📰 Courtfield Weekly Round-Up: Green Confusion, Narrow Margins & National Progress!
- leemcgarvie
- Jun 3
- 7 min read
County Fours Semi-Finals – Tuesday 27th May
Two very different games, but one clear route to the final.
Jackie Walker’s four (Whitehaven) stormed out of the blocks against Ryan Baxter’s four (Wigton Park), leading 16-6 after 10 ends. It didn’t go much further, finishing 19-7 in a dominant display that left no room for a comeback.
In contrast, the second semi was a slower burn. David Forster’s Workington four held the reins early, leading 10-6 after 10, but Paul Wallace’s Silloth team chipped away. By the 14th they were just two behind, and by the 16th they were two ahead — closing out a tight win 17-13 (13: unlucky for some, not for Silloth!).
Ladies League – Home vs Subscription/Linton
You know it's going to be a strange afternoon when the green's set the opposite way and everyone’s looking around like it’s their first day of bowls. Courtfield’s ladies were already rattled before the first jack was rolled — and it showed early on.
The usually rock-solid Jo, Anne and Gill were steady until the 4th end, when they dropped an uncharacteristic 6 — the sort of number that makes you check if the scoreboard’s broken. They didn’t let it rattle them though, clawing their way back end by end. Sadly, the deficit was just too much, and they fell just short, 13-16. A bruising result, but a brave fight.
On the next rink, Linda, Aileen W and Aileen M couldn’t quite get into gear. Whether it was the green, the breeze, or just a bad day at the bowls office, nothing quite clicked. They were out-bowled from the off and ended up on the wrong end of a 19-6 scoreline. One to forget and move on from.
The bright spark came from Jean, Corrine and Kerry, who were in a real ding-dong battle. The turning point came on the 12th end when they snatched a 5 and took the lead. Two shots up going into the final end, they looked to be bagging the win — but fate had other plans. They dropped a pair to draw 13-13, but it was enough to earn Courtfield’s only point of the day. Sometimes you take what you can get!
Courtfield 1 Sub/Linton 7
There was better news for Jo and Gill, who edged past Suzie Balfour 17-16 in the National Pairs — a proper nail-biter of a match. They now head to the Quarter Finals to face Tina Smitham of Workington. That one promises fireworks.
Men’s County Triples – Wednesday Evening
It was the battle of the triples as Courtfield’s finest took to the green under the evening sun:
Paul, Lawrence and Ste B showed their experience and control, putting in a polished performance to beat their opponents 17-9. Never really looked in doubt — steady heads and a couple of big ends saw them through. They now take on the Baxter brothers from Wigton Park (who just edged out M. Davies from Fitz Park) in what should be a spicy quarter-final. That one’s set for Wednesday 4th June at Kirkbride
In the heartbreak category, Kev, Tayler and Mr Chris were in a thriller. The game swung back and forth like a dodgy barstool, and it came down to the final end. Holding a one-shot lead, they just needed to close it out. But with one bad end — and a clutch bowl from the opposition — they dropped two and lost it 17-18. Tough to take, but a cracking effort.
Carliol League – Top of the Table Clash (and More!)
Courtfield A vs Subscription A (Away)
A warm but gloomy night set the stage for a top-of-the-table showdown between two heavyweights — and Courtfield A didn’t disappoint.
Rink 1 – Kev, Tayler & Ian P Faced with a strong Sub triple of Mel Sallis, Tom Prescott, and Ian Gallagher, this trio didn’t blink. They tore into them from the off and never let up, extending their unbeaten run with a dominant 30-11 win. Formidable stuff.
Rink 6 – Steve G, Steve D & Lee Up against David Balfour, Gary Lightfoot, and Ricky Gallagher, they looked in control at 13-5. But Sub rallied to 13-11 with two ends to go. On the penultimate end, a slightly fortunate last bowl from Lee nudged Steve G’s bowl in for shot. That made it 14-11 going into the final end. A tense head followed. Ricky’s final bowl nudged a toucher but left Courtfield clinging on — winning 14-12 in a thriller and staying unbeaten.
Rink 5 – John, Carsy & Paul Found themselves 14-4 down against M. Wallis, Dave Lee & Barry Milgate — with Barry reportedly saving at least 8 shots early on. But Courtfield weren’t done. A storming comeback had them within two shots going into the final end. They grabbed a single, losing 14-13, but the aggregate was secure.
Rink 4 – Mr Chris, Dai & Jaffa With the match poised, all eyes turned to this rink. Tightly contested throughout against Kev Lightfoot, John Buxton & Lawrence Kelly, the scoreline seesawed until Courtfield edged ahead by 1 shot going into the last. Under pressure and in full view of all, they calmly added a 3 to seal it 13-9.
📊 Result: Courtfield A 8 – 2 Subscription A The Gap now just 3 points, and Courtfield have a game in hand. It’s getting spicy at the top.
Courtfield B vs The Magpie (Home)
Rink 2 – Jo, Anne & Gill They led 5-4 after 6 ends, but a 4 for Magpie on the next swung the momentum. The visitors took control and ran out 21-7 winners. Tough night, but this trio will bounce back.
