BUCKS SUNK AS WALLER’S RINK WALK ON WATER

With all the talk in the Middlesex camp at present being about the Counties success in the Balcomb Trophy and the good position they have put themselves in the Middleton Cup it is perhaps easy to forget that there is an on going Home Counties League campaign to focus on as well.

So yesterday the selected squad gathered at Bush Hill Park BC for the 3^rd game of this season’s campaign against Buckinghamshire CBA.

Middlesex don’t have the best Home Counties record against Bucks with only 1 win, in 2009 when we won the league, in the last 5 years.

So, on a fast green in pleasant warm weather Middlesex set about improving that record. At 5 ends Middlesex led 30-23 and they extended that lead to 11 (59-48) at 10 ends. With the help of an 8 from the rink of Kevin Ward (Broomfield), Willie Woods (Hayes), Tommy Lawford and Ken Allen (both Broomfield) Middlesex stretched that lead to 25 (97-72) at 15 ends but then Bucks launched something of a fight back to cut the deficit to 15 (104-89) at 18 ends.

That, however, was as close as Bucks got as Middlesex retained that 15 shot lead to win 119-105. Victory on 3 rinks secured Middlesex 16 points to their opponents 6.

Top rink for Middlesex was Paul Reynolds (Ladygate), Michael Kopp (Uxbridge), Ernie Rudston (Bush Hill Park) and Tony Waller (Ladygate) who only lost 4 ends in a 26-6, win on an afternoon when absolutely everything from the first wood to the last went their way! Also winning for Middlesex were Ian Ellis (Finchley), Andy Knott (Masonians), Ian and Allistair Frankland (West Finchley) who won 22-11 and David Pitt (Masonian), John Geeves and Paul Fuller (Uxbridge) and Ron Le Leux (West Ealing) who won 19-14.

So Middlesex’s attention can now turn fully to next weeks Middleton Cup clash in Hampshire before in a fortnights time the Home Counties League resumes with the trip to Three Mile Cross near Reading and a match against Berkshire CBA.