HONG KONG—Defending champions Craigengower Cricket Club show early sign of dominance again at the triples league when they beat Club de Recreio at home in the opening game last Saturday, Dec 10.
The Triples League, which runs for nine weeks during the winter every year, normally sees a very tight competition as the teams only play half of the games at home. Last year, the CCC team showed their dominancy by winning the title with a game to spare but then engaged in a highly controversial action which resulted in the relegation of one of the two CCC teams.
On the last day of the Triples league on Feb 27 all CCC-B team members (who had already won the league) moved up to play the last match of the season for their “A” team to try to stop the “A” team being relegated. They won the match 8-0 to save the team from relegation. But their opponents on the day, Club de Recreio who were moved into in the relegation zone by the result, questioned the swap. After a prolonged argument the Disciplinary committee subsequently ruled in CdeR’s favour and the team remains in Division 1 for this season, while CCC-A was relegated instead.
CCC, who are defending their first ever Triples League title earned last year, continue their new policy of recruiting elite bowlers from the bowls community. New recruit on debut was the reigning National Triples champion Martin Sham from Kowloon Bowling Green Club. He assisted skipper Lee Ka Ho to defeat Edward Hung 24-11.
The other new recruit is Youth Team product Alex Ng who will make his debut this coming Saturday.
In the other two teams, Simpson Cheung and Jordi Lo also defeated their opponents respectively to move the team on top of the table.
In second place is KBGC-A, who beat their clubmates 8-0 at home.
In the women’s competition, the game between the defending champions Shatin Sports Association and Hong Kong Football Club was postponed until New Years’ day as a number of players were away to the World Championship representing Hong Kong.
HKFC, who won the trophy for five consecutive years before conceding to STSA last term, will definitely want to get back on the winning track.
After the first game leading the table is Island Lawn Bowls Club who defeated Kowloon Cricket 8-0 at home. They are followed by CCC who won 6-2 against KBGC.
This week in Lawn Bowls
The Triples league continues this Saturday Dec 17 at all lawn bowls greens in Hong Kong and on Sunday the Women’s Knock-out Singles takes place from 9am until 10pm at CdeR, HKFC, IRC, KBGC, KCC and USRC.
Claudius Lam is an officer of the Hong Kong Lawn Bowls Association.
