Week 1...

And they're off...

The new season dawned cold and wet last Tuesday, but spirits were high all round (and not just in those optics) as we resumed the titanic struggle to try and avoid giving the same wrong answers to questions we have all heard at least thirty times before but still can't get right...

We finished last season with 27 teams, having played the year with 9 teams in each League. We have had some changes over the summer and have lost two teams from last year, namely the Lords Byron (i.e. both Bards and Laureates) from the C League. We were anticipating those two teams becoming one, but eventually both have bitten the dust prematurely when they didn’t expect to, a bit like the man himself.

We have however gained one new team, the Royal Oak at Rushton Spencer, a near neighbour of the Knot Inn. A very warm welcome is extended to them from all concerned as they join us for the first time. They join the C League as is customary.

This leaves us with 26 teams and thus we will play with two leagues of 9 teams and one of 8 this year. Much discussion took place at the AGM as to which League should carry the vacancy, A or C League. A vote resulted which carried that the A League should play with 8 teams this year.

Mighty scores in the A League this week to get us going and the Ox-fford 'C' top the tree after a 189 - 158 win over the Dolphin in an early season clash of the titans. Haydn Thompson and Alice Walker got their seasons started with 51 apiece, whilst Peter McBride and Alan Hodgson scored 48 and 42 respectively for the Dolphin.

The Weaver were not far behind in scoring terms with a 172 - 151 win over the newly promoted Pussycat Guys. Alan Levitt top scored for the Weaver with 45 whilst Alasdair Reid weighed in with 42 for the Guys in a very creditable A League debut. The Weaver look very strong all round this year with a top quality "core 4" of a team.

In the remaining A League game, the Dolphin Dragons just beat the Castle in an excellent contest at the newly redecorated Dolphin by 162 - 157. The cerebral Robin Morrell scored 42 for the Dragons whilst Tony Fogarty racked up a cracking 45 for the Castle, including 11 out of 12 correct in the GK.

The B League saw the newly relocated Plough Horntails (ex of the George & Dragon) beat the Waters Green Phoenix 150 - 123 in their first game at their new home. Bob Langstaff scored 39 for the Phoenix who made an excellent effort with only 3 players due to some early season confusion, whilst Malcolm Asquith's 42 made him the horniest of tails for the Plough.

The New Castle just had the edge in a close contest with the Church House Bollington, Graham Wallace's 42 and Rick Davis's 39 being the best scores on either side.

The Knot Inn unluckily missed out on promotion to the A League due only to the League restructuring, but they resumed their normal service with a 159 - 128 win over the Pack Horse Bowling Club. Main men Brian Bogie and Art Higham scored 36 each for the Knot, whilst Mike Vickerstaff did the same for the Pack Horse.

Closest game of the night was at the British Flag who just edged a 150 - 146 win over the Albion. Good scores for all the Flags with Helen Laurence's 33 being the best of them, whilst the ever reliable John Hargreaves had the B League's highest individual score of the night with 45.

The Sutton Church House got off to a winning start in their C League match against the Chester Road Tavern, 125 - 97 sealing victory for the SCH. John Stein top scored with 30 whilst Tony Moores racked up 27 for the CRT.

The battle of the "Inns" saw the Cock beat the Lamb by 144 - 134, Jackie Hulme and Peter Wilcox scoring 33 each for the Cock with Chris Butler and Marshall Barnard chipping in with 24 each for the newly refurbished Lamb (the pub that is, not the people...)

In the first ever game at the Royal Oak, the Crown had the better of the contest with a 112 - 83 win. Glyn Bradley top scored with 24 for the Crown, who were equally unlucky as per the Knot Inn in missing out on promotion to the B League last year.

Scores were evenly spread amongst the Oak team who we hope enjoyed their first taste of this particular type of Tuesday night action.

Finally, the evergreen Harrington 'B' beat the Waters Green Rams 132 - 93 with John Green scoring an excellent 39 for the Harrington and David Reynolds 21 for the Rams.

It's like we were never away...enjoy the rest of the season.