Tenby v Saundersfoot
3 May 2014
The N.D. Toy and Partners Ltd, sponsored, Tenby team began their defence of the Division One Championship last week at Saundersfoot and were up in three out of the four rinks before the rain intervened and left the match unfinished – to be completed later in the season. Last Saturday (May 3) saw the return fixture in which the Tenby side won by 12 points to two and by 90 shots to 68.
The Saundersfoot side kept up with their local rivals in the first half of the match, being down by 10 shots at 5 ends and five (down) at 10 (ends). The game seemed to change dramatically in Tenby’s favour between the 11th and 15th ends – Tenby scoring 33 shots to Saundersfoot’s 10. At 18 ends, Tenby had maintained their advantage, leading by 27 shots and at the close , Tenby won by 22 (shots).
Rink one - There were home debuts for Under 25 international Ryan Thomas and Welsh indoor international Alan Whitehouse. They played with the club chairman Fred Broomhead and Cameron White back fresh from national indoor honours. The home rink was always in control against the returning Stephen Poole and closed out the game 28-20 although losing five out of the last six ends (1-12)
Rink two - Andrew Muskett matched up against one of Saundersfoot's most consistent skips, Steve Dick. The Saundersfoot four seemed to be in control of the rink after receiving a boost on the first end when Steve Dick saved a count of five shots. This was a very low scoring game , with the highest counts being a three (Tenby) and four (Saundersfoot). Rink three: Captain of the Tenby team, Joe Richards teamed up with the ever impressive front end combination of Ben Sheldon and James Criddle, together with Paul Diment. This was a very good game, between two very good and experienced rinks. Alan Brace and Doug Silcox had excellent games for Saundersfoot and were well supported by the Joe and Berwyn Dennis combination. Diment's four was 8-11 down after 12,but a run of three consecutive winning ends of four, two and two put them in control to finally win 21-15
Rink four: More home debuts for with the appearance of former Welsh international Keran Peregrine and established Pembrokeshire county player Huw Nicholas. Luke Rees and the experienced Jon Webb completed this rink make-up. In a similar game to rink one, the Tenby rink came racing out of the blocks and took three counts of three shots as well as two counts of four shots to close out the game in comfortable style against Saundersfoot skip Merv Dennis, 30 shots to 11. So a good start for Tenby winning by 22 shots and 12 points to two. What was pleasing for the Tenby selectors was the ease with which the four new acquisitions have settled into the club. One should not be too surprised, however as the four are all experienced players, three of whom have international experience and the other an experienced county player.
Keran Peregrine brings years of experience of international bowls and national honours as well as being familiar to the Tenby green, having been a former winner of the Tenby Gold Cup as well as four-time Silver Bowl winner. Alan Whitehouse has represented Wales , indoors for the past two seasons and is also a former national winner outdoors. Ryan Thomas, an under 25 international, has won a national singles title and Huw Nicholas has been an ever-present member of the Pembrokeshire outdoor team for many years. When you combine these players with the players already in the Tenby team, the season looks more than promising. Having won the league six times in a row, this team has the opportunity to match the record of seven consecutive league titles set in the 1990s by the likes of Haydn Guy, Sam McNeilly, Terry Preston, Ben Owens, Terry Thomas, Jimmy Oliver, Pat Currie and Dave King-Thomas. Over the next three weeks , the two Tenby teams have a league rest and the club focuses on the Welsh Carruthers Shield starting with Pembroke Dock (away). All league results and current league tables can be found at http://pembsbowls.leaguerepublic.com/l/league/629857448.html