eague winners Binton A were at home to the Clifford team who are strong contenders for the Webley Shield this year. Binton who had to give Clifford 35 points need to pull out all the stops to win this match. Rachael Brookes from Clifford started with 31 which was a personal best and Martin Robinson shot 29 which was also a personal best score. Chris Ward and Trevor Morris both shot better than their personal averages with 30s as did Amanda Pettitt who shot 28. Tony Waters shot a par 28 and their anchor man Roy Brookes though equalling his best ever score ended up having it scratched as he was Clifford’s eighth shooter. With 238 points Binton had an uphill job. Gary Hooper and Will Cemis gave of their best both getting a possible. Records indicate that the last time two members of the same team shot a possible in the same match, was back in 2005 when Paul Clingan and the late Ray Warnock shot for MEB against Wilmcote. Apart from John Parrott whose shooting lacked his normal style and whose score ended up being scratched as the lowest of Binton’s eight shooters, Binton’s shooting was lacking in consistency with 31s from Michelle Dale and Alan Dyer and 30s from Chris Reed, Neil Bragg and Neil Beningfield. Binton scored a very creditable 222 points but Clifford remain undefeated in this handicap competition.

Wilmcote took an early lead in their match at Avenue Sports & Social Club with Paul Clingan’s fourth pellet letting him down for a possible then 32 from Andrea Norris and 31 from Brian Adshead and Alan Brookes. John Maycock shot a solid 30 and Tim Stephens was looking to do the same but was let down when his last pellet scored a three. Neither Paul Boazman nor Lyn Brookes shot as well as they are able and after dropping the lowest of their eight scores, Wilmcote finished on 213 points. Alison McMillan shooting for Avenue got her second highest score this season with 32. Steve Everett shot 30 as did Dee Green who equalled her best score this season but the rest of the team were shooting only at or below par and it was down to anchor man Steve Ray to lift their score. He was looking good for a possible but one pellet failed to ring the bell and he had to settle for 34. Avenue with eight shooters also had to drop their lowest score but with the 12 point handicap from Wilmcote came out winners with 219 points.

Shooters in the match between MEB and Binton B, who only had six shooters, had flurries of threes to bring down scores. Fred Williams had the highest score for MEB with 32 and Sheila Clarke who must be one of the most consistent shooters in the league this season shot 31 for the seventh time in ten matches. Oscar Thornton shot a creditable 29 and par 28 was scored by both Ray Hodgkins and Jan Beattie. Karl McMillan suffered from a couple of threes and was disappointed with 27. MEB had just one point from Binton B which brought their counting scores to 208. Binton B gave a disappointing performance. Chris Green and Jon Packard both kept out of the threes and shot 31. Roy Clarke and Ben Chamberlain both had a bull and a three with fours for 28 and Ian Powell who for one reason or another has only shot once this season did well to score two bulls for his 27. With an A N Other score of 27 from MEB Binton finished on 198.

There is only one match tonight 26 Jan, a preliminary match in the Four A Side Competition between Binton B and Wilmcote’s M&M team.