IT proved an excellent start to the season for Abergavenny Bowls Club’s Ladies at Caerleon last week.

The rink of Jenni MacGregor, Mary Evans, Sue Williams and Kath Indge led by 11-3 at seven ends and then 13-9 at the 14th end, before winning the final four ends to triumph 22-9.

Clare Morgan, Sue Jewell, Julia Salter and Lesley Radley scored heavily and led by 15-2 at seven ends and 24-9 after 14 ends, before winning 26-12, with the final match score 48-21.

On Wednesday, Abergavenny hosted Gilwern for a six-rink Mixed Friendly.

On Rink 1 Rob Poynter, Fred Mutimer, Martin Love and Clive Morgan edged a tight game 13-11, while Clare Morgan, Nigel Jewell, Ian Turner and Denis McDaid on Rink 2 overcame Gilwern 22-9.

On Rink 3 Peter Steed, Gordon King, Julia Salter and Charles Harper had a very close game and managed to win 13-11.

Mary Evans, Dave Cooper, Sue Jewell and Stephen Williams on Rink 4 came out on top 18-13.

On Rink 5, Mike Collins, Mike Hayward, Sue Williams and Lesley Radley had one of those days and lost 27-8.

But Ian McCuish, Paul Jones, Mary Vale and Gerald Parry on Rink 6 won 21-12, with Abergavenny narrowly winning 95-83.

On Saturday, the club had both the Monmouthshire BA and Gwent BL sides out playing their first league games of the season.

At Avenue Road the MBA team welcomed a strong Beaufort side packed with county players and some very familiar faces.

On the rink of Jimmy Harris, Peter Steed, Courtney Hemmings and John Vale/Dave Hill, Abergavenny edged out to 19-14 on the 20th end, but Beaufort then scored five to make the final score 19-19.

Rob Poynter, Steve File, Gordon King and Mike McGonagall had a good start and kept it going to win 21-14.

The rink of Jack Vale, John Woodier, Ian McCuish and John MacGregor had a very close game until the 17th and 18th ends which saw Beaufort score seven shots to go five ahead.

Abergavenny managed to reduce the deficit to two shots making the final rink score 22-20 to Beaufort.

Mike Collins, Rob Pursey, Fred Mutimer and Paul Jones were completely dominated by an extremely strong Beaufort rink and lost 29-8.

But it was a great game overall, and a lot closer than the final 68-84 scoreline to Beaufort suggests.

The GBL team went to Blaina for their first league game, where the rink of Richard Richards, Mike Hayward, Gerald Parry and Steve Williams took the lead from the start and never fell behind, winning 15-11.

On the rink of Mary Evans, Dave Cooper, Charles Harper and Mary Vale it was a very close game until the last four ends when Abergavenny failed to score, so Blaina won the rink 24-14.

Clive Morgan, Nigel Jewell , Roger Griffiths and Denis McDaid were up against only three Blaina players and it was a very close game with Abergavenny winning the Rink by 18-15 after the hosts were deducted 25 per cent for fielding an under-strength rink.

Dates for the Diary – Friday, May 1, Free Taster Session at 5.30pm; Saturday, May 2, MBA v Abercarn, Avenue Road at 2.30pm; Sunday, May 3, EMBA Finals Day, Avenue Road at10am; Tuesday, May 5, Ladies League away at Beechwood at 2.30pm.