SIX COUNTIES CHAMPIONSHIP

On Sunday 11 April 2010 the ECCBA Six Counties Championship was held at Braintree Leisure Centre.
The competition involved the six Eastern Counties, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Each county were represented by six rinks (fours), each playing one nine end game against each of the other counties.

In the first session Suffolk’s opponents were Hertfordshire. The Suffolk rinks all adapted to the carpets quickly and took control in four of the six games. Early leads were held on to in those games and resulted in wins of 10-5, 10-6, 11-4 and 12-4. In one of the other games an early lead was quickly turned around, but a fantastic four shots on the final end stole a 12-12 draw. The final game was tight from start to finish and finished in another draw, 7-7. Overall Suffolk had scored an excellent ten points against Hertfordshire, a great start to the day.

Next up for Suffolk were Cambridgeshire, likely to be their main rivals in the competition. In the first two games the Suffolk rinks were unable to get any control and were playing catch up from the start. Two defeats followed, 10-2 and 14-7. A recovery was needed in the other four games and the Suffolk rinks responded superbly. All four games were close but in three of them it was the Suffolk rinks that played the better bowls and deservedly earned wins of 8-4, 12-7 and 8-7. In the final game it took another fantastic four shot final end with the last bowl to secure a valuable point in a 7-7 draw. So seven points against Cambridgeshire was a good return that Suffolk were happy with.

Suffolk’s next games were against Essex, who after the first two sessions of games held an early overall lead and were playing confidently. That showed in the first three games as Suffolk could only manage the one win 10-6. The other two games were lost 8-6 and 11-2. The situation did not improve in the other three games. Two of the games were close run affairs but wins were edged by the Essex rinks 8-6 and 8-7. In the final game the Suffolk rink were in complete control and eased to a comfortable 12-5 win. However taking only four points from twelve overall could be costly for Suffolk come the end of the day.
In the competition overall it was now very close at the top with only a couple of points separating Cambridgeshire, Essex and Suffolk, so it was still all to play for.

After the disappointing session of games against Essex, Suffolk had to bounce back against Bedfordshire to maintain their challenge. The session started very well for Suffolk as in the first four games early advantages were secured with some consistent bowling. Those leads were extended as the games progressed and finished with four important wins, 10-2, 13-8, 9-3 and 9-3. In the final two games there were contrasting fortunes for the Suffolk rinks. In one game the Suffolk enjoyed a comfortable game and strolled to a 15-4 win. However in the other the Suffolk rink struggled and the game was lost 8-4. However Suffolk had taken an excellent ten points from Bedfordshire.

With one session to play Suffolk now had an overall competition lead, but it was only a slim lead. The winner could still come from either Cambridgeshire, Essex or Suffolk.

The final opposition for Suffolk were Norfolk and the session started well with the Suffolk rinks winning the first two games. Early shot advantages were earned and the rinks went on to win 9-4 and 9-6. With four games to play Suffolk knew they needed at worst, two wins and a draw to finish in first place. In two of the games the Suffolk rinks took control and never looked back, securing wins of 13-4 and 12-8. The other two games were far closer and their outcomes were in doubt until the final ends. However agonisingly both slipped away, finishing in defeats for the Suffolk rinks of 9-4 and a tighter 9-8.

In the competition overall Suffolk and Cambridgeshire had finished level on thirty nine points each. Unfortunately Cambridgeshire had scored just eighteen shots more, 282 against 264, to sneak first place.
However the drama didn’t end there.

The ECCBA competitions have a rule that states once a game scoresheet is signed and handed in, no amendment can be made. Even in the event of both teams agreeing that the result was incorrectly completed on the scoresheet.

It was discovered that in one of the final games between Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire, the scoresheet was handed in recording a 14-7 win to Bedfordshire. However the correct score was a 14-7 Cambridgeshire win. As a result Cambridgeshire lost those two points for a win, which meant that on a technicality Suffolk had won the competition.

