Some of you came to watch our Middlesex girls last Sunday in the Walker Cup at Cambridge Park.

Well, on Sunday, for the first time in years they made it through to the Regional Final after beating Hampshire in what was (for the spectators at least) a nail biting semi!

The match was close but Middlesex stayed just in front until about the 13th end when Hampshire ramped up a gear and at one point were 2-3 points ahead.
Digging deep, Sue Butcher, Sue Apperley, Tonia Gann & Sandra Williamson-Mills gained the lead on their rink and took a brilliant 5 on the 20th end to give them a winning lead and a boost to Ann Halliday, Nadine Mullins, Terri Watkinson & Cathy Taylor who were 2 ends behind.
Spurred on, Ann’s rink won by 4.
Amazing standard of play in the Sunday morning heat.
Over on the other two rinks, Kent (whose team could have been made up with our granddaughters – they were so young!!) got off to a flying start and, although Surrey went on to win one rink, the shot difference in the end was about 13 in Kent’s favour.
We tried to avoid the post lunch snooze and geared up to support our girls again.
The two new rinks gave our girls a few problems as they tried to find the lines and get their bowls nearer the jack than Kent.
Unfortunately for Sue’s team, they were facing Sian Honnor’s rink. Sian being a commonwealth team player and the rest of her team displaying no signs of nerves of the occasion and taking it all in their stride. Sue’s girls did get to double figures but left a 12 shot deficit for Ann’s teams to collect on their final two ends. A bit of a tall order.  They ended up with an honourable 13-13  draw.  So, the fat lady sang, and it was all over.

Well done to Janine Bancroft who came in for Nadine in the final. Everyone who played contributed to the team’s morning success and certainly did their best to win in the afternoon, but the opposition were just too strong. Good luck to Kent at Leamington in the back end of September.
Thanks to Cranleigh BC for hosting the day.