Covid case keeps Portsmouth & District Bowls League City Division B title race in the balance

The first game was a rearranged match which Priory took by 16 shots, winning on two rinks, writes DAVE WILDMAN.

In the return fixture, Vospers triumphed by 11 shots, taking all rinks.

Milton Park finished their season with a 32-shot away loss at bottom club Gas Social. Two of the rinks were close (one of them ending in a draw) but the other ended in a 27-shot win by Stuart Townsley’s Gas rink.

The other game at Swordsands ended with Naismith beating College Park by five shots, winning on two rinks.

In Division B, another positive Covid case means the divisional winners have still to be decided as Waverley had to postpone two games, including what could have been the decider at Alexandra.

With Star’s game against Portsmouth Water being cancelled, the only match that was played was the bottom of the table clash in Old Portsmouth between Pembroke Gardens and Cosham Park to resolve who picked up the dreaded ‘Wooden Spoon’.

Going into the match, Cosham held an 11-point lead over Pembroke but the latter stormed to an 18-shot victory. More importantly, they won on all three rinks, meaning they leapfrogged over Cosham.

Dusty Miller’s rink took pride of place for the home club with their 14-shot win.

Havant & Waterlooville

As Leigh Park had already won the title, the meeting between the top two had also lost its bite.

Leigh Park defeated Cowplain by 17 shots but Peter Little’s rink at least prevented a second successive whitewash with their nine-shot win - picking up nine shots over the last three ends to clinch it.

The only other match to be played did have something hanging on it – who would finish second bottom?

It resulted in a close battle between hosts Emsworth and Denmead, ending in a one-shot win for Denmead which meant they finished above the host club.

Denmead had to thank the six-shot win by Brian Wilkins’ rink for the victory as that was their only winning rink.

Gosport & Fareham

Who won the division was decided by the two games between the top two, Rowner and Lee-on-the-Solent, both of which were played by the Solent.

The first game didn’t help at all as it ended in a 49-49 tie, with each club winning a rink and the third being drawn.

In the second match, the earlier result meant that the Solent club had to win on all rinks to overtake Rowner.

That was a task that wasn’t helped by one of their skips being caught up in the M27 incident, meaning a late change for one of their rinks.

Another close battle ensued, with Rowner finally winning the match by two shots, winning on two rinks to take the title.

There was another double header between Bridgemary and Fareham, both played at Bridgemary.

The games ended with Fareham picking up all the points to finish five points behind Lee-on-the-Solent, while Bridgemary finished bottom.

Combination Leagues

The winners of the Gosport & Fareham division depended on the last games for the two protagonists, Lee-on-the-Solent B and Fareham C.

Fareham C were first out of the blocks when they travelled to Gosport to play on their carpet.

And that proved to be their undoing, as the 27-shot loss at the hands of David Gibbins’ rink meant they lost the match by 17 shots, picking up just three points overall.

That meant Lee-on-the-Solent B just had to win one rink at Rowner B to take the division – and they did better than that by winning all three as they ran out 37-shot victors.

Midweek Triples Leagues

The winners of the City Blue division were being decided this week with the final games for the top two, Waverley and Vospers Blue, with Waverley leading by just a point.

Both have home games - Waverley against Pembroke Gardens and Vospers Blue taking on Alexandra Blue.

With four rounds of games still to go in the City Red division, Alexandra Red have a 29-point lead over second-placed Gas Social Red.

Havant & Waterlooville

With three rounds of games left, Cowplain Blue have a 16-point lead.

Gosport & Fareham

These are the only divisions where the winners are known - Rowner A having won the A Division and Fareham Gold the B Division.