This put the Suffolk team in a very difficult position, as in reality they knew that Cambridgeshire had won overall. Suffolk made the decision to refuse to accept the win and the trophies because they had not won the competition in the manner that is expected. However the rule also prevented Cambridgeshire from winning the event.

In the circumstances the organisers were left with no alternative other than to void the competition which was a farcical and disappointing end to a competitive day’s bowling.

It is hoped that this crazy situation forces the ECCBA to review the rule in question to ensure that such a conclusion to a competition never happens again. Surely common sense must prevail.

Looking back over the event most of the Suffolk rinks had performed reasonably well and there had also been some excellent individual performances. The games lost against Essex had been the most disappointing of the day and on reflection had cost Suffolk the overall win.

The Suffolk squad are now looking forward to visiting Durham in August and then the National County Championships at Blackpool in November.

Neil Jolly (County Captain)

SUFFOLK v CAMBRIDGESHIRE

On Sunday 21 March Suffolk travelled to Paston to face Cambridgeshire in their final league match. Their opponents were top of the league, with Suffolk five points behind. To win the league Suffolk had to win the match 21-15. It would be difficult but confidence was high after their performance in the 28-8 win at Hertfordshire.

Paston was a new venue for Suffolk and they couldn’t afford for Cambridgeshire to get any early momentum. However the starting Suffolk rinks picked up the pace and lines of the away carpets well and kept their games close. All three games remained in doubt until the final ends, but two Suffolk rinks edged their games by the odd shot 7-6 and 9-8. Despite a late rally in the other game, it was lost by the odd shot 13-12.

In the next session the games were as close. In the first game the Suffolk rink staged a fantastic recovery from losing a six on the first end to draw 8-8. In the other two games the Suffolk rinks again adjusted to the carpets quickly. The scorelines stayed close but by the finish it was another two hard earned wins for Suffolk, 9-4 and 8-7.

Suffolk’s great start continued in the third session. Playing some consistent bowls and tactically sound games a further two wins were secured. Again the games were close, with the outcomes in doubt until the latter ends. The Suffolk wins were 10-8 and 8-5, with the other game lost again only by the odd shot 9-8.

At the half way stage Suffolk held a 13-5 lead and it was well deserved. However the Suffolk team could not relax, knowing that Cambridgeshire had the bowlers to stage a second half fightback.

In the fourth session Cambridgeshire hit back, the Suffolk rinks all suffering defeats despite not bowling badly. They could consider themselves a little unfortunate as two games were lost by just the odd shot 7-6, the other game was lost 12-9.

The match swung again in the penultimate session with Suffolk winning two games. In the most one-sided game of the day Suffolk won a game 17-1, with the other win a lower scoring 7-3. In the final game a disappointing last end resulted in a frustrating 9-8 defeat.

In the final session Suffolk had to win two games to get the 21 points they needed to win the league. All three games started close, but unfortunately two of them drifted away from the Suffolk rinks and they were unable to recover, losing 10-5 and 8-5. The final game was won 11-7.

Suffolk had won the match 19 - 17 (shots 153 – 132).

A disappointing conclusion for the Suffolk team in what had been their best performance of the season. They had been the better team on the day, but had fallen agonisingly two points short of their overall target. Looking back on the day, five games had been lost by just one shot, it had been that close.

Whilst it is no consolation the Suffolk bowlers can be proud of their efforts, not just in this match where they had played particularly well, but also throughout the season. In their five matches, three of which were away, Suffolk had not been beaten.

Neil Jolly (County Captain)

SUFFOLK v HERTFORDSHIRE

On Sunday 21 February Suffolk travelled to Cottered to play Hertfordshire. This was Suffolk’s penultimate league match and they were looking for a much improved performance from their last match, a disappointing 18-18 draw away at Norfolk.

Going into this match Suffolk and Cambridgeshire were level at the top of the league, with Essex nine points behind.

