ABERGAVENNY Bowls Club Men’s Team, GBL match against Pontyminster Welfare which was due to be played on Saturday at Avenue Road was cancelled due to Pontyminster not being able to raise a team.

But the MBA team had the hard task of visiting top of the table Bedwellty Park on a damp afternoon.

The rink of Jack Vale, John Woodier, Denis McDaid and Clive Morgan got off to a good start winning the first end by two shots but then Bedwellty went on the rampage winning the next four ends with three fours and a five to lead by 14 shots to two. Unfortunately despite winning a few more ends the Abergavenny men were well beaten by nine shots to 36.

The rink of John MacGregor, Jimmy Harris, Courtney Hemmings and Fred Mutimer were leading 3-2 after three ends but they then went on to lose the next eight ends to go 19-3 behind.

They managed to win four of the next six ends to trail by 23 shots to 11 but then lost on the last four ends to lose by 32 shots to 11.

It was a closer game on the rink of Rob Poynter, Raj Rajalingham Kidnasamy, Mike McGonagall and Peter Steed with the Abergavenny men never quite getting on level terms getting to one shot behind and then falling back, it was 20-19 to Bedwellty on the 16th end but once again on the final 5 ends Abergavenny fell behind to lose by 27 shots to 21.

On the rink of Mike Collins, Steve Rowan, Steve File and Paul Jones it was quite an even start to the first seven ends with the score being 9-8 to Bedwellty. The gap between the teams then opened up with Abergavenny going 22 shots to 14 down on the 17th end. A comeback was on when Abergavenny then scored 4 shots to make it 18-22 following it up with two singles. On a very tense final end the Abergavenny men managed to steal the game by getting the required 3 shots to win by 23 shots to 22.

Well done to Denis McDaid and Paul Jones who were both making their first appearances for the Abergavenny MBA team.

On Saturday the MBA team are at home to Machen and the GBL are away to Bedwellty Park.