This last ten days has seen mixed fortunes for Paulton.
The period started off with a mixed team friendly match win at Chew Stoke on Bank Holiday Monday, by 68 shots to 52. Terrible conditions saw the match shortened, but, throughout the game, Paulton had the upper hand to record a welcome victory. Paulton fielded three new bowlers, Sandra Yeomans, Teresa Tatar and Mark Griffiths, who acquitted themselves very well on the day.
This last Sunday, the mixed team also tasted victory in a Golden Oldies match against local rivals Purnell. Four rinks were in operation and although, yet again because of the weather, the match was shortened, Paulton were ahead on three of the rinks to record an overall victory by 62 shots to 48. Skips, Derek Price and Joyce Denning, were notably on form in trying conditions.
Paulton Ladies played a couple of Wild League games and got their season up and running with a much welcomed away victory at Norwest, winning on two of the three rinks to take the overall match by ten points to two. A few days later, though, defeat on two rinks meant that they went down by the same score to Street Ladies.
Paulton’s Men continue to be just off the pace this season. The most recent Mid-Somerset League match, against Frome Selwood, saw them slip to a seventeen-shot defeat, winning on only one of the four rinks in operation. The Somerset County League campaign has seen them fare no better this week, with only victory on one of the three rinks put out against Frome Park A. The score was, yet again, quite close, but Frome Park A took the match ten points to two. One heartening thing for the Men, though, was that the overall score went against them, but they won more ends than the opposition. Bowls can be a cruel game, just like any other ball sport!