Cottered was a new venue for Suffolk, but it didn’t show in the first session as the Suffolk rinks quickly picked up the pace and lines of the away carpets. Whilst the three games were tight for the first few ends the Suffolk rinks all then secured leads which they held on to. A perfect start for Suffolk, three wins of 7-6, 11-4 and 13-6.

In the second session the other three Suffolk rinks again adjusted to the carpets well. Two of the games were low scoring and close from start to finish. The Suffolk rink edged one of them 8-6 and in the other, just held on to draw 7-7. In the final game the Suffolk rink were in complete control, winning 14-3. Overall Suffolk had started fantastically and deserved their early 11-1 match lead.

Suffolk’s great start continued in the third session, as with the first session maximum points were scored again. The three Suffolk rinks played some consistent bowls to win all of the games 8-7, 11-3 and 11-5.

At the half way stage Suffolk held a significant 17-1 lead and it had been a far improved display to that point from their last match. However Hertfordshire had not bowled that badly and would certainly carry a threat in the second half. Suffolk would need to maintain their high level of performance to pick up more wins.

In the fourth session Suffolk suffered their first defeat of the day. In a game in which they were down from the start, they lost 10-3. However in the other two games early leads were gained and resulted in a 10-6 win and a convincing 19-2 win.

The penultimate session was Suffolk’s worst of the day, as the points were shared. The Suffolk win was a comfortable 12-1 and their loss was an unfortunate one on the last end, 9-8. The other game was another close affair, again going to the last end and finishing 7-7.

In the final session Suffolk were looking to improve their overall advantage. The day finished well as a further two wins were secured. The first win was a straight forward 13-4. The other was less comfortable, holding off a late rally from the home rink to win 10-9. Unfortunately the other game was lost 10-8, with the last bowl of the day.

Suffolk had won the match 28 - 8 (shots 180 – 105).

It had been Suffolk’s best performance of the season and a result that exceeded their expectations. Unfortunately Cambridgeshire also won their match, incredibly 33-3 away at Bedfordshire. Next month Suffolk are away to Cambridgeshire in the final match of the season. The Suffolk team can go into this match with confidence, knowing that a similar performance will give them every opportunity to get the result they need to win the league.

Neil Jolly (County Captain)

SUFFOLK v NORFOLK

On Sunday 17 January 2010 Suffolk travelled to Wortwell to play Norfolk.

This was the first of three consecutive away matches to finish the season. Suffolk were sitting at the top of the league having scored an excellent fifty one points from their two home matches, an eight point lead over Cambridgeshire. However they would need to maintain their previous level of performance to beat an experienced Norfolk team who always seem to bowl well in their home matches.

Suffolk started the day reasonably well, adjusting quickly to the away carpets. All of the first session games were low scoring and shared points to finish was a fair reflection. Suffolk winning a game 9-5, drawing one 7-7 and losing the other 9-8.

In the second session the other three rinks were also involved in tight, low scoring games. In two of the games early leads were secured and protected, resulting in two 8-5 wins. In the final game the Suffolk rink staged a remarkable comeback, scoring four shots on the final end to steal an unlikely 7-6 win. Maximum points for Suffolk had given them an early 9-3 match lead.

The third session proved to be a repeat of the first. Again all of the games were very low scoring. The only Suffolk win was a relatively comfortable one of 9-4, whilst the defeat was only by a couple of shots, 7-5. In the other game it was the Suffolk rink who played the better final end to snatch the draw, 7-7.

At the half way stage Suffolk held a 12-6 lead, without having played particularly well. Every point had been hard earned and the second half performance would need to be better if Suffolk were to maintain or maybe improve on their advantage.

The fourth session was not a good one for Suffolk. They were only able to secure one win, a comfortable 11-4. In the other two games the Suffolk rinks could not get themselves into a winning position, defeats of 10-4 and 10-8.

Matters did not improve in the penultimate session. In the lowest scoring session of the day, again Suffolk could only manage one win, 8-6 and they had to battle hard for that. The other two games were lost by the odd shot, 7-6 and 6-5, but the Suffolk rinks did not do enough to earn a win.

