Bowls: Merthyr start as the mean to go on

Jan 10 2008 by Our Correspondent, Merthyr Express

Newport 99.5Merthyr Tydfil 137

MERTHYR Tydfil started the New Year as they ended the last one with an eighth consecutive win in the East Section of the WIBA Club Championship – winning on five of the six rinks.

But for a second time this season, they were pushed all the way by a spirited Newport side, who were merely playing for pride in Cwmbran.

At one stage, Newport led on four rinks but, towards the end, the league leaders stepped up through the gears to finish convincing winners.

Having started slowly, the rink of Mike Powell, Steve Toms, Jonathan Evans and former Welsh captain Carl Lewis, got to grips with their opponents and from a deficit of 5-3 hit a purple patch to lead 24-9.

This helped turn the whole match in Merthyr’s favour and the rink finished strongly to win by 19.

Steve Batten was also slow out of the blocks, trailing 5-0 early on to junior international Gavin Abraham, but he soon had the measure of the youngster, taking an unassailable 22-8 lead before finishing on top by 11.

Nathan Scoot took over skipping duties from John Downey and had an eventful morning, losing by one on the last end in a game which for long periods looked out of reach.

Scoot trailed 9-2 and 11-6 to former international Richard Cope but took the lead at 17-14 before the Newport rink turned it back in their favour to lead 21-17.

Again, Scoot with Richie Ahrens and his son Adam, came back with a dramatic count of five on the penultimate end to go ahead by one going into the last, but could not maintain the momentum and finished off dropping a two.

The other rinks followed a similar pattern but with Merthyr snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.

Lee Morgan laboured against Alan Bradford and trailed by four going into the last end, but took a deserved count of five to win by the narrowest of margins.

There was a similar story in the tie between Merthyr’s Robert Price and Billy Martin, the latter leading for virtually the whole game but at 18-14 down, Price picked up an unexpected count of five to lead by one going into the last end, finishing two up at the climax.

International trialist John K Evans found the going hard against a triple skipped by Welsh Over-60s Pairs Champion Brian Howard, who had to concede a quarter of their total shots at the end.

At one stage, it looked as if Evans may need to rely on this trump card but fought hard to win 19-18, a net win of 19-13.5.

Match scores: David Davies, Clarry Wheeler, Paul Hayden, Lee Morgan 18, Alan Bradford 17; Mike Powell, Steve Toms, Jonathan Evans, Carl Lewis 31, Richard Ford 12; Mark Jones, Adam Ahrens, Richie Ahrens, Nathan Scoot 22, Richard Cope 23; Andrew Barrett, Peter Stahl, Craig Humphreys, Steve Batten 27, Gavin Abraham 16; Ray Evans, Cliff Taylor, Peter Toomey, John K Evans 19, Brian Howard 13.5; Roger Harvey, Barrie Broad, Andy O’Sullivan, Robert Price 20, Billy Martin 18.