Star & Crescent 62.5 (10) Cosham Park 56 (6) It was never going to be an easy night, on that long green (which actually bowled a little better than normal) but facing the additional challenges of gusting winds and the noise from the speedway track next door made it even tougher. The win came as a result of a great team performance, because in spite of once again playing a man short it didn't drastically effect the eventual outcome.  Top rink was that of Geoff Dyers who endured a last-minute reshuffle, but the skip was soon smiling when he realised that his new no.3 was Steve G and not the other Steve from the selection committee. Anyway they won 13 of the ends (10 consecutive) to come through 23-5. The +18 difference gave us the buffer we needed, because although we came close on the other rinks, a 2nd win escaped us. Next it was Alan New, who enjoyed a very tight match but although leading by one on the 17th end managed to drop 2 shots on the last and with it went those points. Then came our last unbeaten skip 'Young Ted' who once again was thrust into the limelight and playing a man short.  The tactics that worked so well previously just failed to achieve the same result but they did manage to keep it tight. At the halfway point they were 3-12 down, but then a run of ends put them 15-12 ahead, only to be pegged back in the final stages to lose 18-20. After the 25% deduction it ended up 13.5 - 20. With one rink to finish and sitting +10.5 ahead across the boards, Bob 'The Assassin' and his boys were left firing blanks at the final encounter. Winning 9 of the ends (but only getting more than one shot on a single end) were up 10-9 on the 15th end, they failed to win another and finally losing 10-14. Not a costly result for the team win, just another 2 points that slipped away. Big Bob was not happy at the end and I fear that someone is going to pay for this next week. So its Gas Social at home next and we have a 0-16 defeat to avenge.

Star & Crescent 45 (2) Milton Park Red 50 (10) This match follows the same tried-and-tested formula as the previous encounter – mastering the art of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Our game management strategy clearly needs more than just a gentle rethink, particularly when holding commanding positions. Due to Russ Durham's ongoing vision issues, Derek Boulter took over lead duties while Steve Greenwood stepped up to the skip role. The rink found themselves wrestling with a particularly strong Milton side. By the halfway stage, our team was trailing by 10 shots – a deficit that would make even the most optimistic wince. However, with renewed focus they managed to claw back some respectability, though ultimately couldn't prevent a 13-16 loss. Rink 4 experienced a late casting change with the now-available Rob Lewsley taking his rightful place as skip. For a glorious while, it was indeed plain sailing as they cruised to a comfortable 15-7 lead. Then came what can only be described as a nightmare finish, watching helplessly as the opposition accumulated 11 shots without reply, turning triumph into a 15-18 defeat. Debutant skip Colin Lihou's team found themselves locked in mortal combat throughout their match, remaining competitive and holding the lead entering the final stages. A painful 5-shot concession on the 16th end threatened to derail their efforts, but they showed excellent resolve by winning the final two ends to secure a narrow 17-16 victory and valuable rink points.

Star & Crescent 66 (4) Cowplain 69 (12) This was always going to be a tough encounter but in the end proved to be a little bit closer than anticipated. The main talking point revolved around how many of their players played with straight woods, which reflected the fact of playing their home matches on an artificial surface. At the halfway stage we had 2 winning rinks but down on the game -7. Geoff's rink was one of these, winning 11 ends and never behind to come through 23-15. The other was Big Bobs boys who incredibly won 13 ends to smash the opposition 21-10. Then came squeaky bum time with the 2 losing rinks trying to keep the deficit to the minimum. Alan's four kept it as tight as they could but ended up going down 12-19. Everyone was now frantically looking at the scoreboards which revealed that Star were ahead by +12. A healthy lead until you see that Captain Steve's rink were -13 going into the last end. Then with both skips only having one wood left each, Star were holding shot (a draw overall). But alas their skip played ours out to hold 2 and Steve was unable to change the outcome. Demoralising, but none of us had played well on the night and probably got what we deserved. It was letting your team mates down which was the worst feeling when you realise it was so close. Next we are off to Cosham where we got beaten last year in the rain.  So eat your Weetabix lads because we know its long, bumpy and heavy green.   

Star & Crescent 31 Waverley 27 What a way to start the weekend, when you overcome our landlords on the home green. Whilst they put out a side missing a few of the big names it was still a strong Waverley team which they thought was more than up to the challenge. That will teach them to underestimate the boys from S&C who were fearless and delivered on the day. It was a 2-rink challenge, combining the scores of both rinks to get the final result. Up against Ollie Mew, Big Bob and his sidekick Russ (The Kray brothers) plus Alan & Steve G were always in this game. Never more than 4 behind, they took control on the 11th end to finish up winning 15-13. The +2 was carried over to the adjacent rink who were still playing the 17th. The hand-picked 4 of Mr Grumpy, Captain Steve, Old Robbie Dennison and new kid on the block Wayne Ames blended perfectly on the day. At the halfway stage they were 6 shots down but had a final surge to pick up 10 shots in the last 6 ends, the crucial one being a 4 on the 17th, to win 16-14.  So, on to the weekend of the 12/13th July, the date of the next round, we don't know who and we don't know where so just bring them on we don't care. 

