Suffolk v Essex

On Sunday 19 February Suffolk played their penultimate ECCBA league match of the season, home against Essex at Bildeston village hall.

Suffolk were looking to stay top of the league and maintain their unbeaten record, having won their first three matches, all of them away from home.

The Suffolk rinks selected to face Essex were:

Suffolk 1 (S1): Jim Goodrich, Ralph Sadgrove, Paul Daniels, Andrew Cooper
Suffolk 2 (S2): Ryan Willoughby, Ellen Grube, James Rous, Sue Gilder
Suffolk 3 (S3): David Ford, John Varden, Mick Watkins, David Mittell
Suffolk 4 (S4): Andy Pooley, Andy Gilder, Neil Tuckey, Tom Runnacles
Suffolk 5 (S5): Peter Runnacles, Don Allum, Colin Fellingham, Steven Cain
Suffolk 6 (S6): Sue Davey, Sally Goodrich, Jon Jordan, Neil Jolly

In the first session rinks S1, S3 and S5 all started slowly and after three ends each all of the games were close. After that S1 were the first rink to take control of their game, winning seven consecutive ends and scoring thirteen unanswered shots they raced away to a convincing 15-1 win. S3 then followed suit, conceding only two single shot ends in comfortably winning their game 11-2. S5 were involved in the tightest game and were unable to open a healthy lead. A see-saw game concluded with the Essex rink taking the last two ends to earn a 7-7 draw. Overall Suffolk were happy to come out of the first session unbeaten.

The start of the second session mirrored the previous session with very little separating the rinks after the early ends. S4 were the first to take a grip of their game by scoring five shots on the third end. They were able to protect that lead and finished winning well 11-5. Meanwhile S6 were edging away in their game and on the last end they finished in style with a six to win 15-4. The closest game involved S2 and whilst they had a slender lead at the start, with an end to play it was level at 6-6. Unfortunately the last end went against them and they lost 7-6.

The third session started badly for S3 losing the first two ends but they hit back winning four out of the next five ends to lead 7-4. However fortunes swapped around again as they lost the final two ends to draw the game 7-7. S5 meanwhile had got off to a flying start with a five shot first end. They shared the next six ends but still led 9-6 with two ends to play. However as S3 had done they were unable to win either of the last two ends and this game also finished as a draw, 9-9. It was better news from S1 though, continuing their fine form from the first session they eased to a 9-3 win in a game that they were always ahead in. Another unbeaten session for Suffolk and at the halfway stage they held an overall 13-5 advantage.

The fourth session got off to a great start for S2, S4 and S6 with them all securing early leads. S2 bounced back superbly from their second session loss and were 8-0 up after just three ends. They didn't look back from that and ran out deservedly 13-7 winners. S4 looked comfortable at 4-0 and 10-5 up. They then proceeded to lose three shots on the penultimate end and followed that up with a poor last end. They were saved by their skips final bowl of the game, scraping a 10-9 win. S6 were doing something similar, things were looking good at 4-1 and 10-4, but with an end to play their lead was down to just a single shot. However they regained their composure to win the final end and the game 12-9. Three important Suffolk wins had increased their overall lead.

The penultimate session saw Suffolk lose only their second game of the day. S5 just could not get into their game and despite rallying over the last few ends they slipped to a 10-6 defeat. S1 were still performing well though and picked up their third win of the day, leading from the third end they protected their advantage well to win 10-7. S3 made it two wins for Suffolk in the session after racing away to an early 8-0 lead. Despite losing four of the last six ends it was still a relatively comfortable 10-6 win.

At the start of the final session it was clear that Suffolk were not going to take their foot off the pedal, as they all took early leads. Most impressive were S2 who extended their lead with a six shot seventh end and then held on for a fine 12-4 win. S6 were always in control of their game, leading 5-0, 7-1 and 10-2 and finishing with a well earned 10-5 win. Finally as with their previous game S4 were making it difficult for themselves again, a 5-1 lead disappeared and with an end to play they were 7-6 behind. However they played a great last end, scoring three shots to win 9-7.

The match finished with a Suffolk win 29-7 (shots: 182 - 109).

It had been a fantastic team display by Suffolk, their best of the season so far against an Essex team who never gave up. It was particularly pleasing that a high level of performance and concentration had been maintained throughout the day to ensure such a convincing final margin of victory. There had been a number of excellent individual performances and all of the Suffolk rinks had contributed to the win. Well done to S1, S4 and S6 who all recorded three wins from three.

