Page 35 - Autumn 2012

Page 35:Layout 1 14/10/2012 14:57 Page 1

Morley NATIONAL CLUB 35
Morley
NATIONAL CLUB
CHAMPIONSHIPS
Green CHAMPIONSHIPS
Green
The format for this event is played
over two sessions, a pair and triple in
the first session and singles and fours
in the second session. Each team is
based on a minimum 6 players and a
maximum of 10 players.
They play in round robin groups
of 4, in which every club gets 6
matches and then the winners play a
semi-final and then on to a final, a
long days bowling. The competition
took over from the defunct ICC Sum-
mer League and has been running for
the last 4 seasons.
This year’s National Club Championship was played at Tamworth Indoor Bowls Club,
with 15 entries representing 12 different Counties. Clubs from Devon, Cheshire, Cornwall,
Hereford, Avon and Worcester were all entering for the first time
After some close games in the
groups, the semi-final line up saw
Norfolk’s Bob Carter Centre playing
Morley Green from Cheshire and
Wonford from Devon playing another
Norfolk team, Wymondham.
The question at this stage was
could we see another all Norfolk final?
This was settled by Morley Green,
who dismissed last year’s champions,
Bob Carter Centre, by 6-2 points,
whilst last year’s runners-up,
Wymondham
Wymondham, secured another final Wymondham
place by beating Wonford, also 6-2 on
points.
In the final the points were equal at 2-2 after the pairs and triples session with all to play
for in the singles and fours. Morley Green came out the eventual winners, beating the gallant
runner’s up, Wymondham by 6-2 points. This is the first time that the winners have not come
from the East of England as the previous winners were Norfolk’s Kirby Bedon in 2009, Don-
nington from Cambridgeshire in 2010 and Bob Carter Centre in 2011.
This year’s competition had the added bonus of entry into a new Top Team event being
organised by the ESMBA and TLH Leisure in Torquay during April 2013. This is a new tour-
nament arranged between the ESMBA and TLH Leisure for the benefit of club bowlers. Qual-
ifiers will be held during the year to fill a further eight places. Entry forms have already been
sent to ESMBA County Secretaries for distribution to their member clubs. If you want to enter,
please contact your County Secretary. The 8 teams that have already qualified:
1 Morley Green 5 Holmans
2 Wymondham 6 Gilt Edge
3 Wonford 7 Middlezoy
4 Bob Carter Centre 8 Kingscliffe
Keith Hawkins ESMBA ICC Secretary