Page 32 - Spring 2019

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Surrey’s Silver Jubilee
Surrey’s Silver Jubilee

All county organisations have milestones and for Surrey County SMBA, Sunday 14th November
1993 is one of our key ones. It signifies the playing of the first ever County match; a friendly
played against Southampton & District SMBA, down in Hampshire.
Following the creation of the Association itself
at the tail-end of 1992, Jason Reynolds, who was the
County’s first Competition and Match Secretary, set
about planning a list of competitive friendlies so that
the basis of a representative county side could then
compete in the ICC’s.
The game itself took place in November 1993,
played in a rinks format, with Surrey running out win-
ners by a total of 96 shots to 63. So, to commemo-
rate such a significant date, a celebration was held
at Wey Valley Bowls Club, the present-day home of
Surrey short mat, to mark the 25th anniversary of the
inaugural match.
More than eighty bowlers, from past and pre-
sent, gathered on 18th November for a few ends of
bowls, a sumptuous lunch and a chance to reminisce
about what we have achieved over the last quarter
of a century.
With the passing of time, many of the original
squad are either no longer bowling or, sadly, no
longer with us but there were three of the original
Three of the Surrey founding
Three of the Surrey founding side – Roger Smith, Norman Crawley and Jason
fathers, Norman Crawley, Reynolds – bowling in the Silver Jubilee match as
fathers, Norman Crawley,
Reg Rapley and Jason Reynolds
Reg Rapley and Jason Reynolds
well.
The County’s first President, Reg
Rapley, gave a speech explaining the
background of the early days of the Asso-
ciation and the current President, Bill
Hames, gave an overview of Surrey as it
stands today. There have been high and
lows, successes and failures along the
way, but it’s never been dull. Here’s to the
next quarter of a century!
Jason Reynolds