W/E 17th Sept
Victoria Saxons were going for a classic double this week, looking to add the Over 55’s KO CUP to the League title they won last week. In their way, were their old friends and rivals Winscombe? On a hot September Wednesday afternoon the match began with both teams not allowing the other to dominate. This pattern proceeded to the very final shot of the day and unfortunately for the Weston team it was Winscombe who triumphed by the slenderest margin possible 95-94. To make matters even worse was that the Saxons won four of the six games but lost on the shot margin. Captain Owen led by example aided by Puddy T and Holland winning 23-10. There was another good win for the Heal, Bromet, and Wheatley trio 20-12. Burgess, Carpenter and Gibbs won 18-14 and John Newman enhanced his reputation as the most successful Saxon skip for the summer winning 18-16 with Coumis and Milliner assisting.
However the highlight for the week came in the form of Victoria’s mixed triple entrants in the Somerset County competition. The team of Fiona Waters, Pete Sloman and Steve Davies had done superbly to manage to reach the finals in the inaugural year of this competition. In their semi final they took on a strong Purnell team and managed to produce an excellent 23-9 win. This meant that they now had to play a very strong Ilminster triplet boasting County players on their home green, a daunting task. However, the Westonians were in great form and came out an astonishing 23-9 with Fiona, Pete and Steve all playing a huge part in this wonderful accomplishment, heartfelt congratulations from all at Victoria Bowls Club.
W/E 10th Sept
Victoria A team went into their last match of the season knowing a win would guarantee promotion to the coveted highest division in Somerset. In ideal conditions they welcomed Williton who themselves were desperate for as many points they could muster to avoid relegation, so the stakes were high. The match began evenly with two of the three contests very close but the Cooper rink looked in control and was comforting for the rest of the Victorians. Entering the last couple of ends the result remained in the balance. However the Westonians finished well to win 68-56 and ensure their deserved promotion to Premier One. The Cooper rink with Puddy T, Wheatley and Jackson led the way notching a 29-21 victory, followed by the Davies rink which featured Coumis, Sloman, and Heal, with the later in top form, winning 22-18. The Harrison rink with Carpenter, Newman and Gazzard managed to claim a brave draw 17-17 to give the A team a comfortable 11-1 score line and cap a superb summer.
Despite the A teams resounding success it could be the B team that warrant the highest accolades as they stormed to Champions of North Two Division by a staggering margin of 28 points! In the process winning ten of their eleven matches and dominating their league throughout the summer. Their final outing of the season saw the Victorians visit Banwell and in a tough battle the B team, won by 61 shots to 53 winning all three rinks. The Burgess rink with Ferrari, Milliner and Johnson won 22-19. The same margin was achieved by Fairhurst, Whyte, Campbell and Gibbs 18-15 and finally the Owen, Rossiter, Kelly and Manning team won 21-19 to complete a memorable summer for the B team.
Finally the C team could also hold their heads high finishing a respectable third in their division. This week completed the League fixtures for the summer of 2023 for Victoria in what must be considered as a fantastic summer for all their teams. The feeling in the Club is not one of complacency but of optimism and that this season is not seen as a highlight but rather a stepping stone for further success in the future for this historic club.
W/E 3rd Sept
Victoria began the week in the North Somerset KO Cup final, welcoming, probably the strongest team in Somerset, Clevedon. The visitors boasted several players that had played in the national finals at Leamington, making the Vic big underdogs. In good conditions the Westonians came out firing and at one stage looked very capable of pulling of a huge shock. But as the match was reaching its climax Clevedon finished strongly to win by a meagre two shots 99-101. Despite the loss the Victorians did themselves proud and hopefully if they clinch promotion next week, this will hold them in good stead for the future. On the green Victoria won three out of the five contests which was an achievement in itself. Dan Nutt’s rink led the way with Coumis, Sloman and Burgess winning 22-16. Mike Cooper’s rink with Puddy T, Wheatley and Owen 20-18 and Colin Heal’s team of Rossiter, Gibbs and Gazzard won a nail biter 22-21.
