Durrington Short Mat Bowls Club

24/10/2026

24/10/2026

🏆 CHAMPIONS AGAIN! 🏆
Huge congratulations to Carmen Thompson, Paul Thompson, and Skip Stephen Steward for magnificently defending their title at the 11th Shipton Bellinger Triples open competition! For the second year running, the Durrington trio have brought the trophy home! 🥇✨
It was a brilliant, hard-fought day of bowls:
• The Group Stage: We started strong with three incredibly tight wins, including an opening-match victory against our old rivals, White Horse, and a tough battle on a very fast, swinging Mat 2.
• The Semi-Final Drama: Facing a powerful Basingstoke team, we went down to the wire. Needing 3 shots on the final end just to stay alive, Stephen squeezed a masterpiece right between two bowls to force an extra end. We dominated the tie-breaker jack to book our place in the final!
• The Final: In a rematch against White Horse, we shook off two early dropped shots and completely took control, storming to a fantastic 11–2 victory!
A massive thank you to everyone at Shipton Bellinger for hosting such a wonderfully run tournament. It was lovely to see friends from across Wiltshire and Hampshire—thank you to all the players we met for the great sportsmanship, brilliant atmosphere, and plenty of laughs throughout the day.
Well done, team Durrington! 🟢⚪️🦅
And well done to The White Horse Short Mat Bowls Club for giving us TWO great games
Bellinger Bowls Club

23/10/2026

Durrington Short Mat Bowls gets off to a flying start in the Winter League! 🎳🏆
What a fantastic night of bowls as we welcomed White Horse to Durrington for our first winter league match of the season. It was a dominant performance from the home side, sweeping all four matches across two sessions to secure a massive overall victory!
👉 Final Score: Durrington 9 – 0 White Horse
👉 Total Shot Count: Durrington 58 – 13 White Horse
Here’s how the action unfolded:

Session 1

• Mat 1: Doreen, Pam, and Alex faced an early 0–2 deficit but fought back brilliantly with a 3 and a 4. Despite a 4-shot response from White Horse, our trio locked it down to win the final four ends straight, securing a fantastic 13–6 comeback victory!
• Mat 2: Carmen, Paul, and Steve hit the ground running and didn't look back. They put on a masterclass, relentless in their scoring, only dropping a single shot on the 7th end to finish with a dominant 20–1 win!
☕🍰 A huge thank you to our wonderful catering and tea team for looking after everyone with refreshments and fantastic cakes during the half-time break!

Session 2 (Mats Swapped)

• Mat 1: Carmen, Paul, and Steve kept their momentum going, building a strong 10–1 lead. White Horse threatened a comeback, but Durrington answered right back with a great 3. On the final end, Steve played a brilliant shot to nick the jack, sealing a great 14–4 win!
• Mat 2: Doreen, Alex, and Lyn (subbed in for Pam) stormed ahead with a commanding 7–0 lead over the first four ends. They kept the pressure on throughout, closing out a stellar 11–2 victory!
A massive congratulations to all the Durrington players for an outstanding start to the winter league campaign. We would also like to thank the White Horse teams (Paul, Marion, Les Kirby, D. Hopkins, M. Bealis, and C. Bealis) for a very competitive game filled with great shots from both sides. We wish them a safe journey home and all the best for the rest of their league season.
Great Support as well tonight !
Let's keep this victorious run going, Durrington! 🔴⚪💪

19/08/2026

Heartbreak in the Finale:
Durrington Fall Short as Market Lavington Claim the TitleDurrington Short Mat Bowls Club traveled to Market Lavington for a winner-takes-all final game of the season, standing five points clear at the top of the table. With Market Lavington trailing in second and seven points up for grabs, the stakes could not have been higher. Unfortunately, despite a valiant effort, it was not to be Durrington’s night.The match began with a fiercely contested Singles game. It was a fantastic, tightly fought battle, but Durrington narrowly missed out, allowing Market Lavington to claim the first point. The Pairs followed a similar script—a great contest that came down to the very last end, but once again, the hosts secured the win.In the 8 ends Triples, the tight play continued with each end decided by just one or two shots. However, Market Lavington used their home mat knowledge phenomenally well to pick up a third point. The 15 Triples started brightly for Durrington, picking up three shots early on after a bit of a fluky delivery. However, after that five-point mark, Durrington struggled to find the weight and lines of the mats. Market Lavington gave a masterclass in home advantage, chipping away at the lead, controlling the game, and thoroughly deserving their win to claim the Summer League Championship.
While Durrington missed out on a fantastic chance to become champions, this final result does not overshadow an incredible season. Due to holidays and illness, the squad was unfortunately short of numbers for this final fixture.

However, throughout the rest of the campaign, Durrington showed immense dedication and team spirit, incredibly fielding nine players in every single game.As Captain, I want to extend my sincere praise and heartfelt thanks to every single Durrington player for their finesse, effort, and commitment all summer. A special mention must also go to our brilliant supporters, including the two dedicated fans who traveled away to cheer us on from the sidelines. We played our best, but it just wasn't our night. We hold our heads high after a brilliant season.

