Wisbech players contest Parker Shield

This week saw the first round of the Parker Shield, named after Mike Parker, who served as both chairman and treasurer of the league at different times in the 1960s.

If anybody was, Mike was a real gentleman, a real student of the game.

He was a bank employee who moved to the Lowestoft area and became treasurer of the East Anglian League during my five-year tenure as general secretary in the 1970s, writes Steve Barrett.

The East Anglian League, long since defunct, comprised of two divisions with teams from the cities, Norwich and Cambridge, for example, competing alongside market towns like King's Lynn and Wisbech.

The Parker Shield is a team handicap competition played on a group basis, with nine singles each played up to 42 points.

The individuals are handicapped and the individual totals are added to the overall points scored by the team.

In the Premier Division, there was a very close match between Exiles and Nets and Edges, the latter coming home with just three points to spare, winning 393-390.

Michael Jackman, of Nets and Edges, was in breathtaking form, including a topsy-turvy victory over Allan Nicholls.

In the other game from Group A, although winning each game, Wizards lost by 461 points to 408 by virtue of Nets and Edges A having, effectively, a 166 point start.

In Group B, Pegg’s beat Gladiators 413-392, with Jack Mason and Chad Bassett unbeaten.

In Division One, DNA had a convincing win over Divisional Leaders Warlords, as did Stingers over Wanderers.

Batmen overcame fellow strugglers Ramblers A despite Andy Murray being in excellent form, and Vikings beat Spartans 422-369 with Lewis Watson creating a comfortable points gap when beating Fergus Titmarsh 42-5.

In Division Two, Nets and Edges B had a very comfortable win against Odds and Sods as a result of the latter having the virtually impossible task of playing with two men.

Stephen Buttriss maintained his good form by winning all three games for the losers.

Fenland Tigers had an excellent victory over their fellow league strugglers, the all-female Nets and Edges, C, who saw big sister Rhianna Patrick gaining her side's only win over Jean Cammack.

The Mondays scraped home 395 to 388 against The Monday Bunch, with Tony Trayford putting in an excellent, unbeaten performance