Purnell Bowls Club is guaranteed three players in the Semi-Final of the Somerset County Triples Competition this season.
Jim Towells, Don Dart and Hugh Lorimer beat three County players from Bath to reach the Quarter-Finals where they will play another triple from Purnell, Terry Priddle, John Mathews and Steve Amor, who beat three lads from Norwest.
The B team double rink travelled to Bath A in the National Two rink competition, and what a fight they put up. Don Dart’s rink won by three and finished some time before Dave Chamberlain’s rink; it came down to the last bowl of the match to decide who was going through to the next round.
Chris Spurrey, of Bath, who has been picked to play for the England under-25s, was the last player to play; he was one shot down, which gave the Purnell lads the match by two shots. After a long discussion with his team mates, he decided to fire at the head, he put the bowl down all wrong and it hit a short wood some four yards down the rink, what happened after that had the brave B team in tears. The bowl that was hit trundled through the head, hitting the jack sideways, giving Bath A the match by three shots.
In the MSL League, it was an Away game against local rivals, Norwest, Purnell coming away with all sixteen points, winning on all rinks. In the Somerset County East One League, Purnell B team played Norwest A, again this time at home, and they won on two rinks, losing on one, points: 10–2. Also at home was the C team against Weston Bath B; it was another terrific result for the home team, winning on two out of the three rinks, points 10–2. Last Sunday it was Frome Selwood who were the visitors to Purnell A in the National Two Rink competition, with another resounding win for the home team, winning by ten shots overall, their next opponents are Prattens or City of Wells.
Bryn Hawkins