MIDDLESEX LOSE GRIP ON HOME COUNTIES LEAGUE

Middlesex CBA won’t be defending their Home Counties League title this year after their 3^rd defeat of the season came against Berkshire CBA at Broomfield BC.

Middlesex have an awful record against Berkshire in the Home Counties League as this was their 8^th defeat in 9 seasons, the only success coming in 2008.

The writing was on the wall early for the side with late drop outs and traffic delays causing a number of re shuffles and then when the host Chairman said the green would provide an “interesting” afternoon’ challenge you wondered what else was coming.

Well he was not wrong! As players from both sides struggled to come to terms with the bumps, runs and alternating paces of the green things were fairly even at 5 ends with Middlesex 2 behind (27-29). Things stayed the same for the next 5 ends with the score 49-51 at 10 ends. Indeed at 15 ends everything was still to play for at 73-76 with both sides seemingly contending with the conditions well.

Sadly the home wheels then fell off with the Royal County winning the next 3 ends 11-25 to gain a decisive 84-100 advantage and although Middx fought extremely hard to pull it back in the closing stages they eventually fell just short losing 106-110.

With only 2 winning rinks and 1 tied Middlesex only picked up 5 points to Berkshires 17.

Top rink for Middlesex was Glen Adams (Uxbridge, 2^nd Home Counties game running), David Crudington (Bush Hill Park), Roger Milton (Paddington) and Brian Elbourne (S.D.P. / Harrow, also 2^nd game running) who won convincingly 26-11, restricting their opposition to 1 shot over the last 6 ends while they rattled up 15.

Senior Deputy Brian is fast reaching the point where he won’t need the County to supply his glasses for 2011 as he will be able to supply his own with this his 6^th top rink in almost the same number of games, well played to him and the obviously strong rinks the County give him!!!

Middlesex’s other winning rink was David Pitt (Masonians), Michael Kopp (Uxbridge), Jamie Gibbs (Paddington) and Ernie Rudston (Bush Hill Park) who won 21-15.

After the game with Graham Kellet unavailable, Brian Elbourne again took centre stage as he performed the post match speech at which he presented Michael Kopp his Home Counties flash. Eric Prior then stood to present Brian with his flash for playing 3 Home Counties games.

So with the title now out of reach Middlesex only have pride to play for in their final 2 games. The first of these is the long trek into Kent and a visit to Aylesham and Snowdon BC, a venue Middlesex were successful at in 2008, for the game on July 31^st