Bumper Winter Cup Qualifier at RUFC

Winter Cup

With 28 initial entrants to the Division 7 Qualifying Round at the Rugby Club we knew that we were into a long session. Previous experience at Paddock where there were 16 entrants and it took 4 hours to play down to two qualifiers. We estimated that the same format would result in 28 bowlers at RUFC playing for 6 hours with a 5pm finish! It gets worse as those last out of the Preliminary draw would not get on the green for the first three hours. The weather was lousy as well with sleet showers promised (and delivered). All this seemed unacceptable in keeping 28 pensioners outside in cold and wet conditions over a prolonged period. We decided to change the format with three major changes.

1. Five jacks on the green at all times

2. All matches to be 15-Up

3. Bowling down to four qualifiers instead of two

We couldn't do anything about the lousy weather but the rest of it worked. All finished by 2.30pm with the final 8 bowlers mostly having played three rounds of matches and grandparents available for the school run. We only ended up with 25 bowlers playing but it was decided to carry this format forward to the Division 6 qualifier next week. There are 25 entrants for that so far making it the second best supported qualifier.

This means that the Round of the last 20 now becomes the Round of the Last 24 which is all manageable over the same time period. Now to the important stuff, here are the results from Thursday's qualifier at the Rugby Club.

Preliminary Round

Malcolm McGrae (New Mill C) BYE

Joanna Birch (RUFC) BYE Mary Kain (Lockwood Con B) BYE

Bernie Walsh (Lockwood Con B) BYE

Mark Berry (Kirkheaton Con) BYE

Mark Birch (RUFC) BYE

Claire Lucid (Lockwood Con B) BYE

Peter Sykes (Holmfirth B) 15

Steve Morgan (Marsh Lib A) 9

John Banks (Marsh Lib A) 12

Mark Harris (Kirkheaton Con B)15

Bryan Webb (Holmfirth A) 10

David Thorpe (New Mill C) 15

Dennis Lomax (New Mill C) 8 Paul Booth (Marsh Lib A) 15

Simon Cave (New Mill C) 15

Kate Schofield (RUFC) 4

Mark Warrender (New Mill C) 10

Nigel Roebuck (RUFC) 15

Peter Schofield (RUFC) 11

Ian Johnsey (Kirkheaton Con B) 15

Leon Wilcsinski (Kirkheaton Con B) 15

Caroline Dempsey (Lockwood Con C) 3

Ray Brooks (RUFC) 10

Anula Tennakoom (Lockwood Con B) 15

Round 1

Malcolm McGrae (New Mill C) 6

Joanna Birch (RUFC) 15

Mary Kain (withdrawn)

Bernie Walsh (Lockwood Con B) Bye

Mark Berry (Kirkheaton Con) 15

Mark Birch (RUFC) 10

Claire Lucid (Lockwood Con B) 5

Peter Sykes (Holmfirth B) 15

Mark Harris (Kirkheaton Con B) 15

David Thorpe (New Mill C) 9

Paul Booth (Marsh Lib A) 15

Simon Cave (New Mill C) 12

Nigel Roebuck (RUFC) 15 Ian Johnsey (Kirkheaton Con B) 13

Leon Wilcsinski (Kirkheaton Con B) 11

Anula Tennakoom (Lockwood Con B) 15

Round 2 Joanna Birch (RUFC) 15

Bernie Walsh (Lockwood Con B) 8 Mark Berry (Kirkheaton Con) 15

Peter Sykes (Holmfirth B) 12

Mark Harris (Kirkheaton Con B) 12

Paul Booth (Marsh Lib A) 15

Nigel Roebuck (RUFC) 15 Anula Tennakoom (Lockwood Con B) 4

Qualifiers Joanna Birch (RUFC)

Mark Berry (Kirkheaton Con)

Paul Booth (Marsh Lib A) Nigel Roebuck (RUFC)