Beds & Herts League 2016

v Letchworth (home)     9 August     won 5-1

Bryan Harral (0) and Peter Aspinall (11) lost to Terry Mahoney (1) and John Hall (7) -5

Geoff Strutt (9) and Richard Keighley (18) beat Keith Rhodes (2½) and David Matthews (5) +17

Bryan Harral beat Terry Mahoney +19

Geoff Strutt beat Keith Rhodes +11

Peter Aspinall beat David Matthews +15T

Richard Keighley beat John Hall +15T

Captain Bryan Harral reports: The final match of the season propelled us to the top of the League table. Unfortunately St Albans later won their last match and pushed Wrest Park into second place, but a very good B&H season for Wrest Park. My thanks to everyone who played and I hop you have enjoyed the matches and the company as much as I have.

The full league table can be seen on the EACF website.

v Enfield (home)     25 July    drew 3-3

Bryan Harral (-½) and Cliff Hayes (20) lost to Ken Pickett (3) and Alan Foott (20 -1T

David Woolley (7) and Richard Keighley (20) beat David Frost (5) and Tony Elliott (6) +1T

Bryan Harral lost to Ken Pickett -1

David Woolley beat David Frost +1T

Richard Keighley beat Tony Elliott +3T

Cliff Hayes lost to Alan Foott -8T

v Watford (home)     21 June     won 4-2

Bryan Harral (-½) and Peter Aspinall (11) beat Simon Hathrell (-1) and Adam Huby (10) +2T

David Woolley (8) and Geoff Strutt (9) beat Arthur Reed (2½) and Andre machell (9) +2T

Bryan Harral lost to Simon Hathrell -2

David Woolley beat Arthur Reed +25

Geoff Strutt beat Andre Machell +2T

Peter Aspinall lost to Adam Huby -12

v Northampton (away)     9 June     drew 3-3

Bryan Harral (-½) and Peter Aspinall (11) lost to Mike Hills (10 and Jane Evans (18) -7

David Woolley (8) and John Tew (9) beat James Skelton (1½) and Peter Stansfield (3) +1T

Bryan Harral lost to Mike Hills -19

David Woolley lost to James Skelton -14

John Tew beat Peter Stansfield +16

Peter Aspinall beat Jane Evans +13

v St Albans (away)     5 May     lost 0-4

Bryan Harral (-½) and Peter Aspinall (11) lost to Heather Bennett (6) and Andrew Apps (16) -25

Geoff Strutt (9) lost to Chris Frost (4½) -15

Bryan Harral and Geoff Strutt lost to Chris Frost and Andrew Apps -25

Peter Aspinall lost to Heather Bennett -5

Bryan Harral writes: “I could make excuses about foreign fields and bad luck, but to cut a long story short we couldn’t shoot straight. I think it best to draw a veil over this result and move on.”

v Melgrave (home)     22 April     won 4-2

Bryan Harral (0) and Peter Aspinall (11) beat Robert Skeen (6) and Keith Holgate (16) +1T

John Bevington (1) and David Woolley (8) beat Duncan Hector (-1) and Peter Whiting (8) +6T

Bryan Harral beat Duncan Hector +2

John Bevington beat Robert Skeen +6

David Woolley lost to Peter Whiting -6

Peter Aspinall lost to Keith Holgate -20

”Oh, to be in England now that April’s there . . .” (l-r) Peter Whiting, Duncan Hector, Peter Aspinall, Keith Holgate and Robert Skeen watching David Woolley trying to make up ground in his singles game.

A cold nor’easter had us erecting the gazebo as a shelter from the wind, and, later in the day, the rain. Miserable conditions, but we got this year’s campaign off to a good start.

With six bisques Robert and Keith were miles ahead in most of the game and a defeat looked imminent, but Peter's luck finally turned and the game was level when time was called. Bryan scored the golden hoop, much to our relief. In the other game David used the two bisques to good effect and John eventually managed a decent turn of his own, while Peter couldn’t get his game together and we won on time. It was a relief to retreat to the pavilion for lunch and get out of the wind.

In the top singles, Bryan had at one point run only two hoops and Duncan was attempting a straight triple so was obviously miles ahead. Fortunately for Bryan the triple attempt collapsed after one peel. Bryan's one bisque and some uncharacteristic mistakes from Duncan let Bryan sneak ahead and win - earning a handicap reduction to -0.5. John was behind for a long time, but got in after Robert sent a ball off the lawn with all the bisques gone and finished with a rover peel.

Peter had one bisque to Keith’s six and only got as far as 1-back before Keith finished, and the other game Peter recovered his form to beat David.

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Wrest Park

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