Ruskington bowls: Kirton defeat leaves promotion hopes in balance

Ruskington Bowls Club played five matches last week which, once again, brought a mixed set of results.

Opening with a home fixture against Eslaforde in the City (evening) League, Ruskington were beaten in three close games and scored no league points.

Waylon Clarke, John Hurst and Lorraine Clifton lost 15-19, Tony Codd, with Les Wilkinson and Linda Picton, lost 11-19, and Jim Matson, with Isabel Drain and Jim Barclay, went down 13-19.

Next they were visited by Carholme for a District League match and it produced a very different result, with a crushing win for Ruskington.

David Miller, with Trevor Harding and Wendy Pateman, won 29-11, while John Booth, with Jock Mitchell and Tom Chapman, stormed home 32-9, and Jim Matson, with Kath Booth and Paul Butterworth, won 30-8 for 12 points in their penultimate District League match of the season.

* Travelling to Hykeham to play their B team in the Cliff League, there was another clean sweep of wins.

Tony Codd, with Jock Mitchell and Tom Chapman, won 20-7, John Booth, with Trevor Harding and George Glover, won 17-12, and Sue Mitchell, with Isabel Drain and Linda Picton made it another win for an all-ladies rink, 22-13.

Another 12 league points for Ruskington with one more match to play.

* Fortunes were not so good for Ruskington in their next match at Collingham in the City (afternoon) League.

Tony Codd, with Les Wilkinson and Sue Mitchell, lost 13-21, John Booth, with Carol Croft and Trevor Harding, lost 9-24, and Jackie Ray, with Isabel Drain and Graham Croft also slipped up 9-23, as Ruskington returned empty-handed.

* Ruskington headed to Kirton B for their final Coningsby League match with a chance of promotion to Division Two.

But two rink losses, one win, and just two league points leaves Ruskington’s promotion fate, like last season, in the hands of results from their rivals’ remaining matches.