The focus for the Club turned to the climax of the Over 55 league in which a battle royal between Ashcombe Crusaders and Victoria Saxons was taking place. With two matches to play The Saxons lied in second place twenty four points adrift of the Crusaders, but the last match of the season was a crucial match between the two teams vying for the title. The Saxons welcomed Burnham to the Quadrant knowing only a comfortable win could help their cause, and oh boy did they pull it off in style! Winning all six rinks in a superb all round team performance and recording a 148-64 win giving them all twenty points up for grab and closing the gap to four points with the visit to Ashcombe to come.
Thursday saw the Saxons take the short trip to Ashcombe for the decider. The equation for Victoria was firstly to win the match but also to ensure that the Crusaders did not win four rinks. The match began in wet conditions to add to the drama; with tension in the air neither team took control. As the match progressed it was Victoria that was just getting on top and despite a spirited last few ends from Ashcombe, Victoria held on to win the match 100-97, in another great contest. In the process the Vic picked up three winning rinks for a 14-6 points win and claims the title of Champions. The heroes were the Wheatley rink with Whyte and Campbell who won 22-07 to set up the victory.
W/e 16th July
Victoria began their week on Tuesday with their big match in the Turnbull Cup against Taunton Deane. With conditions favourable for bowls it was Victoria who took early control of the match and they never looked back as they stormed to a superb 88-47 victory. Leading the way was Cooper, Puddy T, Wheatley and Owen quartet who all combined well to win 31-11. Not far behind them was the foursome of Nutt, Carpenter, Burgess and Newman winning 26-10 with skip Nutt, praising John Newman for an excellent performance. The other rink to record a triumph was the Davies, Bromet, Sloman and Gazzard team who won 16-10.
Thursday saw a local derby when the Victoria Vikings welcomed Ashcombe Knights to the Quadrant and unfortunately it was the visitors who took the spoils, winning 88-117. The result was a bit tough on the Vikings as the six rinks were drawn 3-3. Best performers for the Vic were the triplet of Johnson, Pratt and Rockett who won 19-09. Next up was Barlow, Robbins G and Sloman 18-12 with Graham Robbins having a good game at lead. The Brooks, McHugh and Hubbard team also won a hard fought contest 19-16.
Saturday witnessed all three Victoria teams in action. The C team entertained Bristol C and despite winning two out of the three matches unfortunately lost on shot count 45-56. The two winning rinks won by a three shot margin. Firstly Smart, Stallard, Hollier and Stone 20-17 and secondly Barlow, Cleeves, Stevens and Robbins N 15-12. The B team visited Ashcombe looking to maintain their great form but just missed out losing 47-56 with one rubber drawn 20-20. The one success for Victoria was the team of Owen, Bromet, Crawford and Milliner who won 18-11.Last but not least the A team visited high flying Backwell looking to maintain their one hundred per cent record and this they did but they had to show character and resilience to do it. Similar to the B team match Victoria won one rink, lost one and drew the other to win by two shots 60-58. The winning rink of Cooper, Puddy T, Wheatley and Nutt gelled well to win 23-10 to give the Vic the foundation for the victory.
W/E 9th July
Victoria Saxons opened the week by welcoming Winscombe on Monday. When the sides met last, Winscombe came out on top, and with the visitors fourth in the table a tough match was expected and with the same teams taking on each other in the coveted Turnbull Cup the following day intrigue was increased. The visitors began well and after five ends led 24-31, however the Saxons grew into the match and gradually pulled away, for the Westonians to win 109-88. Leading the way the Cooper, Coumis and Milliner trio triumphed by an excellent 24-08. Next best were the Burgess triplet with Rossiter and Carmine. Incredibly Kim’s rink was 0-10 down after five ends but inspired by a super skip performance from Burgess they recovered to win 21-15. Two further wins from Heal, Bromet, and Fairhurst 19-14 and Harrison, Carpenter and Rockett 17-15 confirmed the points.
