Courtfield’s Got Talent – Jack Fisher Cup, Crumble & the Fab Four

leemcgarvie
Aug 19
8 min read

Updated: Aug 20

Welcome to this week’s Courtfield weekly round-up, and what a week it’s been – one for the history books, the stomach, and the spirits.

Nationals at Leamington

Wednesday marked the start of a 19-day bowls extravaganza at Royal Leamington Spa

Junior Pairs

The honour of getting Cumbria’s campaign underway fell to Jack Wilson & Harry Creighton in the Junior Pairs. Their opening match against Alfie & Harvey Griffiths (Worcestershire) was a proper nail-biter. Leading 15-14 going into the last end, the Cumbrian lads were sitting pretty with two shots when the Worcestershire skip drew the killer bowl with his very last wood to force an extra end.

With nerves of steel, Jack & Harry regrouped and held their line superbly to clinch the extra end and the match – sending them through to Thursday.

Other Cumbrian ties on Day 1:

Women’s 2 Woods: Linda Rose bowed out in the opening round against Leicestershire’s Kat Bowman.
Men’s 2 Woods: Henry Stewart faced a strong Worcestershire opponent, Keith Weaver, and went down 17–7.
Over-60s Singles: Agonising for Alison Hullock, who lost by a single shot 21–20 to Kent’s Jane Cogle.
Over-60s Pairs (Carole Bannister & Tina Smitham): A close battle but they were edged out 15–13 by Surrey’s Vanna Fourie & Carolyn Lythgoe.

A day of near misses, but Jack & Harry’s nerve-jangling win gave Cumbria some success.

Thursday (Junior Pairs Continue)

Jack & Harry picked up where they left off. In their morning match they faced Dorset’s Ryan & Will Scammell and produced a blistering performance – ruthless from the start, drawing relentlessly and running out 22–10 winners in just 16 ends.

That win booked them into the quarter-finals, where they met Kent’s Joe Sanford & Harry Duffield. The first half was a tactical battle, locked at 6–6 after 9 ends. But Kent then put together a decisive run, scoring across three consecutive ends to build a cushion. Jack & Harry tried to fight back but couldn’t claw it back, eventually losing 16–10. Kent went all the way to the final before being beaten by Buckinghamshire’s Kieran & Thomas Jaycock – a reminder of the high level the Cumbrian lads had reached.

Carliol League

Thursday Night – B Team at the Magpie

With the A Team v Sub A postponed due to Leamington absentees, it was left to the B Team to carry the flag at Magpie.

Rink 2: Julie “Has anyone seen Paul?” Campbell, George P & Ste B were unstoppable early on, racing to 14-0 after 8 ends and coasting home 19-5.
Rink 3: Tony A, Tony J & Gill were locked 7-7 after 11. A Magpie two gave them the edge before Courtfield produced a superb five to retake the lead at 12-9. Sadly, the last two ends went against them and they lost 13-12.
Rink 4: Jo, Evelyn & Dawesy (who this week managed to misplace his bowling shoes – nearly playing barefoot Zola Budd-style until Tony found him a spare pair!) were 11-2 down early, fought back gamely, but lost 16-12.
Rink 5: Linda, Corrine & John struggled with the heavy surface and went down 19-5.

Final Score: Courtfield 2 – Magpie 8.

Carliol League – Over 55s (Friday)

Courtfield welcomed Dalston in what promised to be a tight contest with top-spot implications. The match didn’t quite go Courtfield’s way, ending in an 8–2 defeat.

The deciding moment came right at the death, when Ian B delivered a crucial last-end winner to snatch Courtfield’s only points of the afternoon. Those two points might look modest now, but they could prove vital when the table tightens at the business end of the season.

Dalston’s consistency across the rinks made the difference, while Courtfield rued a few missed opportunities on a tricky green.

Those points became even more valuable when news came through that top-of-the-table leaders Wetheral had been beaten 10–0. It means Courtfield actually made ground on the league leaders despite the loss – turning what looked like a disappointing afternoon into a small but important gain in the title race.

Friday @ Leamington (Over-60s Mixed Rinks – Subscription)

A strong Subscriptions side – Ricky, Tom, Alison, Jenny, Suzie, Emma, Laurence & Barry – took to the Leamington greens for the Mixed Over-60s Rinks.

Match 1 v Ilminster (Somerset)The Somerset side settled quicker, moving 6 shots clear after 9 ends. Subs rallied with some steady bowling, closing the gap to just 1 after 15 ends. With momentum behind them, they turned the screw in the closing stages and finished strongly to win 40–34 – a gutsy comeback.
Match 2 v Baldock Town (Herts)Baldock started the stronger in this one, building an early lead that Cumbria were never able to fully overturn. Despite battling to stay in touch, Subs fell short 38–32.

A mixed day – a fine win in the opener but disappointment in the second tie.

White Rose Trophy – U25s

Sunday brought the excitement of the White Rose Trophy. Cumbria’s young guns – Tayler, Harry, Ryan, Jack & David – faced Gloucestershire in the quarter-final. Back home, members crowded round the clubhouse screen to follow the live stream. Harry & Ryan lost their pairs game 17-12, while the triple of Tayler, Jack & David ground out a gritty 10-8 win. Just three shots in it after the first session.

The singles (Ryan) and fours both went down narrowly, giving Gloucestershire the tie. They went on to the final but were beaten by Huntingdonshire.

