Champs take their titles to Scotland

ISLAND champions Moonrakers made a good start to the defence of their Tostevin Triples title against Mafia in the first round at Delancey Park. Moonrakers will now be relieved to go to the British Championships held in Edinburgh on 27 June still in possession of the title that they won at the end of last summer.

Skip Paul Sargeant, Derek Hurford and Geoff Savident were always in command and the Mafia team of Mick, Paul and Alan Merrien, themselves previous winners, conceded the match 5-20 with two ends still to play.

Brats, meanwhile, beat Raiders in a very close encounter in which Raiders had led 12-7 at 11 ends.

But the Brats team of Roy Queripel, Mac Timms and Sid Le Maitre played a much better second half and beat John Martel, Charlie Browning and Derek Barlow in a tie-breaking 19th after the scores were 16 apiece after the scheduled 18 ends.

Le Maitre's close opening bowl in the tiebreaker proved too difficult to beat.

The Vale Rec-based Falcons team of Matt Le Ber, Dan de la Mare and Garry Collins were always in control of their match against the Police team of Ricky Nash, John Samuels and Steve Cowdrey and beat them 22-14.

But the shock win of the round must go to the BLC trio of Don Batiste, Mick Cleal and Dan Le Cheminant who beat the Locals team of Garry Pitschou, Dave and Andrew Lucas 24-12.

It was a good week for Batiste, who started the defence of the Travers Pairs with Ricky Nash by beating Derek Hurford and Phil Schofield 23-10.

The win should also give them all the confidence they need in Scotland at the end of this month when they will meet the best of the British.

The 2005 British Isles pairs title winners Le Ber and de la Mare had a tough encounter against fellow Vale Rec. bowlers Stan Simon and Mick Yabsley.

The match was tied at 8-8 after nine ends but the former managed to open up a three-point lead after 18 and they eventually won 23-17.

The biggest win of the round came from Pitschou and Dave Lucas who beat Derek Barlow and Trevor Savident 28-11 with the latter conceding the match after 19 ends.