As mentioned, Tuesday saw the big one as Victoria once again entertained Winscombe in the revered Turnbull Cup. Victoria last won the trophy in 2003 and it is a Cup they would love to win. In wet conditions Victoria began well to lead 21-6 after five ends. However as the rain became heavier, Winscombe made a spirited recovery to reverse their fortunes and take a 33-32 lead at the half way stage. Victoria then gradually levelled and then finished strongly to win 70-53. Star performers were the Davies, Bromet, Sloman and Gazzard rink who despite starting slowly won 23-10 with Steve Davies praising Roy Bromet for his top performance at lead. Next up the Heal, Coumis, Campbell and Harrison quartet won a hard fought contest 15-09 with Colin Heal in great form again. On rink six there was a draw but special mention to Mike Cooper whose great performance was the catalyst for his rinks draw and for The Vic to progress to the next round.
Thursday saw Victoria’s biggest win when Victoria Vikings played Ashcombe Templars at the Quadrant. Once again the Fairhurst D rink featuring Carrington and Gatehouse won 31-05. Not far behind the trio of Johnson, Ferrari and Pratt 30-12. Barlow, Sprackman and Hollier also won 21-13 to leave the final score an impressive 113-66 to Victoria.
Saturday witnessed the C team in County action away to Wedmore, in a match that went right to the last wood. Despite losing two of the three rinks, Victoria pulled of an epic one shot victory. The whole team played its part but the John Smart, Stallard, Hollier and Stone team deserve the plaudits as their 20-4 win enabled a 35-34 win and complete another great week for the Victorians.
W/E 2nd July
Victoria Saxons took on Banwell hoping to continue their pursuit of challenging for the title. The match began evenly and after five ends the Saxons held a slender two shot advantage. However this was as close as Banwell could get as gradually the Westonians pulled away to a comfortable 116-83 score line and picking up eighteen points along the way. The headliners were the Burgess led rink with Bromet and Crawford who secured a hefty 25-09 win, with Crawford impressing. Next up were the Newman, Coumis and Milliner trio 21-10 with skip Newman and Milliner showing up well. President Harrison with Whyte and Wheatley recorded an 18-09 win, with Whyte having a good game at lead. The remaining wins were much closer affairs with the Owen, Rossiter, Carpenter team and the Cooper, Puddy T, Rocket combinations coming out on top by two and one shot margins respectively.
Once again Saturday saw all three teams in action. The A team had a tricky match away at Taunton Deane on a surface that proved very challenging for both sides. Keen to maintain their 100% record and place at the top of the table the Vic team began well and on two rinks put daylight between them and the opposition to post an excellent 62-43 and bag ten points. First mention goes again to the Cooper rink which boasted Puddy T, Wheatley and Nutt who won 23-13. The same ten shot margin was matched by the Davies team of Bromet, Sloman and Gazzard 22-12, the other Vic rink lost by one shot on the last end. Not to be outdone, the B team made it six from six and also cemented their position at the summit of North Two with another clean sweep and a maximum twelve points. Star performers were the Fairhurst D rink with a 29-14 win; Dave’s accomplices were Whyte, Campbell and Gibbs. Not far behind were the Burgess, Ferrari, Crawford and Newman quartet with a ten shot victory, also matched by the foursome of Owen, Kelly, Pocock and Milliner for another superb win. Finally the C team put up a great performance against Nailsea B losing by just five shots 50-55. Team Captain Frost leading by example winning on his rink by 24-11 but this was not quite enough. His assistants were Bartley, Robbins N, and Hubbard. To complete another good week in the Vic’s one hundred and twenty third year!
W/E 25th June
Tuesday saw the start of a busy week for Victoria with the season now in full swing. The Vikings made the trip to Mark Moor in near perfect weather for bowls. In a very close fought contest the Vikings managed to claim the victory by 89-83. With no more than a five shot margin on any of the contested rinks. It was the Hubbard, Puddy K and Cleeves team that led the way winning 18-13, followed up by Barlow, Ferrari and Robbins G who also recorded a win.
Midsummer Day saw the Saxons welcome Yatton to the Quadrant hoping to notch another victory. The match was a tight affair on all rinks bar one. Fortunately for the Vic it was the Owen, Rossiter and Crawford triple who achieved this winning 26-08, with Rob Rossiter putting in a good performance at lead. This win enabled the Saxons to claim a 99-85 triumph and keep their push up the table on track. The other winners were Jackson, Campbell and Pocock with a good 18-12 to confirm the win.
