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a game to spare. This was the most comfortable run through a group stage for a while. 11
The team then went over to Enniskillen in Northern Ireland to defend the Top Team title
that was won the previous season. However this turned out to be a low point in the season
as we were beaten very comfortably by an excellent Mid Ulster team. Cheshire managed a sec-
ond placed finish but to lose the title of Top Team champions was hard to swallow.
Defeat at North Yorkshire in the last group game of the ICC then followed, and confidence
was not that great. But the team then went on a great run that saw us beat Kent in the quarter
finals, West Midlands in an epic semi-final, and ultimately beat Devon in another fantastic final
to become ICC champions for the seventh season on the trot. We can now look forward to trav-
elling to South Wales in December to take on Pembrokeshire and Armagh in our bid to regain
the Top Team title.
Other notable points in the season were the winning of the National Club Championship
by several members of the County team, all members of Morley Green Club. The inaugural sea-
son of the Cheshire Premier League turned out to be a great success, with Gareth Stanway
being crowned champion and many county players are looking forward to the second season
of the competition.
And to cap a great season for the county, there was a National title to celebrate for the first
time since 2008, with the triple of Simon White, James Neal and Gareth Stanway taking the title
after a tremendous final against Shropshire. All in all a fantastic season for Cheshire and fitting
send off for Norman and Margaret. On behalf of Cheshire County Short Mat bowls, we would
like to thank you both for all your effort and hard work over many years. You will both be missed!
James Neal.

BERE REGIS
BERE REGIS
CHARITY FOURS
CHARITY FOURS
The competition was staged at the
Dorset Bowls Resort, Bere Regis. As the
song goes, ‘What a difference a day
makes’ but in this case it was a Year at
the Bere Regis Bowls Resort Charity 4’s
competition.
Last year we had heavy rain and
floods which affected some competitors’,
this year it was in the middle of the heat
Winners Ken & Pam Ashman, wave with the players melting in the heat
Marilyn & Beau Knight and struggling to keep cool.
28 teams battled all day playing four games each against randomly selected opponents
and it was four teams from Dorset who ended up winning all four games, so the final outcome
was decided on shot difference. Again this year the event was kindly donated by the resort
owners John and Bev Champion who also took part. Organised as usual by Larry and Joyce
House and supported by Sandy and Reg Whitear.
At the last count nearly £1,000 was raised and will be shared between the Dorset & Som-
erset Air Ambulance and the Cherry Tree Nursery (Bournemouth), a charity that helps people
with severe and enduring mental illness.
The victorious team from the Flight Refuelling club, Marilyn & Beau Knight, Ken & Pam
Ashman, scored 8 points & 36 shots. Closely followed by a Cerne Abbas team skip’d by June
Balbinski with 8 points & 32 shots, with two teams from the Heatherlands club with 8 points &
23 shots & 19 shots, skip’b by Steve White and Mark White. The entry fee included a cooked
lunch, so it all went to make a very enjoyable day, competitive bowling and a nice donation to
the two charities.
Reg Whitear