Alan Paterson
14 May, 2025
Sport

Marine Gardens Bowling Club members enjoy a busy but rewarding week

Marine Gardens members enjoyed a busy but rewarding week of bowling, featuring one away league match and two home friendlies, capped off with a special celebration and the highlight of the club’s competitive calendar.

VE Celebrations

Monday saw the team travel to Lancing for a Bodie Tray League fixture, where Marine Gardens delivered a superb all-round performance. Dominating across all four rinks, they secured a comprehensive 89–60 victory and claimed the full ten points on offer.

Wednesday brought a home friendly against Norfolk. In a keenly contested match, Norfolk edged the overall result with a 3–2 rink win and a shot score of 99–67. Despite the loss, there were standout performances from the home side, particularly the rink of Trevor Punnett, Bob Cole, Perry Cairns, and skip Mark Berriman, who earned top rink honours with an impressive 22–9 victory.

Finalists in the Supreme Champions Match
Finalists in the Supreme Champions Match Credit: MGBC

Thursday saw the club in high spirits as members gathered to celebrate VE Day, with festivities superbly organised by Trevor Punnett and Rob Hurst. Dressed in patriotic red, white, and blue, members enjoyed a fun match in glorious weather, followed by

tea and cakes on the terrace. A spider competition, raffle, and generous donations raised a splendid £253.90 for the Care for Veterans charity.

VE Celebrations
VE Celebrations Credit: MGBC

Friday welcomed another friendly, this time against local rivals Tarring Priory. Marine Gardens returned to winning ways, securing a strong 3–1 rink win with a final shot score of 66–55, rounding off the week’s competitive matches on a high.

The week concluded in style on Saturday with the prestigious Supreme Champion Match, pitting the ladies’ singles champion, Angela Neale, against the men’s champion, Tim Baldwin. In front of an enthusiastic crowd, Tim quickly built an unassailable lead. Angela remained a determined and graceful competitor, but on

the day, Tim’s impressive form proved decisive as he claimed the 2025 Supreme Champion title.

Tilly Henning generously organised tea and cakes on the terrace to round off the event. The trophy was then presented to a well-deserving champion.