There was another tight match on Thursday when the Vikings entertained Clevedon Prom, unfortunately this time it was the Westonians on the wrong end, losing by 88-101. This despite the fine efforts of the Johnson, Sprackman and Brooks triplet who bowled very well to claim a super 20-09 win. In another nail biter the Jones, Puddy K and Hubbard team battled to get a 19-18 success, with Jones clinching the victory with the last wood. The Smart, Carrington and Stone rink just missed out drawing 13 a piece.
Friday saw Cup action return as the Vic took on Burnham on Sea in the North Somerset KO CUP as reigning champions. The evening began well for the Weston team as all five rinks made good starts. As the match progressed they built on the lead to cruise through to the next round winning 104-71. The best performers were Heal, Coumis, Holland and Gazzard with Skip Heal and Gazzard in vintage form to see the rink win 29-13. This was closely followed by the Davies team with Bromet, Campbell and Harrison 23-11. The final winning rink was the quartet of Nutt, Carpenter and Sloman 15-10. The other two rinks were tied.
League action returned on Saturday with all three Victoria teams in action. The A team had a tough fixture against Wilmot Park who were second in the table. In what turned out to be an extraordinary match. With the visitors seemingly in control in two of the rinks the signs for the custodians were ominous. However despite losing two rinks a tremendous performance from the Cooper rink winning by an incredible 45-08 saw the victory go to the Vic. Cooper said” it was just one of those days and our front two Puddy T and Wheatley were superb and Dan Nutt and I had an armchair ride”. Thanks to this the A team won 66-50 to stay top of Premier Two. There was more good news as the B team made it five from five to stay top of the table with a clean sweep on the three rinks in their match against Yatton. Top winners were the Fairhurst rink 30-11; Dave’s rink had Whyte, Carmine and Gibbs. Next up Burgess, Ferrari, Campbell and Manning won 29-13 and finally the Owen team of Bromet Robbins N and Holland 20-11 with Bromet putting in a good show at lead. Unfortunately the C team just missed out despite winning two out of the three ties. The winning rinks were Frost, Bartley, Kelly and Crawford 26-14, and Jones, Fairhurst K, Payne and Barlow 21-14.
W/E 18th June
Victoria began the week on Monday when the Saxons made the trip to Winscombe in what usually equates to a close match. This very much proved to be the case with both teams finding it hard to stamp their mark. With three rinks won by each team it was Winscombe who won the match by 107-96. Best performers for the Vic were the triple led by Holland aided by the returning Captain Dave Carpenter after surgery and Kelly who won 21-09. This was complimented by the John Newman rink featuring Coumis and Milliner 20-12. Finally the trio of Owen, Ferrari and Carmine won 19-13 but sadly this was not enough for the Saxons.
Tuesday saw the turn of the Vikings who made the journey to Portishead, and unfortunately they were on the wrong end of a 101-70 score line. The one bright light was the performance of the Derek Jones rink who was the only winners by 18-11; Derek was joined by Puddy K and Bryant with all three combining well.
Thursday saw Victoria Saxons go on another away trip this time to Wedmore. After Mondays result the team was keen to get back to winning ways. However it was Wedmore who started better and at mid point held a narrow lead. But fortunately for the Westonians this time they dug in showing grit and determination to earn a hard fought 109-101 victory on a challenging green. The star triple was led by Mike Cooper with Whyte and Milliner winning by a superb 28-09 to lay the foundations for the win. Next up was President Harrison’s rink consisting of Carpenter and Rockett 21-11, then the Newman rink kept up its good form 19-10, Coumis and Manning aiding with skip Newman bowling very well. Finally Kim Burgess team confirmed the win when they won 20-14 with Kim were Robbins N and Puddy T.
