ourteen league shooters tried out a new discipline on Saturday 19th March when they participated in the SAGL Paper Target Challenge. Shooting four abreast shooters had eight shots at each of two cards with eight targets on. They competed in three classes based on their league averages which enabled all entrants to compete against shooters with roughly the same ability. Everyone shot their very best and though the atmosphere in the room was very tense at times with absolute silence whilst shooting took place. The overall feeling was that it was a well organised evening’s shooting providing participants with a good experience. A clean bull scored six points so the maximum score possible was 96. Paul Lowe won Class A with a score of 92, Ashley Clarke won Class B with 87 and Derek Powers Class C with 74. The three awards will be presented later in the year.

On Tuesday each team except Clifford sent forth a representative to take part in the Roderick Baker Cup Competition together with last year’s winner Jamie Clarke. In the first round Andy Morris shooting for Home Guard was eliminated when Jamie Clarke shot 32.3 points. Alan Crichton for Avenue and Steve Ray for Avon had a close match which had to be re-shot when both scored 31.1. Crichton did better the second time around shooting 33.2 to Ray’s 32.3. Benn Chamberlain came up against Paul Clingan who shot 34.3 which put pay to his chances of success. Marc Anderton, MEB, shot a career best of 32.1 in his draw against Andy Smith, Binton A but Smith did better with a score of 33.3 points.

In the semi final Alan Crichton went out when Jamie Clarke shot a possible with three clean bulls for 35.3. Andy Smith went into the final having shot a possible with six clean bulls and 35.6 points which put Paul Clingan out of the running. The final was tense with both Clarke and Smith shooting five bulls but Smith dropped a four and it was all over. Clarke went on to get the maximum possible score with seven clean bulls for 35.7 points . A well deserved win for the third successive year.

Thursday saw teams competing in the Thompson Knock Out Cup. Clifford with seven shooters had some loose threes and lost their match against Wilmcote who had only six but Lester Langford who only started bell target shooting this season excelled with his first possible and 34s from Adam Clarke and Paul Clingan sealed Clifford’s fate with a total of 227 points.

The two teams based at Binton faced each other. Top scorer was Andy Smith for Binton A with a possible which brought his career total to 38. Binton B shooters had a few loose threes and lost the match with 208 to 221 points.

MEB were at home to Avenue and they had a close match with a worried Avenue as they were under the impression this was a Webley fixture which required them to give eleven handicap points away but part way through they realised there was no handicap involved. Alan Crichton and Steve Parrack both topped the shooting with 34s and 33s from James Wilby and Paul Lowe saw off the challenge from MEB though Kath Williams and Paul Onions shot 32 they were not helped with an A N Other score of 28. The final score line MEB 212 - Avenue 223 points.

The match between Home Guard and Avon was postponed.

Report by Juana Everett, to be published on 31st March 2016