The win over Essex further extends Suffolk's lead at the top of the league to six points over Cambridgeshire with one match to play.

Suffolk's next and final match of the season is against Bedfordshire, at Bildeston on Sunday 18 March.

Neil Jolly (County Captain)

Cambridgeshire v Suffolk

On Sunday 15 January Suffolk travelled to Paston to play their third ECCBA league match of the season, against Cambridgeshire.

Suffolk were looking for their third consecutive away success, following wins at Norfolk and Hertfordshire. This would their toughest test so far, with Cambridgeshire just one point behind them in the league, where Suffolk were sitting top.

The Suffolk rinks selected to face Cambridgeshire were:

Suffolk 1 (S1): Jim Goodrich, Ralph Sadgrove, Paul Daniels, Andrew Cooper
Suffolk 2 (S2): John Varden, Ellen Grube, James Rous, Sue Gilder
Suffolk 3 (S3): David Ford, Trevor Bean, Mick Watkins, David Mittell
Suffolk 4 (S4): Andy Pooley, Andy Gilder, Neil Tuckey, Tom Runnacles
Suffolk 5 (S5): Peter Runnacles, Don Allum, Colin Fellingham, Steven Cain
Suffolk 6 (S6): Sue Davey, Sally Goodrich, Jon Jordan, Neil Jolly

In the first session rinks S1, S3 and S5 all adjusted to the away carpets quickly and it wasn't long before S1 and S5 took complete control of their games. In particular S1, who didn't concede a shot until the penultimate end in winning convincingly 14-1. S5 continued to pick up shots and maintain their early advantage to also win 11-5. Unfortunately S3, whilst staying in their game could not complete the perfect start, just being edged out 9-7.

From the start of the second session it was clear that all three games were going to be close affairs. However the home rinks upped their game from the first session and rinks S2, S4 and S6 were always playing catch up. The only thing Suffolk could get from the games was a hard earned 9-9 draw for S4. S2 were beaten 12-8 and S6 lost 10-9, but only to the final bowl of the game.

The third session saw fortunes swap around again as S1, S3 and S5 continued their good form from their first games. S5 put on the best all round performance, again securing an early lead and easing away to a comfortable 11-2 win. S3 were involved in a far closer game, but they held their nerve during a tight final end to steal a 7-6 win. Most of the drama involved S1 who found themselves 8-2 down with three ends to play. However a great skips shot scored them a six to get them back in the game. They then conceded a two before playing a superb final end to get those two back and snatch an unlikely 10-10 draw.

In the fourth session S2, S4 and S6 were looking to bounce back from their disappointing first games. In two of the games they did just that, both S2 and S4 got off to great starts, building early leads which they were able to increase. Two excellent wins followed, S2 by 12-3 and S4 by 14-5. Unfortunately S6 were not able to complete a clean sweep, slipping to a 10-6 defeat. However the last two sessions had been good ones for Suffolk, taking nine points from twelve.

The penultimate session saw Cambridgeshire hit back again in what was turning out to be a see-saw match. The Suffolk rinks all got off to poor starts and three defeats looked on the cards. However it was again S1 who turned things around and playing a great last end they salvaged two points with an important 10-7 win. For S3 and S5, they were always chasing their games and running out of ends, they lost 12-4 and 9-5 respectively.

With the final session to play Suffolk led overall by 16-14. However given the rollercoaster nature of the match, any final outcome was possible. At the start of the games both S4 and S2 found themselves behind. Unfortunately S2 were unable to recover and lost 13-4. Meanwhile with an end to play S4 were 7-3 down and another defeat looked likely. However they then constructed a great last end and with the skips final bowl secured a count of four to sneak a 7-7 draw and a very valuable point. That left one game to finish, involving S6 who were 4-3 down with three ends to play. They then played their best bowls of the day to score a three-two-three count to take the game 11-4. The final session had been shared, three points each.

The match finished with a Suffolk win 19-17 (shots: 159 - 134).

It had been a great match between the two best teams in the country. The Suffolk team were delighted with the win, which extends their lead at the top of the league.

Overall the Suffolk team had played well, given it was against strong opposition on their own carpets. Well done to both S1 (two wins and a draw) and S4 (a win and two draws) who were unbeaten on the day.

What had been most impressive by the Suffolk team was the spirit and ability displayed in winning or drawing games where defeat had looked the likely outcome. Those points may well prove very valuable when it comes to the end of the season.

