Tenby Bowling Club entertained Neyland in the final group match of the Carruthers Pembrokeshire section on Saturday. Tenby knew that only a win would secure their passage through to the knock-out stages. The trial ends were a shock to everyone on the green as bowl after bowl whistled into the ditch – everybody knew the green was fast, but this was stupidly fast. Full praise must be given to our greenkeeper, Chris Jenkins who provided a truly wonderful surface to play on. With a win required the Tenby side were quick out of the blocks. To be fair the game as a contest was probably over before it got going, with Neyland missing several key players and some of their team making first team debuts they would have known that they were in for a difficult afternoon, but with the green playing so fast and the Neyland boys not being used to such a quick pace all the Tenby rinks built up a quick lead and by 5-7 ends the Tenby side were already 40+ shots up.
On rink 4, Craig Guymer welcomed back Pat Currie from his Lance Armstrong impersonations and Dai Spencer from his glory-hunting trips to the Liberty Stadium – well lets face it he hasn’t seen many of those at Elland Road since 1991. By the 12th end the rink was already 20-5 up, but from then on the rink really hammered home their victory, last 9 ends on the bounce and finally finishing up 48-5 to the good, a tremendous win by anyone’s standards. On rink 3, Peter Day has his hands full against Gordon Robson. The former County skip was on top form against Peter’s rink but eventually Peter’s rink ran out comfortable winners by 11 shots. Special mention must go to the front end of Cameron White and Joe Richards who are forming a very handy relationship and are providing a solid platform for their back two end after end.
On the two inside rinks matters were a slightly more comfortable affair. On rink two Paul Diment skipped John Baggott, Aaron Lloyd and Neil Dickenson. All of whom had solid games against former Tenby Five Arches member Geoff Nuttall. Neil Dickenson has kept his early season form up and is becoming a very consistent and solid lead and Aaron Lloyd has taken his opportunity of starting for the Tenby team well, hardly putting a step out of line since donning the (smallest) first team shirt at the start of the year. With the experienced John Baggott (sans spectacles) backing them up Paul had an afternoon in an armchair. 
Similarly on rink 1 Andrew Muskett’s rink were always in control, jumping to a 17-0 lead before Alan King’s rink could get on the board. Rink 1 has always had a reputation for having a huge swinging hand playing off the slope from under the balcony but on Saturday it was almost unplayable. Time and time again players were bowling outside of the rink only to see their bowls whipping across the head to finish a yard tight. Not that this fazed Ben Simmons in the slightest who fancied his chances on this hand and played it for most of the game – brave lad!
So all told Tenby won at an unexpected canter against Neyland, who ran out winners by an amazing 105 shots – 141 - 36. Although in all fairness to Neyland the loss of key players, the inexperience of some and the speed of the green had a lot to do with the final score-line. Tenby will now entertain the winners of group 29 of the open draw, including Caerleon, Bedwelly Park, Firbank, Henley’s and New Tredegar at home on the 25th June. Attention will now turn to the league for a few weeks with Tenby entertaining Milford Haven on Saturday. With such strength in depth the selectors will be looking to develop and alternate some of the players over the coming weeks so they are sure that come 25th June (and hopefully beyond) they will be sure that the 16 selected will be the best 16 to represent Tenby on that day. Players finding themselves in this position should not see themselves as dropped by merely rotated, as with a squad with such strength in depth it is important that all members play so that their standards do not drop.