately Dorking came away with no points. Alec, Rory, Paul M and Trevor only lost by one shot 14-15. James, John B, Bert and Dave M lost in a tight low scoring game 8-13 and Chris M, John B, Peter R and John S lost 10-18. The match score was therefore 32- 46. This was the last Border League game of the season and sees Dorking relegated crying.

 

14 August - 20 August

Wednesday 17th August NDL Home V Bletchingly

A strong performance saw Dorking take all ten points.

Alec, Pat and John S were always in the lead after a slow start and won 19-10.
Barbara, John H and Ray had a nip and tuck game until end 16 but then finished strongly to win 20-16. Paula, John B and Trevor gave us a cliffhanger finish when tied at 16 all after the 17th end. For some reason they were two ends behind the other two teams and it was almost dark on the final deciding end. With the other teams watching Paula put up three excellent leads. These were reduced to a one lead shot lead with only the oppositions final bowl to play. This missed the shot bowl by a whisker giving the home team victory 56-42.

Thursday 18th August Friendly Home against Mole Valley Police

This was a very friendly affair, played on a nice summer's evening. Dorking won on two rinks, with top rink going to Pat T., John By., and Paul Mc, who had the 'measure' (just a joke John !) of their opponents, winning 19-7. A much closer game was played by James, Paula, and Trevor who managed to just win at 14-13. Karen, Martin, and Peter R. were less fortunate and went down 12-21. Thanks to Eric for organising the excellent sandwiches that followed and there was plenty of banter, including many compliments on the state of the green.

 

21 August - 27 August

Tuesday 23rd August NDL Away to Horley

A loss for Dorking of 48-55 points with Horley winning on two rinks and Dorking on one saw Horley score 8 points to Dorking 2.
Another game of what ifs for Dorking.
 
Vicky, Marilyn and Ray held a ten shot lead after 13 ends but managed to lose by one shot 19-20 by the end.
Paul’s, Charlie’s and Trevor had a close match throughout and managed to win 18-16 with a 2 and a 1 on the last two ends.
Pat, John By and David M lost 11-19 after a bright start.
 
The Horley team were there usual gracious hosts and consoled the Dorking team with a drink from the bar and tea and biscuits.
 
The Horley green was in fine shape and played well. A testament to their green team in what has been a difficult summer.

Wednesday 24th NSL Away to Cheam

Dorking started the day in second place in the NSL league. However it was not to be our day.
Our captain for the day noted that Christmas had come early as The Dorking Cockerel got stuffed. Dorking lost on all three rinks on a green that swung considerably and was short on grass.
 
Richard W, John By, and Peter Revell had a close encounter losing 17 14.
James W, Ray and John S lost 21-14 in a game where they started well, lost their way, made a comeback and fell away again at the end.
Trevor T, Eric and Dave M lost 24-9. Leading 7-2 after 6 ends the Dorking trio only managed a couple of points on the last 12 ends.
It was just one of those days for the Dorking hero’s, but all is not lost if we can win our last 2 NSL games.

Saturday August 27th ESL Away to Caterham

Lying third in the ESL with a game in hand, Dorking's promotion run continued in a hard fought match against Caterham on Saturday. All rinks started close games in what turned out to be a very exciting finale.

 

James, Alec, Trevor, and Peter H. were sometimes behind and sometimes ahead until they finally started to pull away with long jacks, especially after James put the jack and his bowl in the ditch, plus some good saving shots by the skip (with appropriate volume), running out (pun intended Peter!) 26-18 winners.

 

Martin, John H., David M., and John S. frequently had good shot positions in the head, only for the Caterham skip to nick one, and were lying 14 shots down after 20 ends. But they fought to the last and scored a massive 7 shots on the last end that was an overall points game changer, finishing 18-25 down.

 

Dorking were now lying one shot ahead overall at 45-44 with the final rink still two ends to play. Richard W., Paul Mc., John By., and Peter R. had been down 9 shots or more at one point but fought their way back slowly to take an impressive 3 on the penultimate end and also the lead at 17-16. On the final end, a good 'second-wood' shot from John By. restricted Caterham to one shot and an exciting game ended tied at 17-17.