31/07/2026

Tonight we welcomed Shipton Bellinger Bowls Club to the return fixture of the summer league and we wanted revenge

🏆 MATCH REPORT: Durrington vs. Shipton Bellinger (Home) 🏆
Durrington exacted sweet revenge on home soil tonight, turning around last week's tight away defeat with a spectacular 7-0 clean sweep! While our visitors showed great sportsmanship, they struggled with our unique home mats, allowing us to take maximum league points.
💥 FINAL SCORE: Durrington 7 (60 shots) | Shipton Bellinger 0 (11 shots)
------------------------------
🥏 RINK RESULTS:
👤 Singles (Mat 1):

* Alex vs. David Strawbridge
* Alex jumped to a 5-0 lead, kept his composure through a tight mid-game spell, and cruised to victory.
* Result: Won 8-2 (1 Point)

👥 8-End Pairs:

* Jill Norris & Lynn Gingell vs. J Hughes & K Beeson.
* The girls hit their stride early to lead 8-0 by the 4th end and shut down a late comeback attempt.
* Result: Won 10-5 (1 Point)

👥 8-End Triples:

* Doreen, Jill Hughes & Pam Mills vs. J. Hughes, K Beeson & David Stallibrass
* A cagey battle early on, but the trio stayed focused. Great setups from the lead/second and a firm skip saw us home.
* Result: Won 10-2 (1 Point)

👥 15-End Triples:

* Carmen Thompson, Paul Thompson & Stephen Steward vs. T Beeson,N Coe & B Alen
* Masterclass on the tricky, swingy Mat 2. Led 18-1 at the tea break. Kept the pressure on, narrowly missed a perfect "Hot Shot" on the 11th end, and dominated until the end.
* Result: Won 32-2 (2 Point)

➕ Overall Shot Bonus: Durrington 60 - 11 Shipton Bellinger (2 Points)
------------------------------
🍰 CLUB NOTES:
A massive thank you to Shipton Bellinger for being fantastic competitors. Huge appreciation also goes to our brilliant home supporters Ruth, Ron, Maurice, Pete, Sandy and Viv—for the wonderful tea, coffee, cakes, and Flapjack !, The visitors certainly enjoyed them!
What a fantastic night of retribution. Come on Durrington, we can do this! 💪🔴⚪

28/07/2026

Match Report: White Horse vs Durrington Short Mat Bowls Club

Durrington travelled to White Horse at Codford Village Hall for an enjoyable evening of short mat bowls, played across two mats in a mixed format of singles, pairs and triples.
Singles
Alex got Durrington off to the perfect start against Karen from White Horse. Playing some excellent bowls from the outset, Alex raced into a 6-0 lead after five ends. Karen managed to pull one shot back, but Alex continued to find his length superbly, consistently drawing close to the jack. After eight ends, Alex completed a commanding 11-1 victory, giving Durrington an early advantage.
Pairs
Jill Norris and Lynn represented Durrington in a closely contested pairs match. Durrington led 3-0 after two ends before White Horse responded strongly with a count of four to move ahead 4-3. The game ebbed and flowed throughout, with neither side able to establish a decisive lead. After eight ends of excellent bowling from both teams, honours were even in an 8-8 draw.
8-End Triples
Doreen, Jill Hughes and Pam faced a strong White Horse trio of Marian, Karen and Les, both experienced county-level bowlers. White Horse made a flying start, picking up five shots on the opening end and adding two more on the second to lead 7-0. Durrington replied with a single shot on the third end, but White Horse found their rhythm and continued to build their advantage. Despite a spirited finish and a much-improved final end, Durrington were unable to close the gap, with White Horse taking the match.
15-End Triples
The final game saw Carmen, Paul T and Steve take to the mat for Durrington. White Horse edged the opening exchanges, leading 2-1 after three ends, but from that point Durrington took control. Producing some outstanding bowls, they dominated the middle stages of the match, amassing an impressive 18 shots to 2 by the 8th end.
Following the refreshments break, White Horse fought back with a couple of high-scoring ends, reducing the deficit. However, Durrington responded well, adding three more shots to move to 21. On the final end, Durrington looked set to collect several more shots, only for a superb final bowl from Charlie of White Horse to secure a single shot for the hosts. Nevertheless, Durrington ran out convincing 21-8 winners.
Overall Result
After a competitive and friendly evening of bowls, Durrington emerged victorious by 5½ points to 1½ points.
A fantastic night was enjoyed by all, with excellent hospitality, lovely cakes and great company from our hosts at White Horse. Following the disappointment of the previous match against Shipton Bellinger, it was particularly pleasing for Durrington to bounce back with a strong away performance and secure some valuable league points.
Final Score: White Horse 1½ – 5½ Durrington
Congratulations to everyone involved on a superb team performance and a well-deserved victory. 🏆👏

28/07/2026

Travelling to codford to play The White Horse , wish us luck !!

