Mid Sussex team retains Jimmy Riddle Trophy after fine comeback

Dignity was preserved as our Mid Sussex League squad squeezed home in their annual fixture against our John Spriggs League team.

The JSL team are traditionally the junior of the two sides, which compete in separate leagues on Tuesday evenings during early summer.

They comprise new and inexperienced bowlers, combined with some of the club's top experienced players to help bring them through.

They finished bottom of Division Two this summer.

The Mid Sussex League side, which tends to involve more senior bowlers, finished third in Division Three of the MSL, narrowly missing out on promotion.

But they were brought down to earth in the annual contest for the Jimmy Riddle Trophy - the rather dubious prize that goes to the winners.

Second-half stunner

At the halfway stage, the three JSL rinks were leading by a combined score of 13 and their opponents were heading for an embarrassing defeat.

But the senior teams turned it around over the second half, turning that 13-point deficit into a six-point victory.

Leading the way were Neville's team, including Jo Barton, Graham Aldis and the impressive Graham Barton, who bounced back from 4-8 after nine ends to win 19-10, claiming 11 points over the last five ends,

Tony Jarvis's team also won comfortably. Leading throughout, they triumphed 18-11, losing only six ends.

The big surprise was Mid Sussex captain Anne Bosman's rink - the strongest team throughout the Mid Sussex season - crashing to a 22-12 defeat to Basil's feisty four - featuring Paul Palmer, Jennie Evans and Fiona Burman, who had a stunning game.

In the after-match presentation, the two captains paid tribute to their opponents and thanked president Jill Saunders for her behind-the-scenes contribution throughout the season, which included the traditional post-match suppers at home games.

Jill, in turn, repaid the compliment by handing winning captain Anne the chamber pot that doubles as the Jimmy Riddle Trophy.

Scores:

Mid Sussex League 49, John Spriggs League 43

Anne Bosman, Martin Gaskell, Mark Gooch and Stephen Banks lost to Basil Larkins, Paul Palmer, Jennie Evans and Fiona Burman 12-22;
Neville Dalton, Jo Barton, Graham Aldis and Graham Barton beat Nicola Coles, Robin Parris, Peter Burman and Mark Howell 19-10;
Tony Jarvis, Judy Aldis, Tony Ashby and John Box beat Colin Bailey, Sheila Fletcher, Sue Berry and John Milsom 18-11.