Norfolk were now seeking a match win going into the last session. With the momentum now against Suffolk, the rinks again struggled. In the two of the games early deficits could not be overturned and they were lost 12-4 and 9-6. In the last game to finish however the Suffolk rink played the better final ends to win 9-4.

The match had been drawn 18-18, Suffolk edging the shots 129 – 123.

It had been a below par performance by the Suffolk team in a match they really needed to win. In too many games crucial bowls were missed allowing Norfolk to win ends they should have lost, only once did a Suffolk rink win a game with a double figure shot count and both were a reflection of an inconsistent display.

Suffolk’s next match is away to Hertfordshire on Sunday 21 February 2010.

Neil Jolly (County Captain)

SUFFOLK v BEDFORDSHIRE

On Sunday 13 December 2009 Suffolk faced Bedfordshire at Bildeston in their second ECCBA league match of the 2009/10 season.

In their first match Suffolk had needed to play well to beat a confident Essex team 21-15. After the Bedfordshire match Suffolk’s remaining three matches are all away, so they were looking to take maximum advantage of being the home team.

The day got off to a fantastic start for Suffolk. In the first session the three home rinks A, B and C strolled to comfortable wins and scored plenty of shots in the process. Taking control of their games from the outset resulted in wins of 11-3, 13-3 and 21-2.

In the second session, involving rinks D, E and F the games were a lot closer and the outcomes were in doubt until the final ends. This time Suffolk secured two wins 9-2 and 10-6. The other game was lost 9-7, despite holding a lead before the last end.

Having won all three games in the first session Suffolk rinks A, B and C were very confident going into the third session. Their excellent performances continued as again they all ran out comfortable winners, scoring more shots than they had before. The winning scores were 24-2, 16-4 and 14-4.

At the half way stage Suffolk held a healthy 16-2 overall lead. In the second half they would be looking to maintain the high standard of bowls and improve on that lead.

In the fourth session, as with the second session Suffolk D, E and F were made to work harder for the points. Again a game was dropped, a 9-8 defeat despite a late rally from the home rink. However the other two games were won 17-1 and a far tighter 8-7.

Suffolk rinks A, B and C were unable to maintain their 100% record in the fifth session as one game was lost. Again it was only by the odd shot, 7-6. In the other games normal service was maintained, with wins of 16-1 and 9-4.

In the final session it was rinks D, E and F’s turn to score maximum points. The first game went down to the final end, but the Suffolk rink held on to an early lead to win 9-5. The outcome of other two games were never in doubt, wins of 14-4 and an incredible 30-0.

Suffolk had won the match 30-6 (shots 242 – 73).

After an enjoyable day’s bowling, played in a good spirit it was Suffolk who had won the match comfortably. To a bowler all of the Suffolk players had bowled well and importantly had maintained their focus throughout the day. With Cambridgeshire losing at Essex it had been a superb day for Suffolk, as they had gone to the top of the league

Suffolk will be looking to continue their winning start and stay at the top of the league in their next match away to Norfolk on Sunday 17 January.

Neil Jolly (County Captain)

SUFFOLK v ESSEX

On Sunday 22 November 2009 Suffolk hosted Essex at Bildeston in their first ECCBA league match of the 2009/10 season.

This was the first test for Suffolk’s 2009/10 squad, which showed a number of changes from the team that had won the National Championships only the previous weekend.

Their opponents Essex had also put up a good showing at the Nationals, finishing a creditable fourth and would be difficult to beat.

The day got off to a reasonable start for Suffolk when they secured two out of three wins in the first session. They were hard fought wins though secured only on the final ends, 14-8 and 9-5. In the other game the Suffolk rink were comfortably beaten 13-2.

In the second session the games were as close. However this time it was Essex who played the better bowls to win two games, the Suffolk rinks losing 11-6 and 11-7. The solitary Suffolk win was a straight forward 12-3.

