Match Reports 2026

Sue Sykes and Jane Dixon found themselves one set down, and 5-1 down in the second, potentially final set, of their St Albans and District Australian pairs match against Potter’s Bar

At a time when the average couple would be thinking about retreating to the bar, the Townsend pair decided, instead, to make a fight of it. In a tense match, they came back to win the second set, and to force a decider. Predictably they won this, by two ends to one, but that was enough to ensure their progression to the quarter-finals. 

The Stuart Mather trophy is competed for, on an home and away basis, annually between Harperbury and Townsend. After the first leg Townsend took a 19 shot lead to Harperbury, but this was not required as they managed to win by a further 26 shots in the second half, and on all three rinks.

Top rink was Rena Williamson, Janet Metcalfe, Mike Tompkins and Skip Gordon Williamson with a 15 shot victory, which went much of the way towards retaining the trophy for Townsend.

In the County League, two rinks of Townsend bowlers found themselves in the overly lush surroundings of Oak Hill. The green was predictably slow, and the Home team took full advantage. Townsend were restricted to winning or only one rink, that of Bob Lawrie, John Cawley, Russell Hansard and Gary West.

Later in the week Jane Dixon and Rena Williamson returned to battle, this time in the Quarter Finals of the District Pairs. They found themselves up against a most experienced duo in Clara and Rhianna Russell, from Welwyn, but not daunted, succeeded in winning by 20 shots to 7. The score itself was exceptional but given that Jane had emerged from her sick bed to accommodate their visitors who couldn’t play any other dates, it was doubly so!