After being knocked out at the third round stage last season, Spalding Lightning’s national men’s Denny Cup team started this year’s competition against Grantham IBC and managed a comfortable win 91 shots to 45.

When the first five ends were completed, Lightning had a 15-shot lead with much of the damage coming at home whilst the two away rinks got used to faster conditions at the opposition venue, and after ten ends, this lead had increased to 26 shots.

At 15 ends, the gap had grown to 40 shots (77-37) and with the game at approximately the 18-end mark both home and away, the lead had reached the final 46 shot difference when Grantham conceded.

The second round is on November 14 against Horncastle IBC.

Rink scores: Home – Rob Aves, Dale Parnell, Calvin Leuty and Jordan Philpott won 29-9 (top rink) and Dan Mills, Max Butters, Kevin Ekins and Martin Spencer won 20-10; Away – Graham Smith, Martin Simpson, Owen Aspinall and Dominic McVittie won 23-15 and Brian Martin, Nick Wilkie, Andy Dunham and Stephen Harris won 19-11.

• Following an excellent preliminary round victory, the Spalding Lightning national mixed Egham Trophy side beat Stamford IBC by 94 shots to 45.
  Following the first five ends, the scores were level at 20 shots all but after ten ends were played, Lightning had a 33-shot lead (61-28).

From then on, the match was controlled by Spalding both home and away and between the 15 and 18-end point, Stamford conceded the game. The second round is on November 15 against Horncastle IBC.

Rink scores: Home – Dan Mills, Maisie Belding, Chelsea Spencer and Dominic McVittie won 36-12 (top rink) and Jean Patterson, Julie Hicks, Calvin Leuty and Jordan Philpott won 18-10; Away – Ruby Philpott, Karen Martin, Martin Spencer and Mathew Orrey won 26-5 and Danielle Wild, Tracy Philpott, Andy Dunham and Stephen Harris lost 14-18.

• Spalding Lightning’s national ladies’ Yetton Trophy team should have started their campaign with a first round tie against Skegness IBC but the opposition had to concede the game as they were unable to field enough players. Lightning’s second round match will be against Lincoln IBC on November 14.
• The Spalding Lightning ladies’ Trudy Bates side began their fixtures in the south division with a home tie against Boston IBC, winning by 68 shots to 60 and gaining ten points from the 14 available.

It was a tight start as after the first ten ends, the aggregate score was 30 shots all and each side was winning on two rinks apiece. However, by the 15th end Spalding had opened up a lead of 16 shots following a fight back on the rink skipped by Maisie Belding who collected six shots on their 16th end but with Boston scoring eight shots on two rinks on their final ends the game was closer with the match finishing with a home eight-shot victory.

The team won on two rinks and lost on two with the top winning rink skipped by Julie Hicks, with Jean Patterson, Jenny Wakefield and Mandy Parkins who won 21-12. Their next match is at home against Grantham IBC November 5.

Rink scores: Jean Patterson, Jenny Wakefield, Mandy Parkins and Julie Hicks won 21-12; Shelia Chamberlain, Gill Haydon, June Taylor and Maisie Belding won 18-14, Judy Jackson, Sue Slayven, Trish Stafford and Maggie Wheatley lost 17-18, Ann Newbury, Michelle Billingsley, Carole Nunney and Betty Deaton lost 12-16.