National Two Fours vs Reading Report - 27th May 2026

National Two Fours vs Reading (Home) - 27th May 2026

After receiving a walkover in their first game, it was finally time for Shrivenham A to get their National Two Fours campaign underway. The defending national champions faced a stern test, hosting Reading. Honours were even between the two sides in national team competitions last season, with Shrivenham taking the win in the Two Fours, and Reading defeating Shrivenham 3-2 in the Top Club. How would this contest play out?

Shrivenham came out of the blocks the quicker of the two sides. They raced into a 17-5 lead after 5 ends, with both rinks in charge. Mark Hancock’s rink led 8-1, whilst counts of 4 and 5 on the first 2 ends of the match helped Steve Warren’s quartet to a 9-4 scoreline.

However, the momentum started to shift and it didn’t take long for Reading to make significant inroads into this early lead. At 10 ends, both Shrivenham rinks had been reduced to just a 1-shot advantage. The positive for Shrivenham during this spell was that despite not winning many ends, they kept the counts down to a minimum. As a result, both rinks managed to stay just in front, with Mark & Steve holding onto 9-8 and 10-9 leads respectively. 

With Reading on the charge, a change in momentum was needed. Fortunately, this arrived at the perfect time for Shrivenham. Mark’s rink scored 13 shots from ends 11 to 14, before dropping a 4, which meant a 22-12 lead at the 15 end stage. Steve’s rink also extended their lead to 16-13, meaning a 38-25 advantage for Shrivenham as the end of the match loomed. 

Over the final 3 ends of the contest, Reading did close the gap slightly. Steve’s rink held onto their 3-shot advantage, securing an 18-15 win. Mark’s rink did lose the 16th and 17th end, but still held onto a healthy 7-shot victory, 22-15. 

A 40 shots to 30 overall win for Shrivenham, who kick their title defence off with a strong showing against tough opposition. The challenges don’t stop, as next up is a home tie against Desborough on Sunday, 7th June.

Result - Shrivenham beat Reading 40-30

Liam Hancock, Tom Clough, Mikey Titcombe and Mark Hancock beat N Jones 22-15

Carlos Lali, Ryan Lali, Elliott Winskill and Steve Warren beat D Holder 18-15

Report written by MJT Writing & Media Services