COURTFIELD WEEKLY ROUND-UP Battles, bird strikes, and brave performances!
- leemcgarvie
- Jul 22
- 6 min read
Tuesday – Ladies Triples Quarter-Finals
Jo, Anne and Gill faced Wigton’s Chelsea, Molly and Nicola in what can only be described as a horror start – 9-0 down after 4. But a stunning 7 on the 5th dragged them back into it. The game stayed tight, but chasing shots cost them as Wigton pulled away 24-11.
Men’s County Cup Semi-Final
Subscription B squeaked past Wigton Park. Despite losing by 1 away, they turned it around at home with a 4-shot win. They’ll now meet Workington A who stormed past Aspatria 41-21.
Ladies League Finale – Dalston West Down, Courtfield Second!
The final league match of the season saw Courtfield Ladies hosting Dalston West — and what a way to sign off a superb campaign!
Rink 1 – Jo, Anne and Gill were in their usual sparkling form. They absolutely dominated from the off, winning 10 of the 15 ends and picking up a couple of cheeky 5s along the way. They closed it out 25-6, a real statement win that secured the crucial aggregate points.
Rink 2 – Linda, Aileen W and Evelyn saw Evelyn take the skip role for the first time — and she didn’t shy away from the pressure. Despite a valiant effort, a big 6 dropped on the 10th end proved costly and they went down 13-19. But the signs were good, and the fight was definitely there.
Rink 3 – Jean, Lesley and Aileen M were involved in a proper see-saw game. Neither side gave an inch and after 15 ends they couldn’t be separated — a 12-12 draw.
Final Result: Courtfield 5 – Dalston West 3 - Courtfield finish 2nd in the league!
An excellent season by the ladies — consistent, determined and brilliantly led. Every player contributed and the final game summed it up: a strong win, clever bowling and a lot to be proud of. Congratulations to all involved!
Men’s Singles Semi-Finals @Aspatria
David Forster beat James Fuge 21-14, and Ryan Prince beat Martyn Holding 21-18 – setting up a cracking final.
Courtfield A v Subscription B – A Game of Chaos, Comebacks & Condensation
The A team made the short trip across town to Myddelton Street to take on Sub B, only to be greeted by an unexpected sight — protective mats on the green.
Courtfield lads were rattled — and it showed, after one end, the aggregate read:
Sub B 15 - Courtfield 0.
Rink 2 – John, Paul and Carsy A shocking first end saw them ship a 5. But like men possessed, they stormed back with 12 shots in just four ends, including a glorious 6. From there, they locked in and controlled the pace, delivering a commanding 24-12 win.
Rink 3 – Ian, Gerry and Hong Kong Another nightmare start, another 5 down. They chased the game throughout against Simon Kerridge’s calm and clinical trio. A 4 on the 9th gave them a glimmer at 13-9, but a sloppy 3 conceded next end ended the momentum. Final score: 23-11 to Sub B.
Rink 5 – Ste G, Dai and Lee They were 4 down after two ends, and then fate stepped in. As if touched by divine comedy, Lee took a direct hit from a low-flying seagull. From that moment, the rink flipped on its head — they rattled off six straight ends, leading 13-4. A disaster 5 conceded on end 9 was quickly avenged with a 5 of their own. They closed out a wild one 22-11. Seagull: MVP?
Rink 4 – Mr Chris, Lawrence and Jaffa The showstopper. Facing ex-Courtfield man Dave Balfour, the game swung like a barn door in a gale. Every end was tight. With one end to go, it was 12-12, but drama was incoming. Mr Chris, channelling Elsa from Frozen with his flowing locks, was lying two shots when Lawrence, clearly channelling his inner Sunday League defender, smashed the jack into the next postcode. Gasps echoed. A pause followed. And then the unmistakable sight of steam pouring from Jaffa’s ears. It wasn’t the grass, it wasn’t the weather — this was pure volcanic rage, a cloud so thick even Sub B players backed away.
