NEW Earswick Indoor Bowls Club were beaten 143-55 by Harrogate in the Egham Trophy.

Harrogate proved to be too strong in all four rinks for the Earswick team.

At home, Bob Elliot, Sheila Hallgate, Irene Warrington and Dave Clayden dropped a five at the first end against A Spilsbury, A Sneddon, D Chapman and R Legate, but got five back at the second end.

They then dropped a four to trail 9-5 after five ends and only scored one single in the next eight ends while dropping a six and a four to be 29-8 down after 12 ends.

Each side picked up a five in the last six ends for Harrogate to win 40-17.

Carole Thompson, Moira Ellis, Colin Ellis and Bill Waldie matched O Ray-Mathis, L Harris, D Spilsbury and G Swift at the start with the score at 6-6 after 10 ends but then lost the next six ends, dropping 20 shots to trail 26-6. They dropped a five at the 20th to go down 35-9.

Things were very similar over at Harrogate.

Lesley Nuckey, Paul Murray, Sally Domville and Dick Osguthorpe dropped a six at the fifth end to go 9-3 behind to C Shaw, B Leighton, D Small and S Webster, but were only 20-13 down with five ends to play.

They dropped two threes, a four and a seven to lose 37-16.

Jennie Philpot, Norma Davies, Gary Jones and Colin Pickup were only 8-6 down after eight ends against M Lawrence, M Steel, J Skinner and C Legate.

They dropped a seven and a six in the next seven ends to go 25-9 behind and slide to a 31-13 defeat.

YORK Indoor Bowls Club Romans secured their first win of the season in an exciting game against the Hornsea Hawks in the Yorkshire Over-55s League division two.

There was no more than five shots difference between the teams at the vital stages in the game, though it looked to be going the Hawks' way as they led 68-63 with three ends to go.

Ray Wynn, Dave Snarr, Alan Yoward and Allan May were first to finish and they did well as they came from 22-8 down with nine ends to play to only lose 26-17.

Next to finish were Rod Knight, Mal Rankeillor, Trevor Scott and Mike Snowden who went from 11-9 to win 20-12.

Away, Andy Lockwood, Ian Mackland, David Dearlove and Gordon Walker were next to finish after an impressive display where they totally controlled their game and led 18-2 after 14 ends before their opponents picked up 10 shots over the following four ends.

Fortunately Walker's men responded by winning two of the last three ends to deservedly win 20-13.

The last rink of Charlie Arnett, Ken Robinson, John Sandle and Ron Munro were trailing 21-11 with six ends to play.

They reduced their arrears to five, making the Romans one shot ahead on aggregate at 73-72 with Munro's men going into their last end.

With a draw on the cards they held their nerve and picked up two shots to only go down 21-18 and give the Romans a 75-72 victory, picking up 10 points.

In division one, York Knights were optimistic after their away rinks had come away from Harrogate with a seven shot advantage, after Wally Darbyshire, Dave Clough, David White and Pete Bradley put in an impressive display to win 30-10.

Allen Clapham, Dave Berwick, Jim Robertson and Graham Instone did well picking up a five on the 18th end to make the score 19-13 against them but dropped seven shots in the run-in and lost 26-13.

At home, Alan Braithwaite, Vic Woolley, Dave Clarke and Steve Lea won a tight game 18-13.

Colin Robinson, Barry Walker, Eric Hodgson and Geoff Walker struggled throughout and lost 38-8.

York Vikings are in action tomorrow as they take on Hornsea Seagulls in division one.

York went out of the Egham Trophy 4-67 to bogey team Hornsea.

With three ends to play the scores were level at 67-67. Lynda Parker, Sheila Turpin, Craig Newton and Tony Horobin picked up a seven on the ninth end to lead 12-8 and went on to win 25-17, while John Crowe, Maureen Walker, Helen Wood and Dave Stroughair lost 27-13.

Away, Pat Berwick, Betty Richardson, Mark Clarke and John Whiteley held on to win 17-16, while Pat Walker, Pat Potter, Kieran Earnshaw and Jack Bird dropped six shots in the run-in to lose 24-12.

On Saturday at noon York's Yetton Trophy team start their quest to win the trophy for the third year running as they play Dunholme, while the men play Hornsea in the Denny Cup.