On a rather overcast evening, the mister men hit the road again for the fourth away game in their first five SML fixtures (?). Tonight we travelled to Abercarn who have had an influx of players in the close season to bolster their ranks so a tough battle was expected.
The mister men started well and were 7 shots up on 5 ends, but the home team fought back to lead by 3 shots after 10 ends, the game swung back to Pontymister by the 15th end who held a 7 shot advantage and the mister men managed to hold onto this slender lead running out 52-58 winners & collecting 10 very valuable away points.
On rink 2, promising new bowler Simon Webb, Ian Holder, Chris (aka Mademoiselle “Busty”…) Beale, and the folically blessed skipper Graham Smith were involved in a tight battle with C. Coombs, D. Mitchell, A. Burns, and P. Robinson. The mister men led 2-3 on 5 ends, but lost 4 of the next 5 ends to trail 4-8 after 10 ends, Abercarn kept their noses in front 11-9 on 15 ends, before running out 14-10 winners.
On rink 3, the loaded front end of John Sheldon, and the talented Malcolm Goldie, played with Chris Simmonds and versatile Ian Collier. The mister men led 2-4 on 5 ends against C. Reers, M. Hillier, T. Howells, and K. Caddick, but Abercarn fought back to lead 8-7 on 10 ends, Pontymister then won 4 out of the next 5 ends to lead 10-14 on 15 ends, before running out 11-17 winners.
On rink 4, Martyn “Spanner” Watkins, and Richard Beaugie were teamed up with the young back end of Sean Kenvyn and promising skipper Jack Collier and played Abercarn’s R. Goodwin, B. Viney, D. Wilshire, and M. Woodward. Pontymister led 2-3 on 5 ends, but Abercarn fought back to square the game 8-8 on 10 ends, and picked up a count of 4 on the 11th end and then won the next 3 ends, before the mister men snatched a “3” back on the 15th end to trail 16-11 . Abercarn went on to win the last 3 ends ending up 19-11 victors.
On rink 5, the club’s talented young Ethan Simmonds was teamed up with Jamie Roberts, Ken McKinnon, and Richie Murphy and played against C. Evans, V. Pfeiffer, A. Medcraft, and G. Caddick. Pontymister led 2-5 on 5 ends against, 6-9 on 10 ends, before winning 4 of the next 5 ends to race into a 7-17 lead on 15 ends and eventually winning comfortably 8-20.
We thank our friends from Abercarn for their hospitality and look forward to seeing them later in the season.