NEW Earswick Indoor Bowls Club made a winning return in the Yorkshire League division one against Harrogate after a 12-month lay-off amid the coronavirus pandemic, writes Terry Shepherdson.

New Earswick’s ‘A’ team ran out as 91-72 winners against Harrogate, with the former taking 12 points to the latter’s two.

In the home leg, John Harrison, Paul Murray, Mick Head and Colin Pickup got the season off to a flier with a seven at the second end and a five at the ninth to win 33-10.

It was a tighter affair on the other rink, where Wayne Osguthorpe, Dave Counter, Dick Osguthorpe and Adam Trinder narrowly prevailed 18-17.

Meanwhile Dave Clayden, Andrew Fothergill, Rob Domville and Kevin Liddell went down 13-22 at Harrogate.

And, in a topsy-turvy game, Dave Furness, Alan Shearer, Gary Jones and Paul Dawson edged a dramatic encounter 27-25.

New Earswick ‘B’ started their division three campaign with a 92-72 defeat against local rivals York ‘C’.

First up, Paul Webster, Dave Sykes, Mickey Warriner and Andy Nicholson won 26-16.

Then, David Crane, Steve Hudson, Nigel Steels and Rod Walker took just one of the last six ends in a 18-25 defeat.

Over at Thanet Road, Barrie Shipley, Dave Hutchinson, Allister Domville and Brian Birch’s disappointing start meant they could only finish in a 16-23 loss.

Brian Harton, Rodger Cann, Vic Thompson and John Snowdon then won only three of the final 15 ends and lost 12-28.

In the Egham Trophy, New Earswick host Leeds at Huntington Road and made a promising start through Diane Hardy, Ann Rafton, Wayne Osguthorpe and Dick Osguthorpe by winning six of the first eight ends to lead 10-4 but fell away to in a 24-18 reversal.

Ann Lea, Linda Newton, John Harrison and Adam Trinder were never more than four in front in a close 17-15 win.

At Leeds, Dave Counter, Carole Thompson, Majorie Watson and Gary Jones lost by 10 in a 27-17 scoreline while Sally Domville, Shirley Hallgate, Rob Domville and Colin Pickup battled to a 19-19 draw.

l Elsewhere, York and District IBC’s County League season got underway with a clash between the club’s ‘A’ and ‘B’ sides, with the former running out as comfortable 111-59 winners.

The 12 points that ‘A’ won from a possible 14 were largely thanks to the work of Luke Edwards, David White, Graham Brooke and Craig Newton, who won their rink 48-8.

David Dale secured the ‘B’ team two points by taking the rink over Neal Macdonald in a 18-11 victory.

York were also in Egham Trophy action as they were drawn against Harrogate. The early stages were taken by York who quickly moved into a 24-17 lead.

York stretched their advantage to 51-29 and managed to hold onto their sizeable advantage until the end of the game, with the final score reading 87-71, to ensure that they would progress into the next round of the competition.