Saturday saw County League action at the Vic where the B Team entertained Wrington looking to continue their winning run and this was done in some style. Leading the way was the Hugh Gibbs rink who won by an outstanding margin of twenty seven shots 34-07. Hugh was helped by Bromet, Pocock and Burgess. Not far behind was the quartet led by the very much in form Dave Fairhurst who notched a comfortable 30-09 win. The rest of the rink was made up of Whyte,
Campbell and Manning. The clean sweep was completed by Holland, Carmine, Milliner and Johnson who won a nail biter 20-19 to give Victoria a great end to the week with a super 84-35 triumph.
W/E 11th June
Victoria Saxons welcomed Burnham on Sea for the over 55 Knockout Cup on Wednesday seeking to continue their good early form. In sunny condition the match began evenly and after five ends the scores were tied 26-26. But from this point onwards Victoria steadily pulled away to record a fine 118-88 victory. Captain Phil Owen led the charge aided by Rossiter and Crawford winning 26-06. This was closely followed by the Burgess; Puddy T and Pocock trio 29-15, the same margin was also recorded by the trio of Holland, Whyte and Carmine 26-12 with Whyte having a very good game. The Cooper rink completed the triumphs notching a 15-11 win Mike was assisted by Robbins N and Rockett to see the Westonians through to the next round.
Saturday saw only the A Team in action as they travelled to Wellington looking to make it three from three. This they duly achieved and by doing so, Victoria A moved to the summit of Premier 2. For the first time this season the match began in damp conditions with intermittent light showers. However, it was the Vic who acclimatised best, in particular the Cooper rink involving Fairhurst D, Owen, and Nutt who came out the blocks firing to record an excellent 23-09 win. This was backed up by the Heal team with Coumis, Newman and Gazzard 20-19 to give the visitors a 13 shot win 58-45 and put the Weston club top of the tabl
W/E 4th June
Victoria Vikings kicked the week off on Tuesday when they made the short trip to Ashcombe Park. Having not played for a few weeks the Vikings were chomping at the bit and the performance that ensued proved this, as the visitors stormed to a five rink victory by 122-68. Biggest winners was the Smart, Ferrari and Cleeves triple who won by an impressive 28-03. They were closely followed by the trio of Jones, Puddy K and Bryant 28-12 with Derek Jones putting in a vintage showing. Next up with a fifteen shot margin was Brooks, McHugh and Hubbard. Frost, Hollier and Stone won 17-10 and Barlow, Hines and Sprackman won 13-11 to complete a very satisfactory win.
Thursday saw the Saxons looking to make it four wins from five at the picturesque setting of the Banwell green. With conditions slick due to the fine dry spell both teams battled to acclimatise to the tricky conditions. However it was the Victoria team that adapted best to clinch a good 111-87 away victory. The triple of Holland, Bromet and Campbell led the way 22-11; this was matched by the trio of Harrison, Manning and Owen 21-10. Newman, Coumis and Milliner combined well to win 22-10; last up was the Cooper, Puddy T, and Rockett team who also won 17-14 to wrap up the points for the Saxons.
Saturday saw both the B and C teams in action. The B team made the short journey to St. Andrews and came away with a comfortable 81-42 win. Top scorers were the Owen rink with Bromet, Campbell and burgess who won 33-16. Another good effort came from the Fairhurst D rink 26-13 with Whyte, Mannings and Gibbs. The clean sweep was completed when the Holland rink triumphed 22-13 with Ferrari, Milliner and Johnson all combining well. Captain Holland said “everyone did there bit on a tricky green, good all round team effort”.
The C team were not to be outdone, visiting Burnham and also coming away with a 12-0 win by 70-35. The Frost team of Fairhurst K, Gatehouse and Hubbard led the way 23-09. This was closely followed by the Smart rink boasting of Hollier, Carmine and Crawford 23-12. Confirming all the points was achieved by the Jones rink with, Cleeves, Stallard and Stone 24-14. Captain Jones praised his team “good all round performance in beating an opposing B team”.
Finally, Sunday witnessed the all important National Two Rinks when the visitors were Purnell. With dry conditions making the green slick it was the Vic boys who adapted best and the writing was on the wall for the visitors. In a match that they controlled from start to finish both teams won recording a 42-19 outcome. The Heal rink of Puddy T, Burgess and Gazzard won 21-07 with Heal looking at his best. This was complimented by the Cooper quartet that included Fairhurst D, Newman and Owen 21-12. This ensured that The Vic had another memorable week where all their teams won every game for the second time this season, a remarkable achievement.
