FINDING the heavy home green beyond their usual excellent prowess, the Windsor Bowling Club ladies lost a close fought encounter at Birchgrove (Cardiff) by just six shots.

Inclement weather again intervened when Mackintosh Institute visited Windsor's pristine Robinswood Crescent green and play was brought to an end after just 13 ends, with Windsor leading by 16 shots. Di Ellard, Mary Scarrett, Joan Collier and Moyra Owen trailed 14-9 and Mags Coughlin, Fran Douglas, Di Roper and skip Di Thomas were just two shots adrift, but the captain's rink was in sparkling form and Angela Hudson, Maggie Evans, Veronica Flitney and Kay Dyer led 30-7.

In a Private Greens match, Windsor's No 1 team, captained by Paul Gunter, entertained unbeaten league leaders Guest Memorial (Merthyr) and sent them home with their tails between their legs.

In a pulsating match, which produced some superb bowls from both teams, Windsor won by 14 shots and collected a very valuable 10 points to keep their promotion challenge on course.

Windsor's leading rink of B Rogers, A Dudley, E Thorne and the exciting talent of Matthew Woodcock (skip) led the way with a fine 24-10 success over a strong Dowlais four. Close on their heels was the most experienced of the home rinks - M Matthews, 'Badger' Lloyd Jones and former club champions Mal Hope and Ken McLeod - who also emerged victorious (20-15) despite taking their foot of the gas in the closing stages.

Losing 20-18, the previously all conquering rink of 'fast food magnate' Tony Holmes, R Hudson, C Burton and 'Wing Commander' Flitney came down to earth with a bump, while captain Paul Gunter is still waiting for his rink to play to its ability which, with Welsh bowls legend Artie Woodcock well to the fore, can only be sooner rather than later.

Unfortunately, the club's PG2 team found playing at high altitude at Guest Memorial somewhat exhausting and a 117-47 defeat left players so distraught that only Austen Meredith, David Hales and David Howells made it safely back to the local clubhouse. The four skips - Ken Trenchard, Peter Morrish, John Hardess and Michael Fullbrook - are, at the time of writing, receiving counselling at the renowned Cucciniello Institute!