The third session reflected the so far evenness of the two teams as the points this time were shared. The Suffolk win was 12-3, with their defeat being 10-5. The drawn game finished 11-11, but it was Suffolk with a good early lead who would consider the game as a point dropped.

So at the half way stage points were level overall 9-9. Both teams had bowled well, but Suffolk as the home team were certainly looking for a second half improvement if they were to start their season with a win.

Finally in the fourth session Suffolk made their home advantage count. Early leads were achieved in all three games and were held on to. Three crucial Suffolk wins, 10-7, 7-4 and 7-4. For the first time Suffolk had a healthy overall lead to try and hold onto and hopefully improve on.

However that didn’t happen, as in the fifth session Essex hit back with two wins to close the gap again. The single Suffolk win was 11-6, but in the other two games it was the Essex rinks who all maintained early leads. Suffolk losing 10-6 and 10-4.

So in the final session it was still all to play for, Suffolk having a slender 17-13 lead overall. All of the games were again close. In two of the games Suffolk secured early advantages and despite late Essex fightbacks the home rinks held on to win 8-6 and 11-7. Unfortunately in the other game the Essex rink won the later ends to win 12-4.

Suffolk had won the match 21-15 (shots 146 – 141).

After a good days bowling it was Suffolk who had sneaked the win. Both counties had played well and all of the games had been played in an excellent spirit. The many supporters of both teams had also played their part in an enjoyable day.

Suffolk are now looking to continue their winning start in their game against Bedfordshire at Bildeston on Sunday 13 December.

Neil Jolly (County Captain)

SUFFOLK COUNTY TEAM TRIALS 2009

The trials for this season's Suffolk Squad were held at Needham Market on Sunday 20 September 2009.

The selectors were disappointed with the low entry of 30 bowlers, which was significantly down on the last few years. It was however pleasing to see that the majority of last season's squad were trialling again and that there were also a few non-county bowlers attending the trials again.

Initially all of the bowlers were placed into rinks (fours) and each rink played three eight end games on three different carpets. Every bowl was marked on its accuracy relative to how close it finished to the shot they were asked to play.
After a short break all of the bowlers were put into alternative team positions and different rinks. Two further competitive games were played, to allow the selectors to look at every bowler's versatility.

During the day there was a good standard of bowling with impressive scores from most bowlers. The games were also played in an excellent spirit.

After the trials the Selection Committee of Sally Goodrich, Steven Cain and Neil Jolly met to choose the Suffolk Squad for the 2009/10 season. This proved to be a difficult task given the standard of bowls played at the trials.

Everyone's performance was discussed before a final squad of 27 bowlers was selected. The squad in full is:

Neil Jolly (Brockley) - Captain	Jim Goodrich (Claydon)
Sally Goodrich (Claydon) - Selector	Ellen Grube (Hundon)
Steven Cain (Great Blakenham) - Selector	Ann Hathaway (Hundon)
Don Allum (Great Blakenham)	Sue Jones (Brockley)
Trevor Bean (Stanningfield)	David Mittel (Great Blakenham)
Marion Brown (Offton &Willisham)	Peter Runnacles (Great Blakenham)
Linda Cooke (Withersfield)	Rita Runnacles (Great Blakenham)
Tony Cooke (Withersfield)	Sam Runnacles (Great Blakenham)
Andrew Cooper (Hundon)	Tom Runnacles (Great Blakenham)
Paul Daniels (Kelsale)	Ralph Sadgrove (Hundon)
Sue Davey (Cockfield)	John Varden (Old Felixstowe)
Colin Fellingham (Cockfield)	Mick Watkins (Barking)
Andy Gilder (Barking)	Shirley Watkins (Barking)
Sue Gilder (Barking)

The first challenge for the new Suffolk squad is their first ECCBA league game, at home (Bildeston) against Essex on Sunday 22 November 2009.

Neil Jolly (County Captain)