Avenue are well on top in National Top Club encounter

Lisa Smith and Yvonne Pick’s doubles encounter was the only clash to go the distance, with the Avenue pairing coming out 27-10 victors.

The singles, triple and rink were all halted after 18 ends with Avenue holding an unassailable 83-35 lead.

Lynn Houghton did most of the damage, having opened up a 22-5 lead in her singles clash.

Chris Barton’s triple were also well ahead (21-10), while Vera Booth’s rink were 13-10 up.

However, there was a narrow defeat for Avenue in their five-rink mixed match at home to Cardiff-based touring side St Joseph’s.

The hosts won three of the five rinks courtesy of Phil Wadland (23-20), Ron Walton (18-14) and Peter Hooper (20-15), but defeats for Bill Port (26-14) and Martin Renshaw (20-16) handed St Joseph’s a four-shot victory.

Meanwhile, three generations from the same family guided Avenue to a 22-14 win over Southam in the semi-final of the County Triples.

Mother Yvonne Pick was joined by daughter Lisa Smith and granddaughter Hannah Smith, who at 11 years old will be the youngest player ever to appear in the County finals.

Avenue’s men edged past Royal Leamington Spa in the National Two Fours, with Matt Wordingham doing the damage as he led Peter Hooper, Phil Wadland and Bill Port to a 26-10 success.

Ray White came back from 11-10 down to win the other rink 24-13 for Leamington.

Spa gained a 112-105 success over Rugby-based LMRCA with both sides enjoying two rink wins with a further two being tied.

In the end it was convincing wins for Cynthia Briggs (21-14) and Malcolm Wickens (20-16) which proved the difference, with Ray White and Peter Higgins grabbing draws.

Spa’s ladies were much more convincing in their three-rink triples clash with Coventry Highway, with comfortable victories for Helen Slim (21-13) and Lynn Williams (25-6) steering them to a 64-34 success.

A 14-7 rink win for Barry Grant was unable to stave off a narrow one-shot defeat for Warwick CC Staff against Southam in a five-rink, mixed friendly triples match at Myton.

There was better news for Staff in their four-rink, mixed friendly triples match at home to Kineton, but not for Grant, who suffered the only loss in a 69-53 win.

Hilary Hickman (20-17), Les Collins (20-8) and George Barber (17-12) were the winning Avenue skips.

The following day, Staff suffered a comprehensive 80-55 defeat at Welford, losing all four rinks.

While Warwick Boat Club were touring Devon, where they played friendly matches against Brixham, Torquay and Paignton, those lady members that did not travel claimed a comfortable win over Stratford, winning all three triples.

Vivienne Griffin skipped Lorna Lee and Marjorie Aplin to a 24-17 success to claim the highest winning rink as Boat Club triumped 68-32.