Bath Power Through into Final

Thursday 6 September, Intermediate League Semi-Final – unbeaten in the League so far, a beautiful day in the magnificent setting of Dyffryn House and Gardens, excellent lawns, (tedious journey into foreign lands apart) what could possibly go wrong? Well, not much as it happened.

By lunchtime, Bath were 3-0 up. As so commonly happens in games of doubles, Connie Stopforth and Captain Paul Francis ground out a +1T victory in a low scoring game. Meanwhile Harry Dodge and Richard Stopforth won 26-10 and 26-15 respectively with plenty of time to spare.

Dodge was even quicker after lunch, winning 26-4 with the benefit of a bisque! Richard Stopforth won fairly comfortably, but Francis, one wonders if by preference(!), won +1T (at least this time avoiding his speciality – a golden hoop finish). Connie Stopforth, just one hoop behind and watched by both teams, which can’t have settled the nerves, made a hoop to draw level on her last turn after time had been called, to set up a golden hoop finish. Her opponent however ‘scored’ the next hoop; Connie was very unlucky to lose.

So, the Final will be played at Nailsea against Cornwall whose skipper ‘boasted’ that they beat Lym Valley 7-0 in their semi-final having also been unbeaten in their Division.

Results:

Paul Francis (9) & Connie Stopforth (18) vs Sue Mackay (11) & Stan Sault (18)  +1T

Richard Stopforth (9) vs Marian Clancy (16)  +11

Harry Dodge (12) vs Janet Salter (14)  +16

Paul Francis (9) vs Marian Clancy (16)  +1T

Richard Stopforth (9) vs Janet Salter (14)  +5T

Connie Stopforth (18) vs Stan Sault (18)  -1T

Harry Dodge (12) vs Sue Mackay (11)  +22