Fortune smiles on Murch tour (From Penarth Times)

Fortune smiles on Murch tour

MORE THAN 50 Murch ladies and men departed from the clubhouse for the annual weekend tour, this time in the Southampton area, in not too promising weather conditions.

However, fortune smiled, and three mixed six rink games were played in fine weather against more than hospitable host clubs. The first game against County Bowling Club saw the visitors go down by a mere three shots overall, despite a resounding 27 shot win in the rink skipped by Club President, Terry Mayor.

The following day and the opponents were the Southampton (Old) Bowling Green Club on a green reputed to be the oldest in Great Britain, being over 700 years old.

After 20 of the 21 ends the Murch were in the lead by 13 shots, but an unexplainable lapse on the last ends saw the host club gain 14 shots to win the game by a mere 1 shot overall. On the last day the Murch bowlers travelled to the fashionable Banister Park club determined to break their tour 'duck'. This was duly accomplished by a margin of 28 shots, Terry Mayor once again being the most successful skip, ably abetted by the rinks skipped by Ron Crouch and Val Richards.

The tour terminated with a 'Court' where tourists were fined for any apparent misdemeanors carried out during the weekend. 'Hanging' Judge Jack Sleeman presided, assisted by 'Clerk of the Court' John Manfield, and chief warder Arthur Perry. Not guilty pleas were not accepted and over £50 was raised for the Captain's charities with the penalties imposed. One of the chief culprits was vice captain, Roger Mauchline, who was heavily fined for appearing half naked on the Hotel balcony.

On the home front, the Murch men sustained a series of defeats, the Alliance side losing three games, two losses recorded in the Munro Cup, whilst the A side, depleted by absent tourists, suffered a narrow 4 shot defeat at Birchgrove 'A'. All came right, however, when the Club side maintained their 100 per cent Cardiff & District League record with a 26 shot win over St Mellons.

The ladies' games were sadly decimated by poor weather conditions, and in the three games played a win and a loss were recorded in the Glamorgan Evening League against the ladies from Bridgend Municipal and Dinas Powys respectively, whilst in the Glamorgan League, 'post tour' fatigue obviously had an effect as the Murch succumbed by 81 shots to 39 on the lush turf of Penarth Rectory Road.