SUPER BOLT COMPLETES COUNTY GRAND SLAM!
In a classic see-saw final, Bolt got home 21-19 but full credit has to go to Peach who pushed the England star to the limit.
Bolt’s third final was the two-bowl singles against Darlington RA’s Peter Coulson, where he created a bit of county history.
Having never previously entered the two-bowl, it was the only county title missing from Bolt’s CV, and in the end the Silksworth star ran out a 17-4 winner - making Bolt the first player to have won all six major county titles in their career.
It all started with his first title in the Under 25 singles in 1994, and now Bolt has racked up 20 county titles.
The end of a long day for Bolt, however, ended in disappointment in the triples final as, alongside Phil Dixon and Gary Farquhar, they missed out in the defence of their title, going down 20-16 to Darlington RA’s Andrew Kirtland.
The remaining finals proved disappointing for our local hopes.
In the pairs, the Dairy Lane duo of Ken Briscoe and John Thurlbeck had a tough day at the office as they were well beaten 24-4 by the Dipton duo of Michael English and George Williams.
In the Champion of Champions, Roker Marine’s Peter Thomson was left to rue a slow start against Dunston’s Alan Jobling and eventually succumbed 21-11.
There was double heartache for Silksworth’s Jaxon McKenna. In the Under 25 pairs alongside Silksworth clubmate Josh Halcrow, they were beaten 15-13 by the holders Darlington RA’s Keith Burton and Liam Macey.
That was followed by a 2118 loss in the Under 25 singles final to RA’s Burton, who became the first to have won both Under 25 titles in the same season.
The only final with no local interest was the Senior Fours where in a repeat of last season’s final saw the holder Dipton’s Michael English defeat Spennymoor’s Barry Attwood 20-3.
Having lost their first four games in the Northern Counties, Stella Logan - the Durham County ladies B team - are ending the season on a high having now won their last three games.
The long trip to Southport to face leaders Lancashire proved a fruitful one as they ran out 96-65 winners.
Top rink was Horden’s Jenny Collins, who steered her quartet to a 30-12 win which included Sunderland’s Charlotte Bayliss at second bowl. The 8-2 points return means Durham will most likely finish fifth in the table. The final game against Yorkshire in late August has been moved to Sessay BC.
Latest Standings: Lancashire 38½, Yorkshire 38½, Cumbria 36, Durham 31, Northumberland 16.
In the Bowls England champion of champions, Silksworth’s Bolt moved into the area final after a 21-14 win over Cumbria’s David Foster. He will face Nafferton’s Stephen Dilks for a place at Leamington.
The national championships get under way tomorrow at Leamington Spa. The 30-day bowls bonanza will see 35 national titles won.
This is the fifth combined men and ladies championships to be held at the Warwickshire venue, since its move away from Worthing.
The two main team events get the championships under way. In the men’s Middleton Cup, Yorkshire face Leicestershire and Buckinghamshire face the favourites Devon, while in the ladies John’s Trophy, Yorkshire face Wiltshire and Northamptonshire face Surrey.
On Sunday, the Houghton Dairy Lane duo of Glynis Morgan and Joan Rodgerson are in Senior Pairs first round action.