Courtfield Bowling Club Weekly Roundup Bowls, big finishes, bold comebacks… and a league title that slipped away.

Carliol League

The A Team travelled to Stanwix with one clear mission — win big to keep pace with Subscription A, who had already thumped West End 10-0 the night before.

• Rink 2 – Ste G, Dai and Lee started by losing a four on the first end, which was about as welcome as a wasp at a picnic. They hit straight back with a four of their own on the third end and from then on it was a nip-and-tuck battle with Martyn Holding’s triple. Courtfield always had a slight edge and eventually sealed it 17-12.

• Rink 3 – John, Paul and Carsy were in another tight one, but found an extra gear late on to win 16-12.

• Rink 4 – Mr Chris, Human Dustbin (aka Big Lol) and Jaffa came out of the traps like greyhounds, racing to a 9-0 lead and never looking back. A big-margin win followed — rumour has it Jaffa was already thinking about his post-match pint by the halfway mark.

• Rink 5 – Tayler, Ian P and Kev started brightly at 9-5 up after seven ends, then… forgot to score for the next seven ends and found themselves 13-10 down. By the final end a small crowd had gathered — even Jaffa’s lot had finished early to watch. Tayler was lying two shots, Ian had possibly sneaked a third, and Kev needed to deliver. His first bowl was close but not in; his second was a beauty, drawing shot for three and a draw. The Stanwix skip ignored advice to play the safe hand (because skips know best… right?) and promptly missed. Kev calmly drew another to steal the win — four shots on the last end and a full 10-point haul to keep the title race alive.

Courtfield’s B Team welcomed Dalston with hopes of a leap up the table — and got more plot twists than a Netflix thriller.

Rink 1 – Jo, George, and Dawesy found themselves staring down a Steven Watson trio that came out like a runaway train — 10–0 down after just four ends and already calculating how much beer was left in the bar. But slowly, they clawed it back — like a cat climbing a curtain — to 11–4 after eight. Then came the blitz: 11 shots in the next six ends. The locals were sniffing a miracle… until the visitors bagged a last-end three. Still, a 16–14 win and two points in the bag felt like sweet revenge.

Rink 2 – Aileen W, Tony J, and Dave clearly wanted to test the “can you come back from 11 down after four ends?” theory… and the answer was no. Peter Fisher’s triple were clinical, shutting the door and locking it, winning 21–10.

Rink 5 – Anne, David T, and Gill’s game against Andy Rogerson’s triple was a slow-burner. Level at 7–7 after eight ends, they blinked first, going 3 down. But then the wheels came clean off Dalston’s cart — conceding 12 shots in the last five ends to gift Courtfield a 19–11 win.

Rink 6 – Julie, Evelyn, and Stavros (aka Ste Boyd) were involved in the day’s real heartbreaker against Kev Mawdsley’s triple. A dropped five on the 5th end put them on the back foot, but the fightback was gritty: 10–10 after 12 ends, 11–11 at 14 ends. The final end… all square, tension high, but Dalston sneaked a single for the win and — crucially — stole the aggregate by a single shot.

Final score: Courtfield 4 points (55 shots) – Dalston 6 points (56 shots). One shot! The kind of loss that has you staring into your pint wondering how.

Carliol Over 55s – Friday Afternoon

Courtfield travelled to Wetheral for a top-of-the-table clash and delivered a hard-fought 6-4 victory, winning 56 shots to 52. The result closes the gap to just 3 points behind the leaders, with two games in hand. Subscription A remain in striking distance, 9 points back, with two head-to-head matches still to come.

Saturday – County Final & Champion of Champions

At Whitehaven, Tayler took on Bailey Potts in the Under-18 singles final. It was tight early on, Tayler leading 7-6 after 10 ends, before finding another gear. Two threes in quick succession broke it open, and he powered to a 21-9 win.

Saturday – Quarter-Finals. Mr Chris advanced directly into the quarter-finals via a bye and took full advantage, delivering a composed performance to defeat Nigel Watson (Brampton) and secure a semi-final spot.

He was joined in the last four by:

• Martyn Holding (Stanwix), who overcame Huw Crosby and then Kevin Vallely with clinical consistency.

• John Fletcher (Penrith Friars), who progressed past John Walton and Kevin Johnston.

• Paul Barlow (Wigton), who saw off Alex Smith and Graeme Thompson with a combination of precise drawing and tactical play.

Presidents Day

The Bower was buzzing as over 70 people turned out to celebrate David Graham’s presidency. Twenty players took to the green in a jumble organised by Paul (What could go wrong). The smell of steak pie from the kitchen had half the players wondering if they should just retire early to the clubhouse.

The ladies outdid themselves with a hearty spread of steak pie, potatoes, and peas — and enough for seconds, which Big Lol (now officially crowned the “human dustbin”) and his brother Kenny happily accepted as a personal challenge. Then came a trio of desserts that left even the hungriest groaning in defeat. One thing everyone agreed on: it was an absolute belter of a meal.

Then came quiz-master extraordinaire Tony Jackson, who clearly raided the riddle cupboard before writing his questions. Half the room were scratching their heads, the other half pretending they knew the answers — and Tony just grinned like a man who knows he’s in charge of the chaos.

President Dave brought the day to a close with a heartfelt speech which, against all odds, managed to be both long and good. Usually, his marathon monologues leave people quietly planning their escape routes, but this time he kept everyone listening right to the end — proof that even a long speech can be worth the sit. It was a fitting finish to what was truly a special day for both the club and its president.

Champion of Champions – Whitehaven Finals Weekend

Paul Barlow booked his place in the final with an assured 21-6 semi-final win over John Fletcher, controlling the pace and length throughout.In the other semi-final, Mr Chris faced the in-form Martyn Holding. Despite trailing for most of the match — at one stage by six shots — Chris fought back to close the gap to 18-15 before Martyn sealed a 21-15 victory.

The final was an outstanding contest of skill and composure. At 5-5 after 8 ends, both players were locked in a tactical battle. Martyn edged ahead 14-13 after 20 ends and extended to 20-16, only for Paul to rally and level the match at 20-20. With the title on the line, Martyn held his nerve to take the final end and claim the championship, capping an excellent season. Congratulations to Martyn on a deserved win.

National Champion of Champions Update! 

John Baird representing Subscription and Cumbria was in blistering form, beating Russell Robinson from Stute BC (Derbyshire) 21–8 to book his place at Leamington! Next stop: the quarter finals, where he’ll take on Mark Bishopp from Egham, Surrey.

Monday – Stan Bragg League Finale

The equation was simple — Courtfield needed to win away at Dalston and hope Caldbeck lost at Brampton to secure the title.

• Rink 2: Ste G, Dai, and George G built a 13-6 lead, wobbled after conceding a four and a two, but steadied to win by one.

• Rink 3: Mr Chris, Ant, and Dawesy dominated, winning 9 ends and finishing 19-9.

• Rink 4: Dave, Ste B, and Ian B trailed by 6 after losing a big end but fought back to 17-17 with two ends left. Dalston edged ahead again, only for Courtfield to reply with a two on the last for the match win.

Courtfield took the match 7-1, but Caldbeck’s 6-2 win over Brampton meant the league title slipped away, leaving Courtfield as runners-up. Attention now turns to next week’s Jack Fisher Cup semi-final against Subscription.