(Created 22/9/11)

 **For the latest NESMBA IC league tables go to NESMBA **

Note that maximum points per match is 40 (2 points per game + 2 points aggregate for each discipline)

ESMBA National Inter-County Competition (ICC)

February 5th 2012 - Preliminary Round (Birmingham) - Postponed due to snow & ice - re-arranged as below

February 19th 2012 - Preliminary round (Caroline Chisholm School Northampton) - This was the first ever match in the ESMBA National ICC involving North Yorkshire. We  had gained entry to this years competition by winning last years NESMBA league (as had Stockport who came second) and this was a unique one-off opportunity of making our first impression on the national IC scene. Our team was short of 2 of the regular squad with Dennis Jarvis opting not to play and Francis Boatman unavailable. Their places were filled by James Clark and Jake Potter (the two finalists in this years NYSMBA Junior Championships). Some adjustments to the make up of the disciplines had also been made which were seen as necessary to enhance our chances of gaining the 21 points required to reach the Quarter Finals.  

After an initial line-up in which Somerset Captain, Jim Mannell, presented our team with a framed plaque to commemorate this match, play commenced with the Singles & Pairs taking to the mats for Session 1 followed by the Triples & Fours in Session 2. At lunch, the scores were level at  8-8 but Somerset just had the advantage on shots (Singles -7, Pairs +15, Triples +12 and Fours +1). A better afternoon was required from North Yorkshire in the final 2 sessions.

In the Pairs, Ben & Gareth had their second win whilst Gordon & Jake, playing a much improved game, were disappointed to lose by 2 shots.

In the Singles,  Bronagh also completed her day undefeated but David just missed his final shot to go down by a single shot.

With fours games left to play, the match thus remained in the balance with scores level at 14-14.

In the final session, both of our Triples raised their game (and our hopes) by reversing their mornings fortunes with 2  wins - but not by enough to gain their aggregate .........18-16 to North Yorkshire. Thus all rested on the fortunes of one or other of our (reformatted) Fours.

With one lost, and no hope of the aggregate, the score stood at 20-18 to Somerset and  all eyes were on the last few woods of Jacinta's Four where scores were equal and one end to go. An impossibly tight head meant a running wood and the hope of shuffling things in our favour to force a drawn match and an exciting shoot out.

But it was not to be, so Somerset go through 22-18 to the Quarter Finals and we wish them good luck in their match against Oxfordshire.

Our counties 'A' team therefore end their 19 match run of wins on a somewhat subdued note and of course a little disappointment. However, the sign of a good team (indeed of a good player) is to take such defeats on the chin and move on. Next year we have opted in to the full ICC for the whole season. The players finally selected to make up the team will have plenty more opportunities to show what they are made of - and keep the North Yorkshire flag flying high.

COUNTY 'A' TEAM  - 2011/12

ROGER GREEN - (Sunday November 6th 2011) Rose Haynes, "A" team captain, presented Roger with a commemorative plaque to celebrate his 100^th game for North Yorkshire - only 7th player to reach this milestone to date. Roger started playing short mat bowls in Surrey in 1989 at a time when some of the younger members of the current team were still only playing with their rattles! After moving north in 1992 he joined the newly formed Easingwold club, playing in his first match for the county in the 1993/94 season when the team was still in Division 2. In those far off days, he recollected, that wins were few and far between and it was not until 2003 that the team finally gained promotion to Division 1.

COUNTY TEAMS PRACTICE DAY - (Saturday September 24) - With the new season about to get under way, the 2 team Captains assembled their players for a warm-up day of semi-formal practice in the Galtres Centre. In the morning sessions both teams played games amongst themselves getting used to the changes in personnel and line-ups that had been made since last season. The day was rounded off with and A v B match to give the day a more competitive edge. A local professional photographer (Guy Cope) had been employed for the day and as well as taking team photographs he took many "action" shots of most (if not all) players in attendance. All these photos (360) are now available for viewing and purchase on his website. (Go to www.copeimages.com/bowling)