There has been plenty of delight and success for Letchworth Garden City Bowls Club as the season comes to an end.

Their women's team not only reached the play-off finals for the County League North but the team, consisting of Jill Rogan, Pauline Simmons, Christine Ottaway and Haidee Castle, with reserve Lynn Bailey, played some brilliant bowls.

It allowed them to beat Three Horseshoes in the morning before maintaining their strong performance and beating Stevenage Town in the afternoon final.

The Comet: Hertfordshire county councillor, Tina Bhartwas, presents the winners from Fairfield with their prize. Picture: LGCBCHertfordshire county councillor, Tina Bhartwas, presents the winners from Fairfield with their prize. Picture: LGCBC (Image: Letchworth Garden City Bowls Club)

They had also held their annual gala with 12 teams taking part.

All the prize winners finished with four wins out of four and it took shot difference to decide the final order.

Fairfield took the win ahead of Hertford with Henlow in third.

Letchworth's one Stevenage & District Mixed League match brought a 57-46 victory over Knebworth.

Datchworth had one SML game and were beaten 46-37 at home to Three Horseshoes.

The visitors won on two of the three rinks, the one home success coming from Chris Hills, Dave Castle, Keith Smith and Derek Henley.

Datchworth's men also had a county league play-off, theirs coming against Buntingford in the east area group.

It ended in a 47-17 loss though, both rinks suffering big defeats.

Two mixed friendlies also ended in victory for the opposition, 73-64 to Welwyn Garden City at Turkey Farm and then 80-49 away to Cheshunt.

They did have a success in their final Welwyn Hatfield League match, winning 37-19 away to Welwyn & District.

The two rinks were shared but the 25-6 success for Jan Smith, Castle and Hills was more than enough.

Howard Garden played Baldock twice, losing 57-41 in the SML despite having one successful rink and then going down 44-21 in the men's County League play-off semi-final.

Baldock had another SML game, losing on all three rinks to Riverain, but they won in that County League North final 38-37 against Royston.

Aside from the victory over Datchworth, Three Horseshoes played two more SML games.

They lost 52-49 away to Riverain but beat Holwell at home, 46-41.

It all means that there has been 101 SML games played to date, leaving just nine that can affect the final standings,

Baldock are top with 83 points and one game to go.

St Ippolyts are the only team who can pinch the title off them. They sit three points adrift and also with a single game remaining.

Riverain are third with 66 points, but have completed their fixtures, and Three Horseshoes will feel they can catch and pass them.

They are four behind with two games in hand.

The Comet: All the 2023 finalists at North Herts Bowls Club. Picture: NHBCAll the 2023 finalists at North Herts Bowls Club. Picture: NHBC (Image: North Herts Bowls Club)

North Herts Bowls Club meanwhile held their annual finals day, well organised by club captain Paul Riseborough and played under brilliant sunshine.

Brian Hutchings beat John Atkinson to the singles title with a 23-7 win while Robin Edmett triumphed 11-8 against Pete Moss in the over 75s.

 

Both winners would then taste defeat in other finals.

Edmett went down to Andy Denniss 8-3 7-6 in the Harold Hardy, played over three sets where it is the first to seven.

Hutchings was teamed with Mike Jeffreys in the pairs final but lost 21-11 to Moss and Denniss.

The skipper beat Chin Tory 16-10 in the Tembey singles while Simon Tory defeated Gill Carne 7-4 in the two-wood singles.

The two-wood pairs went to Steve Field and Jeff Tebbutt thanks to a 10-5 win over Rose Mitchell and Linda Clark.