MIDDLESEX CBA v ESSEX CBA NATIONAL UNDER 25’s 2x4 SEMI-FINALS

On a perfect day for bowls the Middlesex U25 Double Rink played a strong looking Essex team at Worthing.

Middlesex got of to a flyer after 5 ends they were 7 shots up,  J Gibbs rink of N Edwards, A Richardson and C Hill leading 5 shots to 2. L Barbers rink of R Southgate, P Wilsher and A Pearce leading 5 shots to 1.

Things were looking rosy, then, a combination of nerves, bad luck and some excellent bowling from the Essex team managed to overturn our 7 shot lead into a 1 point deficit by 10 ends with J Gibbs rink still leading 9shots to 5 but the L Barber rink down 6 shots to 11.

Over the next 6 ends both Essex skips played some very telling conversion shots, especially against J Gibbs rink who on at least 3 occasions were holding 3 or 4 shots which the Essex skip either managed to reduce or win the shot with his last bowl.

Unfortunately the same thing was happening on the other rink, despite Middlesex holding shots the Essex skip was turning deficits into winning shots .The shot score at 16 ends was J Gibbs 14 shots to 10. L Barber 7 shots to 21.

As they had done all season the Middlesex lads stuck at it and on the 17^th end managed to pick up 8 shots, J Gibbs 3 and L Barber 5, reducing the deficit  to 2 shots, putting game back on, sadly this was not to be, despite holding some good positions over the last few ends the extra experience of the Essex team coupled with some excellent bowls meant that Middlesex needed an 8 on the last end to draw, sadly not a possibility, after the first 2 bowlers of each team having bowled. Essex ran out winners 40 shots to 31. Rink Scores J Gibbs 18 shots to 15. L Barber 13 shots to 25 

My thanks to all our supporters who turned up to watch, the support was fantastic and greatly appreciated by the players. 

A sad end to what has been a very successful season, (1 defeat in 10games). We must remember that the average age of the Middlesex squad was only 18, whilst the Essex average age was 24, the future for Middlesex is bright.

Middlesex can repeat history; last year Essex lost in the Semi final, this year they beat Derbyshire  to win in the final.

Finally thanks to all the players for their efforts this year, in both this competition and the HCL, if we had been told at the beginning of the season that we would have reached Worthing and been HCL champions (unbeaten all season) we would have taken it.

THE STANDARD HAS BEEN SET, SO NO LETTING UP FOR 2009, winter well, come back hungrier for more and better success next year.      

Ray Fortune

Under 25’s Manager.