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Wymondham Dell Away 19 Au

Wymondham Dell v Priory - 19th August 2024

The Priory team had beaten the ‘big guns’ from Wymondham Dell fourteen days earlier. Word on the streets of Wymondham was that this time around they would face the Dell’s A Team. Supposedly the A Team was a step up from the ‘big guns’. 

Roadworks around the town presented long diversions for some members of both teams but everyone arrived just in time for the 6pm start.

The facilities provided by the hosts were upmarket to those previously enjoyed by the visitors. Changing rooms for men and ladies were available with the latter adorned with a vase of fresh flowers. The author was told about these, he didn’t actually enter the ladies changing room.

Before the match, the Priory Club Captain and the host’s President, who was their captain for the match, sat in the vast glass fronted viewing area overlooking the green. The host’s President indicated that he would like to play against the visitor’s captain. This was agreed upon before the remaining score cards were swapped and shuffled to decide who would play against who. The host’s President offered the jack to the Priory Captain with the opportunity to play a practice first end. The former was accepted but the latter was respectfully declined. The two then joined their teams who had made their way out of the viewing area and gathered on the veranda sitting high above the green.

As the match started, any hint of rain had subsided and the evening was warm although a little breezy. Arthur Newton and Bet Davies, who had both represented the Dell side in the match a fortnight earlier, were this time playing for the Priory side. Unfortunately unlike the previous match they were to finish on the losing side as the Priory side lost on three rinks. The fourth rink was won after a sterling display by Pat Goody and Karen Smith. They supported the Priory Club Captain in overcoming the efforts of the host’s President and his team. Having only lost one end, the crucial point of the game was probably when the Priory Captain, playing as skip, turned five shots against into two shots for on the sixth end.  They then proceeded to lose only three more of the sixteen ends and won by a margin of fourteen shots. According to the host’s scorecard the margin was seventeen shots.  Whatever their winning margin was, it was not quite enough to win the match for the Priory side.

The overall match score was Wymondham Dell 64 shots against Priory’s score of 58, or 61, shots.

Following the match, the teams retired to the host’s bar where they relaxed in the plush seats and chatted while they participated in the refreshments on offer. Before the teams drifted away into the night the team Captains gave short speeches of appreciation and looked forward to similar matches next season. The Dell’s President presented pens to the team on the highest scoring rink and the Priory Captain.

On his walk back to The Gardens with his woods in tow and pen in pocket, the Priory Captain was stopped by the Dell’s President who offered him a lift into town and the opportunity to have a further chat. Surprising what can come out of the darkness of the night.