 

So Dorking held on to win the overall score 61-60 and took 7 points to 3 to keep promotion hopes alive, as we move back into the top two. The game overall showed how important it is to keep playing to the last end.

Reporting By Ray Smith and Trevor Thomas

 

28 August - 3 September

Just one match this week as the season starts to wind down.

Tuesday 30th August Away Friendly Triples against Horsham

There were four mixed triples in this match. Dorking won on 2 rinks and Horsham on 2 rinks. Dorking fielded three new members in their first matches for the club.

Chris and Fiona Y and Paul C all played extremely well so well done. It’s been great to see so many new members playing in matches this season. It bodes well for Dorking in the future.

Horsham have had issues with their green this season with large portions now devoid of grass.

Chris Y, Vickey and Marilyn had a tough time on a rink that had virtually no grass. They lost 22-9.

Steve, Paula and Trevor had an extremely close match losing by one shot 15-16.

Fiona, Martin and Ray also had a close game coming out with a one shot win 19-18 with a two on the last end.

Paul C, Pat and David M had a consistent game winning 18-10, scoring a six on the fifth end.

Horsham were great hosts and the game played in friendly manner.

Report by Ray

 

4 September - 11 September

Wednesday 7th September Home Friendly Mixed Triples against Ewhurst

A close friendly match consisting of four mixed triples saw Dorking win on two rinks, draw on one and lose on one with an overall shots tally of 59-50 in favour of Dorking.

Alec, Christine and Kevin were 12-4 down after eleven ends but then only dropped one more shot to force a 13-13 draw.

Diane, Pat and John S had tough opposition losing 9-16.

Paula, John By and David M had a healthy 20-9 win after a slow start reeling off 8 winning ends in a row.

Manie, Marilyn and Trevor were always in control with a 17-13 win, apart from a blip on the final end!!

Ewhurst are always good company and welcome visitors and, as usual, brought their most ardent fan, the golden retriever.

Report by Ray Smith

Thursday 8th September Away NSL against Cheam Fields

The intrepid Dorking hero’s fought there way to Cheam through monsoon rain with every expectation of the match being cancelled and in the event they perhaps wished it had been.

Cheam escaped the torrential rain, but the green was covered in leaves and worm casts making play challenging for both teams. But enough of the excuses as Dorking lost heavily on two rinks and had a narrow victory on the third one. The result was a 2-8 points loss for Dorking.

Trevor, Alan H and David M achieved a 15-13 win in a tight game. Well done lads.

Richard W, John By and Peter R lost 22-12

Alec, Ray and John S started well, fell away, recovered and fell away again to record a 25-9 loss. Their rink was so wet and slippery that the wet mats were used after the fourth end to avoid any injuries.

Cheam Fields were gracious hosts and were awarded top marks for the quality of the biscuits served with tea!

Report by Ray Smith

Sunday 11th September Home ESL against Purley

On a lovely Sunday afternoon, Dorking played their penultimate East Surrey League match against Purley, knowing that they had to do well to keep promotion to the ESL first division in their control. It was a very intense match.

At one stage a good outcome looked possible with all Dorking teams having a small lead. Purley who were top of division two, and also promotion contenders had put out three very strong teams, and once they adjusted to the bowling conditions played really well.

On rink 1, Martin S, John Byrne, John Hudlass and David Macklin won 19 - 14.

On rink 3, James W, Alec O, Trevor T and Peter H lost 21 - 25, and

On rink 5, Richard W, Paul M, Graham B and John Stenton lost 16 - 19.

All 3 games could have gone either way, but Dorking gained just 2 league points from rink 1, with the overall score ending 2 points behind Purley. This leaves Purley almost certain of promotion; and Dorking will need a maximum 10 points in their final match at home against Croydon on 18th September to have a chance of joining them.

The supporters from both Bowling Clubs had a great match to watch and seemed to enjoy themselves. Refreshments in the clubhouse after the match were most welcome.

Report by Richard Woodman.

 

12 September - 18 September

Wednesday 14th September NSL South London Away

South London could not raise a team and so defaulted the match and Dorking were awarded all ten points. This ensured Dorking finished top of the league as champions.

It may not have been the way we wanted to win the league but we can only

join our club today!

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Etiam tempus nibh ut tortor pretium, ut euismod massa pellentesque.

Shopping cart
Loading data...