Suffolk's next match is against Essex, at Bildeston on Sunday 19 February.

Neil Jolly (County Captain)

Hertfordshire v Suffolk

On Sunday 11 December Suffolk played their second ECCBA league match of the season away to Hertfordshire, at Ware.

In their opening match Suffolk had got off to fine start with a good 28-8 win away against Norfolk. The Suffolk team knew that a spirited Hertfordshire team should never be under-estimated and would be difficult to beat.

That proved to be the case in the first session as Suffolk got off to a shaky start. Not adjusting particularly well to a couple of tricky carpets two of the Suffolk rinks struggled to get a foothold in their games. These games ended with defeat, 10-7 and 9-7. Meanwhile in the other game the Suffolk rink took an early lead and were able to protect this to win 8-4.

Having had the benefit of watching the carpets, the second session games all started better for the other three Suffolk rinks. Adjusting well to some difficult lines all three rinks secured early leads and controlled performances on the later ends resulted in three good wins, 13-3, 10-5 and 11-6.

In the third session Suffolk's first three rinks were looking to bounce back from their disappointing start. It was a vastly improved display that saw them take early leads and impressively they all proceeded to run away with their games. A second maximum point session for Suffolk, with scores of 13-2, 13-5 and 17-5.

At the halfway point stage, despite the bad start Suffolk held a 14-4 lead. However the job was only half done and with a couple of difficult carpets to cope with, concentration during the afternoon would have to be maintained.

In the fourth session Suffolk's performance continued to improve and their second three rinks maintained their unbeaten record. Playing some consistent bowls kept the home team's scoring opportunities down and three relatively comfortable wins followed, scores of 10-6, 13-6 and 10-6.

The penultimate session turned out to be Suffolk's worst of the day. The highlight was a fantastic 18-2 win for one Suffolk rink. However in the second game, a lead going into the last two ends was thrown away to draw 8-8 and in the other game the Suffolk rink struggled from the start, losing 11-5.

The final session of the day had a better outcome though, despite losing one game on the final end 8-7. The other two games saw convincing wins for Suffolk as they dominated from the early ends, wins of 14-4 and 17-4.

The match finished with a Suffolk win 27-9 (shots: 191-104).

On some difficult carpets and against a Hertfordshire who never gave up, it had been a good performance by the Suffolk team and a pleasing second away win which keeps them at the top of the league.

Suffolk's next match is away again, versus Cambridgeshire on Sunday 15 January.

Neil Jolly (County Captain)

Norfolk v Suffolk

On Sunday 27 November Suffolk started the defence of the ECCBA league title with a tricky away match against Norfolk, at Wortwell.

The Suffolk team showed a few changes and a couple of new faces from the recent National Championships, where they had finished a creditable second place. At the same event Norfolk placed third and would be difficult to beat on their own carpets.

In the first session of three games Suffolk got off to a dream start. Adjusting to the away mats quickly two of the Suffolk rinks flew out of the blocks and raced away to early leads. Those advantages were protected and convincing 15-2 and 17-6 wins followed. In the other game the Suffolk rink started slowly but their form improved during the latter ends and they sneaked a 9-7 win.

The second session games all started as close affairs but as they progressed again two Suffolk rinks took control. Without running away with the games, early leads were steadily increased and concluded with 12-3 and 9-4 wins. The other Suffolk rink whilst staying in their game was unable to gain an advantage and slipped to a 9-4 loss.

The rinks that scored maximum points in the first session were back on in the next session looking for a repeat show. With a great display of consistent bowling, they did just that. Again they took early control of their games and didn't look back, finishing with three comfortable wins of 12-1, 12-4 and 11-6.

At the halfway point Suffolk held a commanding 16-2 lead, but they knew they would have to keep playing well to maintain or hopefully increase that lead.

In the fourth session Suffolk's performance level didn't drop, but the games were far closer. All three games went to the final ends and composed tactical bowling ensured another undefeated session. Two more wins of 11-8 and 10-7 and with a single shot on the last end, a hard earned 8-8 draw.

The penultimate session saw Norfolk get only their second win of the day, when the Suffolk rink struggled to get a foothold in the game. That game was lost 10-4. However normal service was maintained in the other games, early leads, sensible bowling in the later ends and two wins, both by 13-5.