W/E 28th MAY
Victoria’s week began with the Saxons looking to get back to winning ways. Monday saw them welcome Portishead RBL who always proves to be difficult opponents. With both teams missing key players the outcome would be tricky to predict. With super weather it was the home team that made the best start and despite the visitors pulling some shots back it was The Saxons who won by 97-86. The team which led the way was the Heal, Ferrari and Rockett triple who notched a superb 21-06 win. Two further victories came from Wheatley, Robbins N and Bromet22-16 and Newman, Coumis and Milliner 18-12.
Tuesday saw Victoria visit Portishead RBL in the four dimensions. Unfortunately for the Westonians the custodians avenged Mondays defeat by 3-1. The consolation win came from the fours which were skipped by Cooper aided by Sloman, Milliner and Owen.
The final game in a relatively quiet week saw Victoria entertain Yatton in the National Two Rink and the Weston boys pulled of a great win by a convincing 45-26 shots. Both the Vic rinks won, firstly the Davies, Puddy T, Gibbs and Owen quartet 23-12 and this was well supported by the Nutt, Fairhurst, Burgess and Gazzard 22-14 to end The Vic week on another high.
W/e 21st May
Victoria Saxons began the week on Thursday when they welcomed reigning champions Ashcombe Crusaders to the Vic. With the two teams finishing first and second last season this local derby promised a great match, and so it proved. The contest began with Victoria taking an early lead and at the midway point they held a nine shot lead. The game ebbed and flowed and Victoria held on to that lead until the end. However unfortunately for the custodians, as they could not field six rinks due to various circumstances the conceded rink allocated Ashcombe ten shots which saw the visitors over the line by a single shot 89-90. Best performers on the day were the Newman, Coumis and Milliner rink with Milliner bowling particularly well 25-12. This was closely followed by Heal, Rossiter and Gibbs 23-13 the other winners for the Vic were Cooper, Rockett and Burgess 16-14.
Saturday witnessed two league outings for the Vic B and C teams. Firstly the B team entertained Wedmore B and like the Saxons match on Thursday this was also settled by a single shot margin. Thankfully this time for the Westonians, it was in their favour. In what was a tight match throughout, the Holland rink led the way with Ferrari, debutant Hines and Burgess winning 25-16 this was supplemented by the Fairhurst team of Kelly Carmine and Gibbs who won 22-14 to leave a final score of 60-59 to the Vic. Unfortunately the C team who had a difficult fixture at Bristol lost 40-63.
W/e 14th May
Victoria began a busy week with the Vikings welcoming Mark Moor on Wednesday. After a close start the Vikings steadily built on their lead to run out comfortable winners 113-77. The Cleeves, Hubbard and Fairhurst team set the path with an outstanding 22-8 triumph. Close behind was the trio of Ferrari, Gatehouse and Johnson who gelled well to win 23-12. The Smart triplet with Sloman and Coumis won 22-12 with Sloman very impressive. Finally the Jones rink with Puddy K and Bryant recorded a 23-17 win to get the week of to a good start.
Thursday saw the Saxons visit Burnham for what traditionally is a tough fixture. However with two Victorian rinks in trailblazing form the points were on the way to Weston. Winning by a superb 35-09 the Cooper, Puddy T, and Rockett team led the way. Not far behind were the Owen rink with Barlow and Manning also notching a great win 25-07. There was also a victory for Newman, Coumis and Milliner 23-19 to leave the final score 117-90 to the Saxons.
