CORNWALL COUNTY SHORT MAT BOWLING ASSOCIATION - News Release 4th February 2024

CORNWALL COUNTY SHORT MAT BOWLING ASSOCIATION

News Release 4th February 2024

INTER COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

On Sunday 4th February Cornwall's A Team travelled to Solihull to face Norfolk in the first preliminary round of the Inter County Championship knockout competition with a team including a number of changes for that which came through the group stages.

The first session saw both counties win a game apiece in the Singles and Pairs.  The second session again saw points shared in Triples and Fours.  The match was tied at 8 points each at the lunch break.

Norfolk moved up a gear in the afternoon session restricting Cornwall to just 3 further points, a win in the Singles and a draw in the Triples, to win the match 29 points to 11 and 230 shots to 158.

The players representing Cornwall in the match were Steve Williamson (Luxulyan), Mark Williams (Lanteglos), Rita Hancock (Blisland), Leonard Lee (Duloe), John Dodd (St Newlyn East), Carol Dodd (St Newlyn East), Ken Horrell (Withiel), Joyce Harding (Luxulyan), Meg Horrell (Withiel), Alan Trubshaw (Duloe), John Worth (Luxulyan), Graham Luke (Withiel), Brenda Sleep (Dobwalls), Tony Jago (Withiel), Eileen Williams (Lanteglos), Heidi Kerr (Landrake), David Topliffe (Boscastle), Caroline Trubshaw (Duloe), Chris Jennings (Lanteglos) & Gill Jennings (Lanteglos).

SHORT MAT PLAYERS TOUR - ENGLISH MASTERS

This coming weekend five local bowlers will be travelling to Chelmsford for the Short Mat Players Tour English Masters competition featuring 192 bowlers from 12 countries.

Current World Number 4 Nigel Nicholls (Newlyn Trinity) (70.14% wins from 278 games) is drawn in Group 3 where he will face Steve Collins (ENG - Rank 302 - 50% from 6), Eroll Morina (SWE - 67 - 60% from 35), Rory Gittoes (WAL - 52 - 58.70% from 46), Paul Hutson (ENG - 705 - 16.67% from 6) and Muhammad Kamran Rasheed (UAE - Tour debut).  Nigel's match against Eroll Morina is scheduled on the Show Mat at 16.30 on Saturday.

Elise Daniell (Holmans) (43.38% from 219) is currently 33rd in the rankings and is drawn in Group 20 where she will face Billy Chapman (IRE - 101 - 44.26% from 61), Paul Seaman (ENG - 37 - 58.95% from 229), Sam Moore (IRE - 32 - 52.88% from 312), Bjarne Andersson (SWE - 64 - 45.10% from 153 and Gunn Ellen Bekkevold (NOR - 655 - 16.67% from 6).  Elise's match against Sam Moore is scheduled on the Show Mat at 17.20 on Saturday.

Peter Hore (Holmans) (54.59% from 218) is currently 39th in the rankings and is drawn in Group 8 where he faces a tough draw which includes current world number 2 Gary McNabb (IRE - 81.78% from 247), current English, British Isles and World Singles Champion Alex Kley (ENG - 10 - 71.35% from 185), Mark Spalding (ENG - 65 - 39.66% from 58), Tony McHugh (IRE - 501 - 33.33% from 6) and John Manley (ENG -  Tour debut).

Steve Smith (St Newlyn East) (57.89% from 19) is currently 157th in the rankings and is drawn in Group 15 where he face Alan Thomas (WAL - 214 - 16.54% from 133), Barry Bates (ENG - 392 - 41.18% from 51), Tony Wall (ENG - 136 - 65.63% from 32), David Hacker (ENG - 326 - 34.69% from 49) and Andrew Cockcroft (IRE - 105 - 47.28% from 105).

David Studden (Holmans) (72.41% from 29) is currently 203rd in the rankings and is drawn in Group 1 where he will face Aaron Clare (ENG - 90 - 51.85% from 108), Sioned Ann Owen-Braniff (WAL - 349 - 36.67% from 30), Paula Scales (ENG - 522 - 23.08% from 26), Sarah Sarling (ENG - 329 - 31.58% from 19) and Lynn Orlando (ENG - 314 - 35% from 20).

The competition follows the usual players tour format with four rounds of group games played on Saturday and the final round played on Sunday morning. The knockout stages follow through Sunday afternoon into the evening.  Updates will be available throughout the two days on the Short Mat Players Tour website.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

On 17th February the final round of Inter Area League matches will be played at Carnmoggas.  The following weekend sees the first National Titles of the season decided with the National Mixed Fours on Saturday 24th February and National Over 55's Pairs on Sunday 25th February.

ENDS

Nicholas Truscott

Press and Promotions Officer

CCSMBA