In the L-Style Division One of the UKDA National League Black Country made the long trip to the south-west where at the Coleford Royal British Legion, Memorial Hall, Anchor Road, Coleford, Radstock, Somerset, BA3 5PB they took on Somerset in what was their seventh fixture of the season. Going into the game Black Country were sixth in the division with 127 points while their hosts were placed fifth with 132 points but having played one fixture more than their visitors.
Getting the weekend underway were the ladies ‘B’, the first four games all going with the first throw advantage. Lady of the match Paige Robbins opened up for Black Country and put them one up with her 3-2 win over Tracey Stiling with a 16.01 average. Zoe Liddle wiped out the away team’s lead when she won 3-1 against Leanne Wilson but only to see Black Country forge ahead once again when Stella Sims beat Samantha Werrett 3-1. The score was levelled for a second time in the fourth when Sue Lane won 3-1 against Amy-Leigh Tolley before Somerset took the lead for the first time in the game in the fifth when Kay Bisset beat Kirsty Shaughnessy 3-1 to leave the result hinging on the final game. Like the four previous games the last one also finished with a 3-1 result which went to the away team’s Sarah-Jane Parker who defeated Christine Blackmore to give a final score of 3-3.
The first game of the men’s ‘B’ match saw Black Country go one up when Al Smith beat Peter Messer 4-3, but from leading 1-0 the away side then found themselves trailing 2-1 as David Russell won 4-3 against Rich Bowen and Rob Lovell won 4-2 against Wayne Hobday. Andy Garratt levelled the game at 2-2 when he beat Chris Turner 4-1 and with a further 4-1 win for Neil Steventon over Jason Woodyard and a 4-2 win from Rob Smith against Lee Gregory, the visitors were leading 4-2 at the break.
Man of the match Ian Townsend increased the Black Country lead to 5-2 when he kicked off the second half with a 4-2 win over Carl Galeitzke. Taylor Foster reduced the arrears for Somerset with his 4-0 win over Mark Shaughnessy, only to see the away side then move into a winning 8-3 lead with wins from Mark Rollinson, Sam Bissell and Jake Shipley who in turn accounted for Michael Fenton (4-3), Robert Phillips (4-0) and Max Barraclough (4-1). The final game of the day went to the hosts as Kevin Hardy won 4-1 in his game with Mark Jones. The final score 8-4 to Black Country.
Sunday’s results turned out to be a copy of Saturday’s results as the ladies ‘A’ finished all square at 3-3 and the men’s ‘A’ won 8-4.
Somerset’s ladies had a super start to the ladies ‘A’ game as in double quick time they were leading 3-0 and within an ace of victory. Kate Hulme won 3-1 against Heather Wright, Lea Ford beat Stella Sims 3-2 and Becky Taylor won 3-0 against Abbey Hunt. Black Country now required what would be a tremendous fight back to earn a share of the spoils and getting them off on the right foot was their lady of the match Chez Allcock who had a 3-1 win over Shelley Blackman with a 19.26 average. Maxine Prosser (Black Country) was taken to a deciding leg by Donna Gullock and won 3-2, the final game also going to a decider and yet again the result went to the Black Country as Doreen Hunt beat Karen Littler to put the result all-square at 3-3.
Going into the men’s ‘A’ game Black Country had a 14-10 overall lead and only required five winners for an overall victory for the weekend.
Somerset were first out of the blocks as Mervyn Adams won 4-3 against Martin Greenwood but two 4-1 wins from Paul Wells and Jamie Rollinson against respective opponents Dave Williams and Adrian Wood reversed the advantage putting the visitors 2-1 up. The hosts drew level in the fourth when Neil Raikes beat Trev Brennan 4-3 but by the halfway mark the away team were 4-2 up as Dan Homer won 4-2 against Leigh Taylor and Kieron Bridgwate, by the same 4-2 margin defeated Lee Smith and in the process clinched the man of the match award for his 27.11 average.
As early as the second game in the second session Somerset were back on level terms as Adrian Beale won 4-3 against George Willetts and Mike Harper had a 4-1 win in his game with Jamie Barrowman. Restoring the Black Country’s lead was Michael Powell with his 4-1 win over Dean Baker and with 4-3 wins for Alex Howells and Harry Williams, who in turn won against Tony Snook and Kieran Spurdle, the win for Black Country’s men’s ‘A’ was achieved. The last game of the weekend saw Steve Jones win 4-2 against Sam Hoddinott to give a final score of 8-4 to the away team and an overall 22-14 win for the weekend which saw them move up three places in the table to third with 152 points just seven behind second in the league Merseyside and eighteen short of leaders Middlesex.
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