Harwich I.B.C   141   Copdock & Washbrook B.C.   21   
This was Harwich’s third mixed friendly of the winter season and was played across four rinks against a team which consisted mainly of outdoor bowlers. Unfortunately, on this occasion the visitors never got to grips with the unfamiliar conditions and were well and truly beaten on all four rinks by a strong home side.
Harwich’s best performing rink of the afternoon was the one skipped by Sandy Mooney who along with Steve Humphrey and Paul Wilder never gave their opponents a look in, winning 56 – 2, and restricting them to scoring a solitary two points on the fifth end of the eighteen played. Captain of the day Howard Lewsey ably assisted by Diana Jacobs and Pete Andrews also won convincingly, 40 – 4 and restricted their opponents to scoring on just four ends. John Almond, Wilf Rose and Tony Watson were never troubled by their opposing triple winning by nineteen shots, 24 – 5. The closest game of the afternoon was on rink four where husband and wife Keith and Jackie Hindle were skipped by Sid Elmer and won 21 – 10 against a triple that consisted of a guest “skip” in Mike Ryan, himself a Harwich bowler.

Harwich Indoor Bowls Club

Clacton I.B.C. 79   Harwich I.B.C. 94 
Harwich travelled to Clacton, one of their main rivals in Tendring along with Walton, for this mixed triple friendly that was played over eighteen ends and across five rinks.
Knowing how the individual rinks play usually gives a slight advantage to the home side but on this occasion Harwich, on the whole, adapted well to the unfamiliar conditions winning on two of the rinks by large enough margins to give them a victory overall.
Harwich’s best performing rink of the afternoon was the one skipped by Gillie Gale who along with husband Mike and Tony Wilson never gave their opponents time to settle and won convincingly by a score of 32 – 6. Mike Ryan skipping Diana Jacobs and Tom Fryer were kept in check throughout by the home triple but a three on the last end saw them across the line, winning 22 – 16. Sandy Mooney, Mo Fryer and Tony Watson didn’t look in any kind of trouble after eleven ends with an advantage of ten shots, but the home triple held their nerve and after scoring eleven shots over the last four ends won by the narrowest of margins 19 – 18. Steve Humphrey, skipping his wife Ann and Derek Taylor fought a close game but never managed to gain any kind of advantage over their opposition and eventually lost 17 – 15. Unfortunately for captain of the day Sandra Hambling who skipped husband and wife Keith and Jackie Hindle it proved to be an afternoon that I’m sure they would rather forget as they were convincingly beaten 21 – 7.

​Fixtures - Match Reports     2019 - 2020

Harwich I.B.C. 94   Walton I.B.C. 105
Harwich entertained their closest rivals Walton in this mixed friendly fixture that was played over eighteen ends and across six rinks. Historically fixtures between these two clubs are close fought affairs with the advantage and result usually going in favour of the home side.
On this occasion and against an experienced Walton team Harwich fielded a fairly inexperienced side with a number of their bowlers having less than a years’ experience. But with three ends remaining it was the home side that held a slender three shot lead. A lead which unfortunately they were unable to hold onto being outscored by thirteen shots to twenty-seven over the last three ends.
Harwich’s best performing rink of the afternoon was the one skipped by Sandy Mooney who along with Flora Dick and Bill Howlett were never particularly troubled by their opponents, winning by fifteen shots 26-11. Not to be outdone Steve Humphrey who played skip to Jackie Hindle and Wilf Rose managed to scored twos on a regular basis throughout the match to win by thirteen shots, 24-11. Pete Andrews skipping Tony Watson and Keith Hindle held a two-shot advantage going into the last end but were unable to stop their opponents scoring a game winning three to lose by a single shot, 15-16. Men’s captain George Berry took charge of Pete Wilby and Pete Rogers, two of the home sides inexperienced bowlers but didn’t manage to trouble an experienced Walton side losing by fourteen shots, 7-21. Also loosing by fourteen shots were the inexperienced triple of Tom Fryer, wife Maureen and Ron Bennett. Unfortunately, Charlie Furtado skipping Dawn Whitman and David Hunter had an off day and never managed to get to grips with their opponents losing by seventeen shots, 8-25. 

Harwich I.B.C.  92   Dovercourt B.C.  107
As Harwich sporting rivalries go this must be up there with the biggest and best of them and to give playing time to some of their newer members Harwich fielded a fairly inexperienced side for the second consecutive week. Although Dovercourt are an outdoor club all the players who represented them in this mixed triple friendly, played across six rinks and over eighteen ends, play indoor bowls on a regular basis throughout the winter.
Harwich’s best performing and only winning rink of the afternoon was again skipped by Sandy Mooney who ably supported by George Beaumont and Tony Wilson never gave their opponents a look-in winning 35-10 and restricting Brenda Vernaven, Judith Jupp and her husband John to scoring on just five ends. Steve Humphrey skipping Jackie Hindle and Peter Wilby fought a close battle throughout with Clive Elmer, John Huckle and Derick Taylor but were three shots down going into the last end. Fortunately, all three of the home players held their nerve and each managed to “draw” a wood to within two foot of the jack giving them the three shots they required for an honourable 18-18 draw.
Unfortunately, that is where the good fortune ended for the home side as they lost on all four of the remaining rinks. Peter Andrews skipping Bill Howlett and Keith Hindle fought a close game throughout but conceded six shots on the last three ends to lose 12-18 to Steve Young, Trevor Elmer and Carol Harrington. Captain of the day Sandra Hambling who was in charge of Tony Watson and Paul Wilder held their own against Dovercourt’s captain Howard Lewsey, Mary Good and Ken Sparks with the scores being level at the half-way stage but eventually lost out 13-20. Charlie Furtado, Mo Fryer and Dawn Whitman came up against an in-form triple consisting of Mike Ryan, Diana Jacobs and Carol Sutton, losing 8-20. Also coming up against the in-form triple of David Frost, Steve Day and Wilf Rose was John Peperell, Ron Bennett and Tom Fryer who only managed to trouble the scorer on five ends, losing 6-21.
Putting the rivalry aside this match was played, as expected in a friendly manner and with plenty of banter being swapped between the two sides. Hopefully this fixture will be reciprocated in the summer with Dovercourt B.C. playing hosts to Harwich I.B.C. on the alien surface of grass.