For the 5th year running Cambridgeshire Carpet Bowlers have won the English County Championships played at Hemsby. They also won the National League against Nothumberland winning on four rinks and drawing on two.

Three Reach bowlers played in the county team of twenty four from all over Cambridgeshire (2000/1) They are Roland and David Folkes and Gary Blunsten.

In this years team (2001/2) after very strict trials five Reach players qualified. They are Roland, David and Amy Folkes, Gary and Kelly Blunsten.

Their first match is against Hertfordshire, being played at Milton Community Centre on November 25th.

We have just heard that the Cambridgeshire bowlers have been voted the sports team of the month by the Cambridge Evening News.

Well done Everybody.

Anita and David Folkes not to be outshone by Roland and Amy’s success this year, went over to Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight to play in a carpet bowls competition of 126 pairs.

After a rather choppy ferry crossing they were greeted at the holiday village by the organisers (Meld Leisure from Suffolk) with a glass of wine and a very warm welcome.

They won four of the five games in their group losing only to the group winners, but got through to the knock out rounds as a runner up. From there they didn’t look back and won all their games going through to the semi finals on the Friday morning before getting the ferry home.

They had a very close semi final against a North Tyneside pair being 7-2 down after four ends of seven, but came back and won the game by one shot (7 –8) taking them into the final against a pair from Braintree , Essex. This game was not such a nail biter as Anita and David took command of the game quite quickly and won 10-2.

They won a cut glass decanter and tankard, two bottles of drink and both won a free week on the Isle of Wight next year. After having a very enjoyable week of bowls and sight seeing this just put the icing on the cake.

From the editor

Well done all of you.

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