Maldon B Division 4
May
Tuesday 13th Home v Lionmede - The 2025 season kicked off for the Maldon B team with a home game v Lionmead. The sun was shining and the mood for victory was strong. On one rink the captain put out a 4 with vast experience with Trevor Matthams skipping backed up by John Blighton at No.3. The rink was completed by a Moyra Underdown at lead and David Sargood at 2. These two proved so effective delivering solid ends from which John and Trevor could only build upon. This combination stopped the opposition from scoring a point until the 7th end and then only bothering the scoreboard twice more during the match. On the other rink the 4 players could not boast of the experience and expertise of Trevor's rink . Despite this they quickly found their form and begun to pull away from the opposition and by the 11th end had a comfortable lead of 21 to 6. Special mention must go to Paul Callow who playing his first league game, played a game which a much more experienced player would be proud of. Helen Philpott, playing lead, and Paul at 2, always had the better of their opposite numbers making Ron Thackray ,at 3, and Simon Ash, skip, jobs much easier.
The final scores were 23-6 for Trevor's rink and 25-11 on Simon's rink resulting in a convincing 48-17 win and all 8 points for Maldon B. Thanks go to Lionmead who's company made our evening enjoyable.
Next game at home against Great Baddow.
Tuesday 20th Home v Gt. Baddow C - Maldon B welcomed a Green Baddow team for our second home match with high hopes of repeating our success from last week.Trevor Matthams had his trusty deputy John Blighton at 3 but a new look front end saw Dave Bruce in an unfamiliar lead position and a debutant, Susie Timkle, start at 2. Despite the new look rink by the half way point Trevor was made to look good by his fellow team mates with a healthy 13-5 lead. This lead was never under threat and although the last 3 ends were lost it was as too little too late for the 4 from Green Baddow. Final score22-12. On the other rink Simon Ash had a more familiar looking rink with just one change seeing Bobby Bruce making her debut at lead. Paul Callow was once again solid at two, leaving Ron Thackray and Simon to try and add to the points the lead two had bowled. This rink was a tighter game and after 10 ends played nothing separated the teams. However, a run of five scoring ends for Maldon put the game to bed with the final score 19-13 in Maldons favour.So another 8-0 win and a healthy aggregate score and another selection headache for Captain Simon for next weeks match, our first away at Stock.
Well done and thanks to Gt Baddow for an enjoyable evening.
Tuesday 27th Away v Stock C - Maldon B travelled to Stock to take on their C team. A wet and windy day had slightly improved to gray and breezy. With a rather heavy green, Trevor Matthams, John Blighton, David and Moyra Underdown took control from the first bowl and didn’t loose the mat until the eighth end. Loosing 3 points over the next 3 ends before restoration of the mat, they restricted their opponents to only a further 3 points over the remaining 8 ends. ‘New boy’, David Underdown was under scrutiny not only from his wife but also team Captain Simon after his whinging over the previous week about his lack of opportunity to show his skill . I am pleased to report that he has created yet another selection headache for Captain Simon. Well played David.
Final score for Trevor’s rink 20-6.
The other rink saw another married combo making a ‘playing couple’ debut. Dave and Bobby Bruce along with Helen Philpott and Simon Ash also had a strong start but by the halfway point all was square at 7-7. However, it definitely was a game of two halves as Simon’s happy crew only relinquished the mat once over the next 9 ends. As the author of this report I have to admit that I had all the rub of the green and Tony ( Stock skip) had none!!). This good luck and the solid support of his rink resulted in a dominant display reflected in the 24-8 win.
So the aggregate score of 44-14 gave Maldon all 8 points and kept our position at top of Div4 . Thanks to the Stock team who played better than the score suggests and yes Simon’s luck may have been mentioned over the beers after the match!!
June
Tuesday 3rd Home v Witham B -
Maldon B welcomed the Witham B team to our green. On rink 6 saw a familiar skip and No. 3 in Trevor and John with the ever present Moyra at lead. Paul Callow made a welcome return at 2 and as usual Trevor guided his rink onto a lead early doors. However, once the opposing skip had found the green he began playing some blinding shots which cut down, and in some cases, reversed a healthy head in Maldon’s favour. The experience of this rink ment that they took these reversals in their stride and held into win by 5 points: 14-9.
On rink 5 Helen and Bobby continued to play positive bowls. Bobby putting her brand new purple bowls to good effect despite flinching each time another bowl even slightly brushed up against them!
A new face was at No.3 saw Richard Beckwith making his debut in this position. With Simon at skip they made a positive start and were not headed until the eleventh end. From then on we chased to catch the Witham 4 but ran out of ends . Final score 11-16.
After 3 hours on the green we finished 25-25 and sheared the points 4-4. So to the bar to discuss the closeness of the game and for Bobby to check for any scratches on her new bowls.
Tuesday 10th Home v Chelmsford C - A ‘bum squeaker’ this week v Chelmsford C team. A few new faces and old faces in different positions this week as Captain Ash tweaked the team from last weeks draw.
Tony Broome made a welcome return to league bowls playing at No. 3 and Dave Bruce skipped for the first time on a CMBL night. With Bobby leading and Simon playing at two this rink definitely had a fresh look about it.
An absent Moyra saw Helen playing with Trevor and John for the first time and Peter Pask making a debut No2 with his shiny new bowls on rink 2.
Throughout the 18 ends there was never more than a 3 point difference between the teams on rink 5. Going into the final end Maldon had a slender 2 point lead when the skips took to the mat. Chelmsford’s Barry sent one down to cut the deficit to one. Dave’s first bowl was a metre short. A big bowl for Barry on his last bowl. Both teams watched a good out and it was looking good to be in the count. However, Dave’s cunning plan to leave his first bowl short paid dividends as Barry’s bowl knocked Dave up to put us up by two. Dave sensibly put his bowl in his pocket ( Australian for ‘taking it’ ). Later in the bar, Dave claimed that his short bowl was actually deliberate , some debate followed, perhaps we will never know!!
On rink two an unfamiliar start for Trevor, going down 4 on the first end and not regaining parity until the 7th end. From then on in it was a mirror image of what was happening on rink 5 in that it was never more than 1 point which separated the teams. On the completion of the 17th end all was square. Chelmsford had the mat so their skip sent his first wood down followed by Trevor, Chelmsford one up. Second bowl from Chelmsford saw them still holding one. By this time rink 5 has finished and so Trevor with his last bowl had to get one in, in front of the whole B team and the spectators with the knowledge that this would be an 8 point bowl. Did he disappoint, of course not. The ‘Cool Hand Luke’ of the B team sent one down. Silence across the green as his bowl tracked in, to the eruption of players and spectators, to take shot and a one point win and securing all 8 points. Phew!
Commiserations to Chelmsford. The final points of 8-0 to Maldon didn’t reflect the closeness of the game with just a 3 point difference in the score 33-30.
Tuesday 17th Away v Mill Lane
Thursday 19th KO Shield Preliminary Home & Away v Falcon D
Tuesday 24th Away v Southminster
July
Tuesday 1st Away v Lionmede
Thursday 3rd KO Shield 1st Round
Tuesday 8th Away v Gt Baddow C
Tuesday 15th Home v Stock C
Thursday 17th KO Shield 2nd Round
Tuesday 22nd Away v Witham B
Tuesday 29th Away v Chelmsford C
Thursday 31st KO Shield Semi-Final
August
Tuesday 5th Home v Mill Lane
Tuesday 12th Home v Southminster
Saturday 30th KO Finals at Gt Baddow