2022 Season match results

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


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
Saturday ESL Away Match against Croydon
Other News
Surrey Competitions
Yes it happens - even in Dorking - hail stops play


Tuesday - NDL Home V Banstead Neville
Wednesday - ESL Top Eleven Home V Purley Bury
Thursday - Friendly Home V Horsham Park
Surrey Competition Successes
Wednesday NDL Away to Reigate Priory
Thursday Boarder League Home to Popes Mead
Saturday ESL Away to Croydon
Surrey Competitions
Thursday NDL Ashtead -Away. To be rescheduled
Thursday BL Newdigate - Away
Saturday ESL Redhill
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
Wednesday NDL Chipstead - Away
Thursday NDL Purley Bury - Home
Thursday Border League Horley - Away
Saturday ESL Caterham - Home
Surrey Competitions
Tuesday 28th June NDL Warlingham Park - Home
Wednesday 29th June Friendly Horsham - Home
Thursday 30th June Border League Horsham - Home
Saturday 2nd July ESL Purley - Away
Tuesday 5th July NDL Home to Old Coulsdon
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
Sunday July 10th ESL Shirley Park Home
Tuesday July 12th Friendly Ladies Triples Reigate Priory Away
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.
Thursday July 14th BL Popes Mead Away
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..
14 August - 20 August
Wednesday 17th August NDL Home V Bletchingly
A strong performance saw Dorking take all ten points.
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
Wednesday 24th NSL Away to Cheam
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