Courtfield's Fab Four - Senior Rinks

Mr Chris, John B, Paul and Carsy faced Durham, this time, there was no streaming, so it was like the old Ceefax days – members hitting refresh on the Bowls England results page waiting for updates! At halfway Cumbria were flying at 11-5, but a late surge from Durham flipped it round. Reports vary on the final score (18-14 or 19-13), but either way the dream run ended there.

Still, for their first ever trip to the nationals, it was a huge experience. As Paul said afterwards, the lads enjoyed every second, and as John McLaren rightly put it: “You achieved something many bowlers only dream of.” Well done to Tayler, John, Paul, Mr Chris & Carsy – the club is proud of you

Ladies Senior Fours – Wigton

One of the weekend’s highlights came in the Ladies Senior Fours where Wigton’s Angela Hayton, Anne Dalziel, Penny Piele & Jeanette Bell faced Bedfordshire. Two up with four to play, disaster struck as they dropped a seven to go behind. Lesser teams would’ve folded, but the Wigton ladies hit back with a five across the next two ends to level it 20-20. On the final end they held their nerve and took a four to win in spectacular style.

The Eckles Trophy – Courtfield (Sunday)

Sunday brought sunshine, drama and great bowling at Courtfield for the annual Eckles Trophy, kindly sponsored by Ken Murchison (https://www.kenmurchison.co.uk/). President Dave opened the green and welcomed players and visitors, before Ken – who only plays once a year – showed why he should turn out more often by claiming multiple touchers in his opening match!

Group play was tight:

Group A: Anne, Jo & Tony Jackson topped the table with 27 points, just ahead of John, Linda & Dusty on 24. Dave, George & Tony were also in the mix right to the end.
Group B: Dawesy (with shoes firmly ON this time), Aileen & Gill swept through the group, with Roy, John & Miles from Linton taking the runners-up spot.

The final was played over 6 ends and couldn’t have been closer. Dawesy’s triple took a 2-1 lead after three singles, before an umpire call was needed – except there wasn’t one! A slightly tipsy Hong Kong was roped in to adjudicate, but even with steady hands he couldn’t split them. Eventually, Anne, Jo & Tony J scored a decisive four to go 5-2 up with one to play. Tony Jackson then sealed it with the shot wood, and despite Dawesy having a lash with his last bowl, he couldn’t find the target.

A brilliant day in the sunshine – thanks to everyone in the kitchen, on the bar, the green staff, all the visitors, and of course our sponsor Ken.

Monday – Women’s Junior Singles & Ladies senior fours

Molly Haney carried Cumbria’s flag in the Women’s Junior Singles and made a dream start. She breezed past Lincolnshire’s Keira Thurston, drawing confidently and looking composed throughout.

In the next round she met Leicestershire’s Kat Bowman, and Molly produced an even stronger display. Full of confidence, she raced away to a commanding 21–6 win, booking her place in the last 16.

A stunning start to her Nationals campaign.

The Ladies Senior Fours came up against a strong Leicestershire side and found themselves in real trouble early on. At the halfway stage the scoreboard made for grim reading at 16–1 down, and despite their best efforts there was no way back. Hands were shaken shortly after, with the final score ending 23–3.

Stan Bragg League – Jack Fisher Cup

Courtfield had silverware on their minds in the Jack Fisher Cup semi-final and final at Caldbeck.

Semi-Final – Courtfield v Subscriptions

Courtfield travelled with confidence and a strong following of supporters, and they wasted no time in stamping their authority:

Rink 4 (Dave, Ste & Jaffa): A massive seven on the 4th end set the tone and they led 14-4. They eventually won 24-13
Rink 5 (Ste G, Dai & Ian B): Dominated from the off, 7-1 up after five ends and ruthless to the finish with a 24-4 win.
Rink 6 (Tony J, John M & Dawesy): Also out of the blocks quickly, 8-2 up after five, and closed out 20-10.

That gave Courtfield a huge 41-shot win overall. Meanwhile, Dalston overcame Port Carlisle 46-34 in the other semi-final, setting up the final everyone had expected.

With the semi-final job done, the lads tucked into steak pie and crumble – and were left waiting for second helpings before the main event!

Final – Courtfield v Dalston

The green was switched around for the final, but the momentum stayed firmly with Courtfield:

Rink 2 (Ste G, Dai & Ian B): Dropped a four early to be level 5-5, but never looked back after that and won 16-10 over Steven Watson’s triple.
Rink 3 (Dave, Ste B & Jaffa): Tight early exchanges against Danny Reed’s rink, but Courtfield always kept a cushion and ran out 19-13 winners.
Rink 5 (Tony J, John M & Dawesy): Delivered the hammer blow – a demolition job 22-8 to seal the trophy in style.

That meant a clean sweep in the final, and Courtfield were crowned Jack Fisher Cup champions for the second time in four years since joining the league.

Captain Ste G praised the “excellent team spirit from start to finish” and gave special thanks to the travelling supporters: “Your support was immense.”

More silverware in what is turning into a remarkable year for Courtfield.

Roland Starkie – Aspatria

After nearly three hours of graft, the Cleator Moor triple of Arnie, Malcolm and Simon held their nerve to edge out the Kirkbride trio of Charlie, Richard and Gordon by 18–15. A cracking contest played in the right spirit, capped off with the ever-popular legend Cyril Atkinson on hand to present the trophy to the winners – a fitting finish to a long evening of bowls.