Lawrence, redeeming himself, gently nudged Mr Chris's bowl a bit closer. They nicked the end and the match 13-12, sealing the aggregate and an 8-2 win for Courtfield.
Courtfield B v Stanwix – Battle Under at home
Courtfield B welcomed a confident Stanwix outfit chasing third spot, but the home side weren’t planning to roll over.
Rink 2 – Linda, Tony J and John were in a back-and-forth war with E. Johnstone’s trio. It was like a game of chess — every move matched. Courtfield edged ahead with a tidy 2 on the 13th end, but Stanwix clawed it back, and a final end deadlock left it at a hard-earned 12-12 draw.
Rink 3 – Jo, Jean and Mike D played with great composure. After edging ahead by 3 on the 9th end, they focused on containment, drawing beautifully and keeping their opponents under pressure. A classy 11-8 win that was built on calm heads and solid bowling.
Rink 5 – Tony A, Dave and Gill burst out of the blocks like a team on a mission, smashing a 5 on the opening end. But the lead slowly evaporated, with Stanwix pegging it back to 8-8 by the 9th. Courtfield regained the lead briefly, but a big 3 for Stanwix on the 12th swung it, and despite a fightback, Courtfield narrowly lost 14-11. A near miss that could’ve gone either way.
Rink 6 – Julie, Anne and Ste B had a night to forget. Despite good effort, they only managed to win four ends and couldn’t stem the tide. Stanwix were clinical, picking up consistent counts and stretching the lead to finish 23-10 winners.
Final Result: Courtfield B 3 – Stanwix 7
Lots of promise in patches, but just missing that final punch. A few small tweaks and this result could have swung the other way.
Friday Over 55s – Crumble at the Magpie
Courtfield’s Over 55s side found themselves in unfamiliar surroundings on Friday — playing away at The Magpie, who have recently started hosting games again. The team arrived with confidence, knowing a strong performance could see them leapfrog into top spot in the league.
And for most of the match, it looked like that was exactly what would happen.
Courtfield were cruising — the aggregate was solid, and a few rinks looked in full control. After 13 ends, the scoreline suggested we were on for an 8-2 victory.
But then... the wheels came off.
What followed was a collapse of epic proportions. Disaster across multiple rinks. Woods went wayward, conversions went the wrong way, and momentum shifted sharply in Magpie’s favour.
When the final bowls were played, the scoreboard painted a very different picture:
One rink managed a win, thankfully keeping us in the points.
Another clung on for a draw.
The remaining two lost, squandering what had looked like winning positions earlier in the game.
We scraped the aggregate, which combined with our single rink win and draw gave us a 5-5 share of the points — but from the position we were in, it felt like a real missed opportunity.
To rub salt in the wound, Wetheral were beaten 6-4 by Dalston, meaning Courtfield are now just 3 points behind with a game in hand.
Saturday – Alsop: Cumbria v Yorkshire
Five Courtfield players lined up for Cumbria in a winner-takes-all clash. Unfortunately, Yorkshire fielded 8 Middleton players and whitewashed Cumbria 22-0, taking the trophy with a 60-shot margin.
Sunday – Two-Wood & Women’s Semi-Finals
Only Ian B represented Courtfield at Silloth in the men’s two-wood. He lost to Huw Crosby, who made the final and will play C Mason
In the Women’s semis@ Aspatria
Tina Smitham edged Molly Haney 21-20
Chelsea Browbank beat Karen Napier-Westwood 21-13
Triples Final: Vicky Cook’s triple will face Molly Haney’s trio in the final after winning 28-5. against L White.
Monday – Stan Bragg League at Brampton
Rink 2 (Ste G, Dai, George G) won 18-6
Rink 3 (Dave, Ste B, Jaffa) beat Billy Reid’s triple 15-10
Rink 4 (Chris, Dawsey, Ian B) led 9-4, then dropped a 6. Despite fighting back to 15-15, they lost 18-15
Courtfield stay 5th in the table with three matches to go.
Well done to everyone involved this week – some brilliant performances all round!
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