23/07/2026

🏆 Match Report – Shipton Bellinger 5-2 Durrington
A tough night on some incredibly fast mats saw Durrington edged out by Shipton Bellinger, but the final score hardly tells the full story.
With nine players representing Durrington across the singles, pairs and two triples rinks, three of the four disciplines went right down to the final end and were decided by just a single shot.
Alex battled hard in the singles but found the lightning-fast mats difficult to tame against an experienced opponent. In the pairs, Jill and Lyn adapted brilliantly to the conditions and pushed their game all the way to the last end, sadly only to lose 3 on the last end 7-6 .Doreen, Sandy and Pam suffered a similar fate in the triples, taking the fight to the hosts before narrowly going down 7-6.
The highlight of the evening came in the 15-end triples. Durrington led 11-1 at the halfway stage before Shipton Bellinger clawed their way back into the contest. Going into the final end, Durrington still had a chance to sn**ch valuable bonus points, but a superb last bowl from the home skip denied them, with the match literally coming down to the final bowl of the night.
Although the result finished Shipton Bellinger 5-2 Durrington, there was very little between the sides and plenty of positives to take away. A big thank you to our hosts for a great evening of bowls and to all the Durrington players for their determination and sportsmanship.
👏 On to the next one! 🎯💙💛

15/06/2026

Tonight we travelled to Chalke Valley for our next game in the summer league, Again we fielded 9 players , Alex first up in the singles started well with 2 shots on the first end , he was playing Damon who seem to be on point and hence gave Alex a run for his money 5th end alex was down 6 - 2 but Damon being on form won 8 - 3 so took the first point of the match, Pairs up next with Jill H and Lyn G , what a game , the Durrington ladies were on form and only lost 1 end !!! and managed a great win 14 - 4 ! , first point to Durrington, But on the 2nd mat saw Carmen / Paul T and Steve S against 3 tough players but with determination of (WEARING OUR NEW KIT ) by half time 8 ends saw durrington lead 19 -3 , we just needed to keep composure and not get any sugar rush for the half time Tea Break.

2nd half saw a new triple of Doreen/ Sandy and Pam , by the 4th end of a tight game saw Durrington edge Chalke valley 4 - 2 , then one end changed it , Durrington lost a 6 , so chalk valley got a hot shot (congratulations gents !) , this game finished 5 - 11 so another point to Chalke Vally

so durrington 1 - 2 down all to play on 15 ends triples ...
But with all playing well Durrington sealed a 28 - 7 win

Durrington win 5 - 2 picking up the bonus for most shots , Like to congratulate Durrington on a fantastic win in our new team uniform what a way to make a statement , Commiserations to all at chalke valley who we wish the best for there remaining games , fantastic hosts great players ...

HOPE YOU LIKE OUR NEW SHIRTS and Black trousers /Shorts

onto the next game !

29/05/2026

Tonight we hosted Market lavington, The club that pipped us to second in the league on shot difference so we knew we were going to have to deep deep and fight. Durrington won the toss and decided to give Market Lavington the mat
Singles saw our Alex up against Alf,alex took a 4 - 1 lead after the 4th end half way through, and Alf fought back on the 7 end back to a 4-4 ! , with great nerve and skill alex won two shots winning the singles 6-4 !, Pairs were next up with Lyn and Pam up against c moule and Lyn W , After 4 ends we found ourselves 1-5 down and we need to keep the scores close for the bonus points ! on the final 8th end we managed to pull back and keep the score line down and finished 5-9 ! , great job !
On the 15 end triples we had a tough team up agaist us , Jill / Graham and Bob with Carmen /Steve and Paul T, After 8th End Durrington were doing very well keeping everything tight and stopped for refreshments that i must say was lovely x ( thanks to all who helped !) 11-4 .
2nd half
Durrington are trying to field as many players who want to play in the league so a new triple went out ( Doreen, Sandy and Paul G) up against the single and pairs from before making there triple.
After 2 ends Market Lavington had found the mat and took a 0-5 lead :( , after words of encouragement from the home teams and supporters (Ron & Morris) they turned that arround fighting for every shot and finished 8-7 and took the WIN ! what a game ...
So back on the 15 end triples well what can i say Durrington was in the zone , Carmen the LEAD was amazing all night giving very little all night , this made Steves Job as 2nd having less stressfully shots to play but he played well , leaving the Skip (Paul T) who had a great night with his orange bowls inflicting damage and saving some ends of a high shot count , they finished 24 - 6 !, what a night for Durrington SMBC ! , thank you to Market Lavington for a great nite of bowls, Next Game in 2 weeks !

so Durrington win tonight 6-1 !

Thanks again to all involved , if you fancy trying short mat bowls then please check out this link to find your local wiltshire club ..

Click Here for a Google map of all Wiltshire Affiliated SMB Clubs 2025 Club Name /Address /Social Media linksCalne Beversbrook Sports Facility, Beversbrook Lane, Calne SN11 9FL 01225 706972 Email WebsiteChalke Valley Chalke Valley Sports Centre, 13 Knighton Rd, Salisbury SP5 5DSCrudwell Crudwell Vil...