venue A got their highest score so far this season last week when they scored 221 points in their match against Binton A. For the home team, Steve Parrack shot 34 and James Wilby 33. Joe Alexander who only started shooting this season shot a personal best of 33. The team were more consistent than in some previous matches with only one three on the scoreboard. Michelle Dale was first to shoot for Binton and with 35 points, her fourth career possible, she got the visitors off to a flying start. Binton maintained their lead throughout the match though they were pressed by Avenue. Anchor man Will Cemis also shot a possible, his sixth this season and Andy Smith only missed one bull for 34. With only six shooters, Binton had to include an A N Other score but the team still won the match with 225 points.

Avon had the second highest score of the week when they won their match against Snitterfield. Their best shot was 34 scored by Mark Ellis with 33s from Colin Fulford and Mark Walster. Snitterfield’s Andy Morris shot his fourth possible since his return to the League this season and Tom Morris shot six bulls after starting with a 4 for 34 points. After dropping the lowest of their eight scores Avon had 223 points to Snitterfield’s 214.

Binton B also fielded eight shooters for their match against Avenue B who had seven. Binton kept their shots tight on the whole but they did have a couple of loose threes in their scores. Three shooters scored 31, Chris Green, Joe Powell and Ian Powell and new shooter Ken Masters and team captain Benn Chamberlain both shot 30s. Anchor man Steve Hodges had the highest score with 32. Only two of Avenue B’s shooters, Andrew Radbourne 30 and Richard Mills 29 kept out of the threes but with low scores the team could only manage 190 points which gave Binton victory with 214 points.

Clifford were at home to Wilmcote . Clifford had four shooters who got ten bulls between them for scores of 32 Trevor Morris, 31 Dave Sibley 30 Ian Perkins and 29 Jay Morris. After dropping the lowest of their eight scores they finished on 203 points. The Wilmcote team who shot only bulls and fours had higher scores with Jamie Clarke and Andrew Clingan both missing out on possibles with six bulls each for 34s. Other members of the team shot consistent 31s but with only six shooters they had to take an A N Other score to bring their total to 217 which brought them another win to maintain their unbeaten record this season.

The final rounds of the Whitbread Individual Trophy were shot at Snitterfield Sports Club on 9 December. Gareth Morris shot only fours and bulls to get through three rounds for a place in the quarter finals where he defeated Ian Powell only to come up against Jamie Clarke in the semi final. Clarke was on good form having eliminated Andy Smith with a mini possible of 25.4 out of 25.5 points. With seven pellets in the semi final Morris shot 32 but Clarke shot 34.3 for his place in the final.

Steve Ray was successful in two rounds before reaching the quarter final where with 24 points he defeated Paul Onions. In the semi final, he came up against Andy Morris who shot 23.2 to knockout Karl McMillan in the earlier round. Both shooters kept their shots tight but it was Ray who won through to the final with 33.4 to Morris’ 31 points.

Steve Ray started with a “clean” bull, a good omen, but his next shot was a four. He repeated this again then shot a “dirty” bull and ended on another clean bull and a four which gave him a total of 32.3 points. Jamie Clarke gave a professional display of shooting with five bulls, three on them clean, a four and finished with a bull for 34.3 points which gave him victory and the trophy.

Report by Juana Everett, to be published on 18th December 2014