The winter bowling leagues ended last month after 14 weeks and 42 games and Thanom and Ian won the Wednesday edition by 5 points from the chasing teams of Lek and Sue on 60 points, who just held off Bank and Margaret on 59 for second spot.
Friday’s champions were more convincing with a win for Lek, Thanom and Yuppa on 59 points from the previous season’s winners Nok, On and Thong, who were 7 points behind but again they just held off Ken, Harvey and Ian by one point for second place.
The new leagues started on April 23 with an additional Sunday pairs tournament, which still has a couple of spare places.
The new league also saw the first of a new competition – mixed triples – featuring 2 men and 1 lady in a team which produced some great bowling on the first weekend and included the best 23 Thai bowlers and 7 farangs who dared to take them on.
In division A our local hero Bank beat Vinai 15-6 and looked to be on a roll but then he lost to Yung 13-3 and Tan 10-6. Yung was on a high after winning 2 from 2 but then he lost to Vinai 7-4 and the league was wide open but it was Vinai, Num and Pukky who took it on shot difference to go into the final from Tan, Sukom and Sue, who went on to the contest the Plate.
Divison B was a little different with Ing coming out on fire with a 17-1 victory over Somchai, but then lost to Bus 14-4. Ian was slowly accumulating shots, winning 2 and losing 2, and then just when the league appeared decided, the team of Jenny, Ken and Mick came up with a dramatic 9-6 victory over Ing which left 3 teams on 4 points and let Ian, Harvey and Thanom slip in on bowl difference behind Bus, Go and Nok, who won all their 4 games.
So the 3rd and 4th place play off was nip and tuck with Team Ian taking it 8-7 from Team Tan. The final was even closer and after 10 ends the score was 10-10 and an extra end was needed with even more drama. Team Vinai took the jack to within a foot of the ditch which left everyone scrambling on rink 1 with no-one able to ditch it and only 3 bowls from 18 remained on the rink at the end. So it was Team Vinai 11-10 for the first Mixed Triples title and 7,500 baht. Team Bus came in second for 6000 baht, Team Ian third (4500 baht), and Team Tan fourth (3000 baht).
A new bi-monthly pairs competition called the Kanchanakaphan Cup starts in June and plays through August, October and December with prizes each week and an accumulated points league. Anyone interested in taking part, contact Sue on 087 135 8357.