The final session of the day was disappointing and proved to be Suffolk's worst. Two games were shared, Norfolk with a 9-4 win and Suffolk winning 11-7. The other game had an exciting finish with the Suffolk rink winning a dramatic last end with a four shot count to steal an unlikely 10-10 draw.

The match finished with a Suffolk win 28-8 (shots: 185-113).

Overall it had been a terrific performance by the Suffolk team and just the start they were looking for in their first match. That win took them straight to the top of the league, but being there after the last match is the long term aim.

Suffolk's next match is away again, versus Hertfordshire on Sunday 11 December.

Neil Jolly (County Captain)

SIX COUNTIES CHARITY TEAMBOWL 2011

On Sunday 25 September 2011 the Cambridgeshire CBA hosted the Six Counties Charity Teambowl at Littleport. Their chosen charity was MAGPAS.

The competition involved the six Eastern Counties, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Each county were represented by four singles bowlers, four pairs and four triples, each playing one seven end game against each of the other counties.

Suffolk were the defending champions and they were also looking for their third consecutive win in the event.

In the first session Hertfordshire were the opposition. After a slow start the four singles bowlers began to play well and three wins followed, 6-4, 10-2 and 9-1. Next on were the pairs and three of the games went to the final end. However Suffolk's good start continued with an unbeaten session, three wins, 5-3, 6-5 and 10-1 and the other game drawn 5-5. The triples then repeated the three wins, 6-4, 11-5 and a convincing 13-1.

Overall Suffolk had scored a good nineteen points from Hertfordshire, which was just the start they had hoped for.

The next opposition were Bedfordshire and the singles again got the team off to a great start with a clean sweep of wins, 7-2, 11-2, 7-6 and 9-6. However the next session was disappointing as only two pairs wins were secured, 8-3 and 6-3. However the triples went one better than their first games by winning all four, scores of 9-5, 9-3 and convincingly 16-1 and 14-3.

Suffolk had taken an impressive twenty points from Bedfordshire and at an early stage they were in a three way battle with Cambridgeshire and Norfolk for top spot overall.

Essex were Suffolk's next opponents, arguably the form team having won the last ECCBA event. The singles were all involved in close games and a shared session was a fair outcome, Suffolk's two wins were 7-4 and 7-5. The pairs then put on an improved display from their previous session and they were rewarded with four important wins, 14-4, 12-2, 10-3 and 6-5. Taking confidence from that performance the triples then repeated that with a further four wins, 11-2, 7-4, 11-1 and 10-3.

Suffolk were delighted with the outcome of their games against Essex and had played some superb bowls on their way to an outstanding twenty points. With three sessions played Suffolk now held the overall competition lead, but knew they had difficult games remaining against Cambridgeshire and Norfolk to retain the trophy.

Cambridgeshire were up next and the singles were involved in their closest games of the day. The results were in doubt until the final bowls were delivered and again their session was shared. One win 8-5 and two draws, 4-4 and 6-6. The pairs games were no different but with confidence high three hard earned wins were secured, 7-3, 5-2 and 8-5. The triples games turned out to be even closer and with the final ends to play, four wins looked possible. However poor play resulted in a turn around and a disappointing return of just one win 8-6.

Overall the points, twelve each had been shared with Cambridgeshire. It could have been more but at least Suffolk had maintained their position at the top of the leaderboard.

Suffolk's final opponents were Norfolk, who were having a good day. The singles did not get Suffolk off to the start they wanted, gaining only one win 7-4 and a draw 4-4. However the confident pairs recovered the situation, easing away to four comfortable wins, 9-4, 11-6, 9-4 and 9-3. The triples then finished the day with a flourish winning all of their games too, scores of 12-3, 8-3, 7-3 and a convincing 16-1.

It had been a fantastic finish to the day for Suffolk, scoring an impressive nineteen points against Norfolk. That was more than enough to keep Suffolk in first place.

The final points and placings were:

	Points
Suffolk	90
Cambridgeshire	79
Norfolk	61
Essex	54
Bedfordshire	44
Hertfordshire	34

It had been a great all round team performance from Suffolk from start to finish. Their consistent bowling had been rewarded with heavy scoring against four of the counties and a shared session with their closest opposition, Cambridgeshire. It was also pleasing that the points won had been shared across the whole team, with a number of excellent individual performances.

In winning the trophy again, Suffolk became the first county to win the event three years in succession. This win followed Suffolk's ECCBA league title and they are now looking forward to the National County Championships at Potters in November.

Neil Jolly (County Captain)