eams shot in the last week of the Webley Shield Competition last Thursday. Three teams were in contention with each only having lost one match and having six points from their previous four matches. Avenue-RBL should have had the Shield all sewn up but unless they could improve on a very poor performance last week there was a chance for either MEB, current holders, or Binton A to snatch the trophy.

Binton B’s seven shooters were at home to Home Guard’s eight shooters and though both teams had a goodly smattering of threes on the target, it was a close match. Bill Fleming for Binton got off to a flying start with 33, a personal best score. Ben Chamberlain shot a respectable 31 and Mike Perry 30. Sam Powell had one three but still managed 29. Joe Powell and Gordon O’nions were less fortunate. Jackie Mills had the highest score for the Home Guard side with 31 and hubby Richard scored 29. The rest of the team were dogged by loose shots scoring in the mid to high twenties. Binton B ended on 202 and Home Guard on 201.

MEB shot against Binton A. Paul Clingan was up first for the visitors and shot a competent 34 which was the highest score in the match. John Parrott shot 32 and four shooters, Andy Smith, Gary Hooper, Will Cemis and Alan Dyer all shot 31. Neil Beningfield was unfortunate with two of his shots and was disappointed with his score. Richard Groom for MEB gave a personal best score of 33 and Sheila Clarke did not let the team down with her 32pts. Kath Williams scored 31, Karl McMillan and Fred Williams 30, Jan Beattie 29and Ray Hodgkins 27. Captain, Gordon Spencer’s score was scratched as being the lowest of MEB’s eight shooters. The score line was MEB 212 to Binton’s 216 but this is a handicap competition and Binton’s 12 point handicap saw MEB win the match.

Avenue-RBL met Wilmcote for their last match which started well for Avenue-RBL who initially kept up with Wilmcote’s scores. The match drifted away from Avenue with as the middle ranks fared less well than their opponents. Andy Morris and Steve Ray shot last matching scores of 34. For Wilmcote, John Maycock shot 32, Paul Boazman, Lyn and Alan Brookes shot 31 and Andrea Norris shot 29. Tim Stephens scored 28 but he suffered from an unkind target with most of his shots tight and deserving of a bull. The team scored 216pts. Avenue-RBL shot better this week with 31 from Louise Price and Paul Nixon-Barron, 30 from Jo Everett and Dee Green and 29 from Guy Ganderton. Steve Everett had some loose shots and fared less well. They finished on 211 but added a 12 point handicap from Wilmcote so took the match with 223pts. The Webley Shield was theirs with eight points and an average score of 211.20pts.

Following on from these last matches, Colin Fulford (Home Guard) was declared winner of the Baildham Cup with an average of 33.64 which included two possibles shot over eleven matches and Will Cemis took the Improvement Cup having shot 40.81% better this season than last.

Matches tonight Thursday 21 April - the final matches in the Centenary Competition with Binton B vs Avenue-RBL; Home Guard vs Binton A and Wilmcote vs MEB. The following week is the last shooting night of the season when Binton A meet MEB in the Thompson Cup Final. Delegates are asked to return the trophies, engraved for the 2009/10 season, cleaned and polished to the meeting on Tuesday 3 May.