Overbury Bowling Club went into the new season with high hopes but even they are exceeding their expectations with their current run of success.

So says vice-chairman Mike Mace, who contacted The Local Answer to highlight just some of their achievements this year.

What has made their success at the start of the 2017 campaign all the sweeter is that their victories have been across the board and are not just by one team.

The men’s team in the WBA County Triples have been setting a fast pace and in their most recent match enjoyed a 20-3 win over Broadway, who conceded after 14 ends.

The winning team was made up of Mike Mace, Dan Mason and Neil Williams and Mace joked: “If only every club would concede it would make our quest to win the championship so much easier!”

That win followed victories in the SWT Triples League over Bredon B (96-19), Bredon A (58-42) and Pershore B (60-42) and Stuart Yapp, the men’s triples A team captain, said: “This is an excellent start to the year and has put us top of the league.

“We need to keep this focus for the rest of the season to be able to win the championship.”

Not to be left out, the ladies have been doing just as well in their WBA County Triples with Sandy Mace, Daphne Hayward and Gillian Pearce beating Manor Park 19-11 despite most of the match being played in the rain.

The ladies’ section has also enjoyed success in the Worcestershire Bowling Association County Double Rink, proving far too strong for Evesham who conceded after 12 ends.

Pam Jones, Yvonne Cole, Jean King and Jan Newton won their rink 21-2, and Gillian Pearce, Barbara Baldwin, Sally Lewis and Daphne Hayward were just as convincing as they won 25-5.

Not surprisingly, the club’s early season success has attracted the attention of the county selectors with club chairman Dan Mason and current men’s champion Neil Williams both invited by Worcestershire’s manager to join the squad to play in the Midland Counties League.

The winning start to the campaign has delighted everyone at the club, which is situated just a long roll of the jack over the north Gloucestershire border.

Despite its Worcestershire address with a GL postcode, Mace says that the majority of its 70 members are from Gloucestershire.

“We’re situated right on the border of Gloucestershire and Worcestershire on the Overbury Estate,” he explained.

“Overbury Bowling Club was established in 1962 and enjoys a large membership from Winchcombe, Greet, Toddington, Alderton, Bishop’s Cleeve and the surrounding area.

“We could almost be called Winchcombe and District Bowling Club but tradition dictates that the club is named according to the location of the clubhouse and green.”

The club enjoys a beautiful setting and Mace added: “The magnificent views to the Cotswolds and the tranquil surroundings of Overbury village are both widely acknowledged and the envy of visiting clubs.”

The Opening of the Green day officially started the new year and was attended by 54 members, all keen to enjoy the idyllic surroundings and excellent spring weather.

During the winter, the 6-rink county standard green was given time to recover from the 2016 match play and tended to by working parties to ensure a good bowling surface for the coming season.

The club held an open day last month where prospective members were introduced to the aspects of bowling and tried their hand on the green.

Further coaching is planned to help those people new to bowls.

Every Monday evening throughout the season is club night where members can practice, receive coaching, play friendly matches and/or just socialise at the club.

Wednesday mornings are allocated for club members to play friendly matches and whenever the green is not allocated to maintenance, matches or club activities, it is available for members to use for practice or to receive organised coaching.

New members are always welcome, contact Overbury Bowling Club at info@overburybowling.net