Atherley Trophy

DORSET 133 DEVON 87

IN AN all-round display of consistent bowling, Dorset ladies powered their way into the next round of the Atherley at Bournemouth in an attempt to retain the national trophy for the second successive year.

Following a meagre two-shot victory over the same opponents last season, Dorset were expecting another close encounter, especially as they were forced to make three late changes to the team.

However, with four of the six rinks posting first-end winning scores, Dorset took immediate control of the match to go 10-4 ahead.

The lead increased end by end, and, by the halfway stage, all rinks were on top with the aggregate score now 71-39 in favour of the champions.

Bowling with an uncharacteristic lack of confidence Devon fell further behind and made no impact on the well-disciplined Dorset side.

This was well demonstrated when Val Baxter, Margaret Clapp, Val Farrant and skip Freda Yates took on Devon international Barbara Bellamy, who failed to produce her usual quality form and was restricted to just eight winning ends out of the 21 played, to lose by seven shots.

Top rink score went to Dorset skip Viv Mansell, playing with Frances Hewett, Pat Cornick and Julie Leake who finished 20 shots to the good against Devon president Mavis Wellington.

The Devon rink scored only 14 shots, which included one end where Dorset held three and Wellington ran the jack to pick up big count of six shots.

Bournemouth’s Joan Halliwell skipped a rink containing two other home club players – Jean Arnaud and Brenda Streater, along with Dolphin player Sandi Smith.

The Devon rink was skipped by Sue Evans who also conceded defeat, this time by five shots.

Devon did salvage some small degree of pride with a 14-14 draw, gained by Eileen Rich against the Dorset four of Julie Hudson, Mary Lucas, Sheila Baker and Kath Desmond.

Sally Williams, Janet Emmerson, Wendy Brown and Penny Cresswell gained a 13-shot advantage over Devon’s Carol Binmore, and the final Dorset rink of Margaret Hooper, June Searle, Lyn Howard and Jill Bryant (five up) were too sharp for the visitors' Val Lander.

Dorset now meet Oxfordshire on December 8 at the neutral venue of North Wilts Bowls Club, hoping to gain a quarter-final spot.