Winter League: Week 13 Match Reports

ABINGDON & DISTRICT W.A.S.L.

‘A’ Section

‘B’ Section

Game reports

Ab.Utd A slipped a leg to Spread Eagle B winning 4-2 (16-13, 15-17, 12-16) with a 3-6-5 from D.Dix and 2-6-4 from L.Clapton. For Spread B L.Clapton 12, S.Enock & A.Bell 9, I.Brook 7 and B.Stowell 6. For Ab.Utd A D.Dix 14, D.Davies & K.Fisher 9, B. “Birthday Boy” Duff & B.Parker 7.

Spread Eagle A beat Ab.Utd B. 6-0 with legs of 12-17 12-14 10-12. For Utd B N.Green top scored (yay! personal best?) 8, K.Souch & D.Harris 7, S.Martin & R.Taylor 6. For Spread A S.Humphries 12 (4-5-3), D.Mott & J.Gapper 9, J.Bowler 8. Bertie started well with a 4 but went downhill fast to a stop.

The Heathens must have had a ‘team talk’ from Tosh as they beat Ab Con Club 6-0 with leg scores that befit their average 15-10 14-9 14-9. For ACC B.’get yer rolls’ Clapton top scored with 10 (legend in his own lunchbox), P.Barrett 8 and M.Neal 7. For The Heathens P.Longford 11 D.Butler, D.Holmes & T.Downes 9.

Penlon nearly gave Brown Owls their first win but for a winning doll that gave them 4-2 (7-13 12-13 9-7). For the Owls I.Brown topped with 9, Sam Kinnaird 8 (nice to see a nice lad do good), B.Robbins 7. For Penlon P.Stone & D.Bellcourt 8, E.Jefferies 7 and I.Morrison 6.

Ab.Legion beat Ab.Utd C 4-2 with legs of 13-11 11-14 11-12 (as chalked – please see over). For Utd C T.Harrhy 9, C.Keeley 8 and M.Ashmall & J.Warrell 7. Nice to see a team who came in the league for fun start getting double figures a leg. For Ab.Legion S.Champ 9, D.Sapey 8, P.Ealey & N.Hazell 7.

Regards

Paul & Brian

P.S. COMPETITIONS NEXT WEEK – keep your eyes on the website for details – Tosh has only just got back to sort them so be EARLY!

P.P.S. Many thanks for Brian for sorting the rolls during this holiday period. Also thanks to those who get here early and put out the tables & chairs and the pitch – this doesn’t happen by accident you know so if anyone else wants to help – many hands make light work. Which reminds me of an old gag at a stadium……

P.P.P.S. I’d like to say it’s been a pleasure….but then again…..I’m glad Tosh is back to take over in his retirement.

ALL TEAMS, Captains, Callers and Sticker ups,

Those of you who stayed to the bitter end last week will know it did leave a bitter taste. At the end of the last game last week there was a set of protests over the calling in the game. These protests were made in an aggressive manner and rightly or wrongly called into question the competence of the caller. Those verbally aggressive protests wouldn’t be acceptable in any other context in a shop or work environment but because they are tinged with alcohol in a bar it was thought acceptable by the protesters. Well, it is not.

Now, we all know for those who are brave enough to do it and some aren’t, that calling, like refereeing is a task that everyone likes to think they can do better. Those who do it deserve respect and encouragement when starting to do it and some level of ‘correction’ to hone their skills later. This is why the sticker up is there to help the caller in decisions as well as stick up. 

It is, however, the callers job to be absolutely clear about a call and have the final decision. Literally, calling a doll as either a doll or traditionally ‘iron’ or ‘no doll’. The latter two expressions I’ve not heard in my dozen or so years playing in Abingdon leagues, presumably as ‘it’s obvious it’s not a doll’ – if it’s not called the silence is taken to mean it’s not a doll – and that of course is not always the case as in this incident and hence a common cry of ‘ask him’.

Unlike tennis an Aunt Sally player doesn’t have a ‘challenge’ option and we don’t have a hawkeye or a snickometer!  There is also nothing in any rules I’ve seen that says the caller has to announce the call before the next stick is thrown although that is common practice. In last week’s case the caller was still thinking about it and didn’t have time to decide with the sticker up. This took place at the end of the throw and a final score was chalked up. This changed the perceived result of the leg because the ‘home’ team (in whose advantage a ‘short’ total would be) put a 2 on the card and not the 3 that was chalked up.

To avoid this type of confusion in the future ALL callers should :-

– shout clearly every doll given 1..2 etc or ‘no doll’/’iron’ for misses AND

– at the end of the 6 sticks thrown shout out the total score given

Stickers ups are there to also aid the caller and be a second pair of eyes and ears.

That said the score written on the scoreboard is the one that stands as we all know it can sometimes be counted or shouted incorrectly (usually instantly corrected by the crowd) or even not heard at all if the crowd goes wild in adulation with a great score and winning doll.

Teams with their own rules that say the lowest scorer sticks up should consider whether that person has enough experience of the game to actually call or should a more experienced player be put in that position. More experienced players sticking up should support those who maybe calling for the first few times and encourage them to do it and be clear about their opinion of a doll to give them the opportunity to improve and get competent.

People won’t call if we don’t have respect for callers.

Without callers we don’t have a competitive game – we’d only be practicing.

Thank you.

Paul