Rink 3 – George, Corrine & Steve B Also 5-4 up after 6 ends, they found themselves 4 down — until Steve B conjured up a “wonder shot” (his words), trailing the jack for 4 and swinging the match Courtfield’s way. Final score: 17-10.
Rink 4 – Jean, Tony J & Dawesy Trailing 9-3 after 9, they rallied with a 4 on the 12th to level the game. Magpie picked up a 1, but Courtfield finished strong with a 3 and a single to win 13-10. Great comeback!
Rink 5 – Chris, Dave G & Mike A rough start, 9 down after 3, but they kept chipping away. They won 7 of the next 12 ends but couldn’t bridge the gap, going down 19-9 to Paul Nugent’s triple.
📊 Result: Courtfield B 4 – 6 Magpie
Other Results:
West End 0 v Brampton 10
Dalston 8 v Subscription B 2
Kirkbride 6 v Stanwix 4
Over 55s Carliol League – Courtfield Still on Top
Courtfield’s Over 55s hit the road to face Subscription B and came away with a solid 7-3 win, keeping themselves perched at the top of the table. Special shoutout to Super Sub Linda, who stepped in last minute and slotted in like she’d been there all season.
On the mysterious Rink 7, Dave G, Dawesy, and Ste B couldn’t quite get going and slipped to a 21-13 defeat — maybe next time we’ll bring a compass. Jaffa fought out a 14-14 draw, holding his nerve as ever. Thankfully, the other two rinks were all business, coasting to comfortable wins to secure the overall points.
Title dreams very much alive!
Other Results:
Dalston 8 v Stanwix 2
Ladies Senior County Fours & White Rose U25s
On Saturday, Evelyn, Jean, Aileen and Angela travelled to Stanwix to take on Y. London's four in the Ladies Senior County Fours — and what a match it was. The Courtfield ladies came flying out of the blocks, dominating the early ends and setting a strong pace. But bowls can be cruel. A single dropped 4 on the 16th end proved to be the turning point, with the match slipping away to a narrow 16-14 defeat. A tough result, but the performance showed they’re more than capable at county level. A great experience — and brilliant to see Courtfield’s ladies mixing it with the best.
Meanwhile, over in Northallerton, it was a huge day for one of Courtfield’s rising stars. Tayler Johnston was selected as part of the Cumbria Under-25 White Rose team competing in the regional finals. The competition saw counties go head-to-head in singles, pairs, triples, and fours — played over two sets per game.
Tayler and the team were in top form, delivering four solid wins across the formats to secure qualification for the National Finals at Leamington.
Huge congratulations to Cumbria — and to our very own Tayler. We’re proud as punch. The whole club will be cheering you on in Leamington!
Stan Bragg League – Jack Fisher Cup Drama! Courtfield travelled to Wigton for a high-stakes Jack Fisher Cup tie, and the afternoon did not disappoint…
Rink 4: Ste G, Dai and George G faced David Hodgson’s triple and got off to a flying start, leading 7-2 after 8 ends – more than halfway through and looking comfortable. But then disaster struck: a seven on the ninth and a five on the tenth turned the tide – 12 unanswered shots and Wigton were suddenly 19-7 ahead! To their credit, the lads dusted themselves off and finished strong with a 3 and 4 to end 19-14 – keeping the aggregate alive.
Rink 3: Dave G, Ste B and Jaffa had a classic back-and-forth battle with M Holliday. One down playing the last, they pulled out a two to sneak a 10-9 win – every shot counted!
Rink 2: Mr Chris, Anthony (drafted in last-minute before jetting off) and Dawesy stormed into an early lead against Bob Dalziel, briefly fell behind, then turned on the style – including a superb seven of their own! They ran away with it 27-6, putting Courtfield through to Round 2, where they’ll meet Kirkbride.
Roland Starkie Cup Monday night saw Subscription’s Barry Milgate, Gary and Brian Lightfoot in action at Courtfield against Penrith Friars. A tight affair, but the Sub lads edged it 16-14.
County Pairs Paul and John made short work of P Martin (Cleator Moor) with a commanding 19-4 victory. Eyes now on the next round!
Ladies County Triples – Instant Classic! Jean, Aileen & Evelyn faced a strong Wetheral triple led by Y Opray. Courtfield trailed 10-5 early, but refused to back down. A crucial few ends and a surge of momentum saw them leading 15-12 going into the final end. Wetheral were holding four – and the game – until Evelyn, cool as you like, drew third shot with her final bowl to clinch a thrilling 15-14 win. Take a bow, ladies!
As the season heats up, Courtfield’s teams and individuals are showing real grit, class, and no shortage of drama — whether it’s clawing back from the brink, edging thrillers on the final end, or flying the flag at county level. From national qualifiers to last-minute heroes, the spirit across the club is something special. With more league battles, cup ties, and county clashes just around the corner, there's plenty more to come — and Courtfield will be right in the thick of it. Let’s keep the momentum rolling!
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