After having a fantastic start to the new season in the Premier Division of the UKDA National League when Warwickshire returned from Cornwall with a 25-11 win to put them top of the table, their second fixture saw them suffer a narrow 19-17 home defeat to Lancashire. Going into the fixture Warwickshire were top with twenty-eight points and their visitors second, one point adrift with twenty-seven points, so a close result was envisaged and that was what it was.
Saturday got off to a good start as the ladies ‘B’ stormed to a 5-1 victory. Jodie Rigg got the ball rolling when in the opening tie she won 4-0 against Tanya Brenner and although in the very next game Anne Marie Millership beat Denise Keyte 3-1 to level the score, the remainder of the match was all Warwickshire’s. Natalie Gilbert beat Tracey Cunningham 3-1, Kacie O’Connor won 3-0 against Jenny Nuttall, Nina Bolt had a 3-1 success in her game against Doreen Fitton and Donna Pinch rounded off the super 5-1 win with her straight 3-0 victory over Ellen Fletcher. The match award went to Kacie O’Connor who in her win over Jenny Nuttall she averaged 22.77.
It was not a good opening half for the home side in the men’s ‘B’ game as after Dave Hill had put them 1-0 up with his 4-1 win over Gary Davey, the next four games of the half all went to Lancashire. Simon Wilkinson won 4-1 against Karl Reynolds, Callum Schofield beat Paul Harbourne 4-3, Jack Drayton had a 4-1 success in his game with William Naylor and Chris O’Connor beat Zac Prince 4-2. Making the score a little more respectable at the midway point was Ryan Jackson with his 4-3 win over Cameron Sudell, as he took the score to 4-2 in Lancashire’s favour.
Once again, as the second session got underway, it was the hosts who were first out of the blocks as Lee Miller won 4-2 against James Caton and as in the first half the away team won the second game as Jay Chisnall had a 4-1 win over Taylor McGuckian. A 4-3 win from man of the match Mark Carter over Martin Lomas reduced the arrears to 5-4 momentarily, Carter earning the match award for his 26.43 average, before the visitors moved to within an ace of victory in the tenth when Mike Shaw got the better of Jnr Joyce with a 4-1 result, and with a further 4-1 win for Jason Longmate over Adam Hancock, Lancashire were home and dry leading 7-4. The final game of the day went to the hosts, Mark Strong winning 4-3 against Rob Holroyd to take the final score to 7-5 to Lancashire, however the overall score for the day saw Warwickshire leading 10-8.
As the ‘A’ games began on Sunday it turned out to be a match to quickly forget for Warwickshire as they ended up on the wrong side of the 6-0 scoreline. Chalking up the wins for Lancashire were Gina Jones, Dawn Shaw, Eleanor Cairns, Audrey Underwood, Jo Clements and Ally Smith who in turn accounted for Caroline Pike (1-3), Marian Conway (0-3). Hannah Meek (1-3), Kirsty Hinchliffe (1-3), Wendy Adams (2-3) and Courtney Hine (2-3).
With the overall score now standing at 14-10 in Lancashire’s favour, the men’s ‘A’ required an 8-4 win to secure overall victory for the weekend and although they lost the opener when James Lawson beat Martin Tonks 4-1, the next four games all went o the home team to take the running score to 15-14, still with the away side leading. Jack Wareing had a 4-1 win over Ryan Robinson, Jamie Hughes beat Lee Wilson 4-2, Nigel Heydon had a straight 4-0 victory over Lee Shewan and Danny Lauby won 4-2 against Nathan Care. The last game of the half saw Lancashire forge further ahead to 16-14 when Gary Jackson won 4-3 against Ian McFarlane..
The visitors went 17-14 up overall as the second half began, David Airey winning 4-1 against Wayne Mynard, the 8-4 win for Warwickshire and the overall victory still within reach. Noel Grant and Steve Hine kept Warwickshire’s those hopes alive when in turn they won 4-1 and 4-3 against Pete Day and Ant Hitchmough but a 4-2 win for David Evans, over Matty Washbrooke put the overall win out of reach as the win for Evans gave Lancashire an 18-16 lead, nevertheless a win for the men’s ‘A’ was still a reality as they were 6-4 in front. A 4-2 win for Stu Wilson over Gareth Brahm left the result hinging on the final game between Dom Taylor and Steve Green. The game went the full seven legs distance with Warwickshire’s newcomer the eventual victor to give his team-mates a 7-5 victory. In addition to winning his game and the match Dom Taylor also collected the man of the match award for his superb 32.09 average.
The overall 19-17 defeat saw Warwickshire drop three places in the table to fourth on forty-five points, six short of new leaders Suffolk.
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