Denmead 76 (13) Star & Crescent 51 (3) Well, all good things come to an end and after 3 wins on the trot we finally lost out to the league leaders on their green. With 3 of our new boys in the team and one rink playing with a man short it was always going to be a big ask at a ground where we have had few successes. The match itself started under the threat of impending rain, which briefly passed by without interruption. The big gamble was on rink one, with a hasty rearrangement of the line up due to only having 3 players and losing 25% of their final score. Lihou led with Sprake playing at 2 in the hope of building a decent head for 'Young Ted' to protect. The plan worked to a treat, winning 11 of the ends and always in front. After the shot deduction it all came down to the last end and we won 15-13 and a valuable 2 points. Alan New's boys had a tough match winning 9 ends each, although losing by 5 shots to go down 16-21. Robbie Dennison's rink struggled badly, only winning 4 ends and paying the price at 4-26. Finally, out at the far side of the green 'The Silent Assassin Bob Weaver' and his hitmen failed to kill off the opposition when they had the chance and paid the price. Dominating a game where they won 12 of the ends, they managed to drop a 5 & a 6 to find themselves 10-16 down with 4 ends left to play. Without conceding anymore they levelled the outcome at 16-16 and another point earned. Next up are Cowplain down at The Waverley and a chance for us to start another winning run.       

Cowplain Red 45 (3) Star & Crescent 45 (7) Star appeared set for a notable away victory on the Cowplain carpet before a familiar collapse in the closing stages saw them surrender a commanding position. The visitors lost 10 shots across all three rinks in the final two ends, ultimately having to settle for a draw despite outperforming their hosts for much of the contest. Geoff Dyer's rink maintained their advantage throughout most of the match but experienced late difficulties, eventually securing a narrow 17-15 victory. Steve Sprake's four endured a challenging evening, trailing consistently and finishing on the wrong end of a 19-11 scoreline. The overall result hinged on Bob Weaver's rink, who produced an impressive comeback to establish what appeared to be a match-winning 17-9 advantage. However, Cowplain's skip delivered a crucial second shot with the final bowl of the match for a final rink score of 17-11 and levelling the match scores at 45-45. Star were left to wonder how they'd managed to snatch a draw from the jaws of victory. While the team will rue the missed opportunity for a rare away victory, they can take satisfaction from winning two of the three rinks and taking home the larger share of points. The result extends our recent competitive form, though the late collapse will provide food for thought ahead of future fixtures.

Star & Crescent 82 (16) Purbrook Heath 47 (0) At last there was a change in our fortunes, with everyone playing their part in a huge 16-0 win. So commanding was the performance that we weren't behind on any rink at any stage of the game. A big pat on the back for everyone but in order of merit here we go. He doesn't smile a lot, but the ‘Silent Assassin’ Bob Weaver and his sidekick Russ are not out to make friends, winning 13 of the ends and cruising to 26-10 win. Next out on rink 6 was ‘Whispering Rob Lewsley’. Our man at the Waverley doesn’t let us down very often and today was no exception. He encouraged his men onto a creditable 24-10 win and another 2 points to the tally. Captain Steve Sprake and his old boys were always in control, although winning 9 ends each. They managed to drop a 5 late on which got the nerves jangling but came through by 4 shots to win 17-13. Last but not least is our skip who likes to live on the edge Alan New. He is right in that it is all about winning, but really these fine margins and last end deciders are not good for the nerves. 15-9 up with 4 ends to play, turned into 15-13 going into the last. Well they held it together to win 15-14. Getting maximum points will hopefully kick start us on to greater things. We now move on to Pembroke away, which we know will be tough on their green, but a game that we are more than capable of winning.     

Waterlooville 67 (12) Star & Crescent 59 (4) Although we didn't manage to win the match, it was probably our best performance on that surface and picking up a valuable 4 points. The top performers were Alan New's rink, who won 12 ends with a +10-shot count. Having dropped a 5 early on, they never looked back to win 22-12.  This was followed by Bob Weavers boys, who won 10 of the ends and picking up 10 shots on the last 4 ends. The 20-14 score gave us a running total of +16. Then came the collapse. Firstly it was Captain Steve Sprake’s four, who got their backsides kicked by the skip Stan who was bowling from the hip and a lead who was bowling with deadly accuracy by using some mechanical appliance. Well, that is enough of the excuses, because when you only win one of the first 13 ends what else can you expect. In spite of winning 4 of the last 5 they had left themselves too much to do losing 7-19.  Finally Geoff Dyers rink had a similar story winning just 7 ends. It was a good start and a good finish, but they got punished in middle to finish 10-22 down. So, the match was lost by just 8 shots and we remain seated at the bottom of the league.  

Finally, we have mentioned to get a full complement of players for our division 2 match against Gas Social (away) on this Friday.  As you can see from the team below, it does include 3 of our new bowlers.  Although  not really prepared for league bowls at this stage, they have agreed to help us out in this difficult patch. Please be patient with them and give them loads of encouragement & help throughout the match; after all they could be the future of the club.  We are indebted to Colin who has managed to "persuade" these members to turn out for us on Friday.  To be on the safe side, can you all bring 3-woods just in case of any last-minute hiccups.