t
was back to the old guns again last Thursday for the third round of the
Centenary matches. Wilmcote maintained their unbeaten run when they defeated
Home Guard 194 to 161 to keep them at the top of the table with 6pts from three
matches. Both teams fielded eight shooters but Wilmcote were the more consistent
throughout hitting 10 bulls between them and fewer stray low scoring pellets
than Home Guard who only hit the bull three times and suffered from a goodly
number of low scoring pellets. Veteran shooter John Maycock who shot with these
“simple” sighted type of guns when younger had no stray shots for his 30pts
which was the highest score in the match. In the match between the two teams based at Binton, it was the A team who were better able to focus on the bull and centre their shots. With four bulls, 18 fours, 26 threes and a two they managed to score 172pts. There was more consistency with each member of the team getting scores in the low to mid twenties. Binton B apart from Rob Johnson who scored 29 had trouble with loose pellets which lowered their scores and three outers did not add to the score. Three of the team had scores below twenty and they did well to end up with 153pts. The team have yet to win a match.
MEB were at home against Avenue-RBL who struggled to come to terms with Gordon Spencer’s BSA “Club” rifle with a blade foresight as evidenced by the fact that only two members of the team made all their pellets count. Fred Williams and Ray Hodgkins (MEB) both of whom shot with this type of gun many years ago showed how it was done scoring 32 and 31 respectively including a run of three bulls each. Avenue-RBL had seven shooters but three had scores less than twenty which did not bode well for the team. At the end of this match MEB ended up with the highest score in the competition so far 195 and Avenue-RBL the lowest 144.
The table of individual average scores reveals Jo Everett and Rob Johnson at the top with 29 but they have only shot in one match. The best performer over three matches is Fred Williams with an average of 28.33 with Chris Green in hot pursuit with 28. Fred Williams has also scored the most points for his team 85 then Chris Green 84 and Paul Boazman with 80.
Next week 10TH March a representative from each team will compete in the Roderick Baker Cup at Wilmcote Sports & Social Club and the following week, 17TH March, teams will shoot in the Webley competition with Binton B vs MEB; Home Guard vs Avenue-RBL and Wilmcote vs Binton A.