Leonard Denny Memorial Trophy

DORCHESTER 39 MOONFLEET 38

THIS season, Moonfleet have been the scourge of Dorchester having put them out of the Top Club, the Denny, and the Egham Trophy, but the county town side earned a success in the Leonard Denny Memorial Trophy.

The competition is by invitation only and both clubs figure each year against top sides across the south of England.

As usual, the local clash produced another game of high quality bowls and its usual drama with the game being decided by the delivery of the final bowl of the final end.

Dorchester sent Brian Paulson, Alan Curtis, Dean Curtis and Jamie Lockwood to Moonfleet who fielded Keith Wyman, Chris Cook, Ron McCarthy and skip Barry Patterson.

The county town club got away to a dream start collecting two triples and two singles over the opening four ends.

Patterson closed down Lock-wood to 12-9 before conceding a count of four, and, when he later trailed 21-12, Patterson repeated the comeback to 21-19.

The match was now evenly poised over the two legs, and after a decisive two shots to Dorchester (23-19) on the final end, attention switched to Dorchester where the match would be concluded.

Their home four of George Spracklen, Colin Gifford, Adam Tidby and Under-25 international skip Nick Voss went head-to-head with Moonfleet visitors Warwick Brown, Mike Gale, Doug Rumble and Voss’ international colleague Martin Puckett.

Dorchester held a slim 10-9 lead at the mid-point of the game, but Moonfleet had a good spell to build a 16-10 advantage.

After the completion of 20 ends Dorchester remained behind at 19-15, which left the aggregate score tied at 38 shots apiece.

The final deciding end was tense as Spracklen drew an opening counter for Dorchester which was beaten by Mike Gale.

Tidby responded for Dorchester with a brilliant draw which was immediately fired off by Moonfleet’s Doug Rumble.

Tidby replied by drawing the shot once more and with neither skip changing the situation the game went to the hosts by the narrowest of margins.

Dorchester now await the winner of the Portsmouth Victory versus Chawton Park encounter.