Impressive Pangbourne take gala day honours

HENLEY Bowls Club held its annual gala day on Sunday, a mixed triples round robin competition, played in two pools of six teams each with each game played over six ends.

The competition was competed for by teams from Henley, Bassetsbury Manor, Caversham, Desborough, Harwell, Maiden Erlegh, Pangbourne, Trentham, Wantage and Wargrave.

The day started with the spider competitions which saw participants standing on the green with one foot in the ditch and on the sound of the bell, everyone delivered one bowl to the jack in the centre of the green. This year, the closest bowl to the jack was delivered by Ross Courtnage of Maiden Erlegh.

The main event then saw three games in the morning and two in the afternoon.

In the blue pool, it was a closely fought competition with Caversham Hopefuls coming out top just above Maiden Erlegh based on shot difference, despite the Hopefuls having lost to Maiden Erlegh in their pool game. The red pool was dominated by Pangbourne who won all five of their games and made the final as they did back in 2023. The final was played over eight ends and by the fifth end it was tied 7-7 before Pangbourne scored a three on the sixth which Caversham couldn’t overturn despite winning the next two ends. Pangbourne won 10-9.

Chairperson Sally Daniells presented the money prizes and medals to each team and thanked AB Walker for their sponsorship of the day, contributing prize money for the winners and runners-up, raffle prizes and the score-tent gazebo.