Saturday witnessed all three Victoria teams playing in the County League, with the A and C teams at home and the B team at Clevedon Prom. The A team were looking to continue from their good start last week this time against Yeovil and despite a 10 shot lead at the mid way stage they pulled away to win by 72-53. Once again there were some great all round performances. The Cooper, Puddy T, Wheatley and Nutt rink won 31-15 the same 16 shot margin went to the Davies quartet featuring Sloman, Jackson, Harrison who recorded a 30-14 outcome resulting in a 72-53 overall score. On the same rink the C team was dispatching their opponents Wedmore C by a crushing 79-38 score line. All three rinks were victorious but the Hollier, Stallard, Payne and Frost team stormed to an epic 36-06 win, with Martin Payne in excellent form. Jones, Hines, Gatehouse and Ferrari followed up with 23-17. Lastly the foursome of Smart, Robbins N, Cleeves and McHugh completed the rout 20-15. Now focus turned to the returning B team with anticipation of a clean sweep throughout the week for the Victorians. And the news filtered through that the B team had pulled of a super win at the Prom. The team of Fairhurst, Kelly, Manning and Gibbs got the woods rolling with a very commanding team effort winning 31-06! There was another victory for the Owen team who won a hard fought contest 19-16 Phil was assisted by Pocock, Barlow and Holland. The final score read 64-49 in favour of the Vic. This completed an excellent all round week producing five out of five wins for the teams representing Victoria Bowls Club
w/e 7th May
w/e Sunday 30th April 2023
Victoria had a quiet week, with only two matches played. The first match saw Penarth come across the Channel to Weston Super Mare in what is a fixture the two clubs have contested for one hundred plus years. In dry but cool conditions the green was on the slow side but bowling well. The match began very evenly with the score 20-19 after five ends in favour of The Vic. But as the game progressed the custodians built steadily on their lead and at the final whistle Victoria won by 102-77. The top rink was led by Cooper and featured Coumis, Johnson and Holland with a 14 shot margin. The Gazzard rink recovered well from trailing 1-5 to win 19-14, Colin was ably assisted by Bromet, Pratt and Milliner. The quartet led by Heal with brothers Keith and Trevor Puddy and Gibbs won by three shots. Final foursome to win by the same three shot margin was Newman, Smart, Cleeves and Bryant.
Saturday saw Burnham on Sea visit Victoria for another preparation game for the upcoming season. With conditions sunny and dry there would be no excuses for not enjoying the great game of bowls today. Once again it was the Victoria boys who led from pillar to post in a good match. Best winners were the trio of Owen, Pocock and Kelly with Kelly once again putting in a great show as lead. Next up the Fairhurst father and son combination aided by the experienced Rain won comfortably with youngster Keegan once again showing lots of promise for the future. The other winning rink was led by Heal with the capable duo of Puddy T and Vice Captain Hugh Gibbs. The final score read Victoria 91 Burnham 72.
w/e Sunday 23rd April 2023
Victoria Bowls Club celebrated its 123rd year with the opening of their green on a beautiful sunny April afternoon. As with tradition The President Will Harrison, ceremonially began the new season bowling the very first wood of the summer. The first battle on the green saw The Presidents team play The Captains team led by Captain elect Dave Carpenter. The match began with the Captains team taking an early lead and by the midway point they led 55-42. But the Presidents team fought back and with fifteen ends played the Captains advantage had shrunk to a mere one shot. Then the game took a mighty swing in favour of President Harrisons team, as they pulled away to record an excellent 100-90 victory. On rink one Newman, Fenwick, Williams and Pocock won 16-13 for the Captain with Dave Williams playing a key role in the win. Rink two saw Fairhurst D, McHugh, Milliner and Fairhurst K win 20-10 for the Presidents with young Keegan very prominent in the win. Rink three featured the Captain and President and it was Will’s Presidents that triumphed, Will was aided by debutants Barlow and Rossiter with the later bowling very well in the 23-12 win. Rink four saw a tight match in which the Presidents team came out on top 17-12 for the Gazzard, Jones, Payne, and another debutant Keith Bartley, Martin Payne coming on strong at the crucial part of the match. Rink five featured the Captains best team performance with Smart, Rain, debutant Crawford and Carmine winning 22-10. The final rink saw the game of the day with Holland, Burgess, Kelly and Puddy T, edging a close match 18-17 with Les Kelly in excellent form. The match was followed by an excellent supper provided by the wonderful ladies at the Club. This crowned another day in the oldest Club in Somerset’s history.